Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Passes New Shark Rules — With One Big Exception
The IOTC regulates fisheries for tuna and other highly migratory species like swordfish across the Indian Ocean. Tuna and sharks often swim in the same waters, so fishing fleets frequently haul in sharks as bycatch (animals fishers do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep). In some cases, like with blue sharks (Prionace glauca), they are caught in such high numbers that conservationists argue they should be managed as target species instead; blue sharks make up over 60% of swordfish fishery catches in the region. Many of these sharks species are also intentionally caught for their fins, which are used in delicacies and traditional medicine in parts of Asia.
The newly passed resolution now requires that all sharks be landed with their fins still naturally attached, closing a major loophole that allowed for shark finning at sea. Cutting off a shark's fins and discarding the rest of the body not only kills the shark, but makes it nearly impossible to track which species are being caught. The new rule allows some flexibility, such as tagging fins and carcasses and storing them separately, but starting in 2028, any party wanting to use an alternative method will need to justify it with evidence. This change, IOTC argues, is a win for both enforcement and science.
Also adopted were stricter retention bans that prevent fishers from keeping certain shark species if they are caught. Oceanic whitetips (Carcharhinus longimanus) and thresher sharks (Alopias spp.) were already protected under such bans. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) will be added to that list starting in 2026, assuming the IOTC's scientific committee gives it the green light. Meanwhile, blue sharks will soon be managed under a formal system that includes catch limits and quotas, a first for the species in the Indian Ocean. With updated data showing they're not currently overfished, this preemptive approach aims to keep it that way.
But the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), already overfished and in danger of collapse, didn't receive the full protection that many hoped for. While there is now a partial retention ban, it applies only under specific conditions: if a mako is still alive when brought aboard, it must be released, but if it's dead (and if an observer or electronic monitoring system is on board) the vessel is allowed to keep it. Given that many makos are caught on wire traces, which virtually guarantee the shark won't survive the fight to the surface, critics say this rule is too weak to make a real difference. These wire traces are often made of steel and are used in longline fishing to prevent toothier fish (like sharks) from biting through the line.
They also increase shark catchability (and at times, mortality).
The IOTC has now restricted their use, but only in the area north of 20 degrees south latitude. That leaves much of the southern Indian Ocean, including key fishing zones for Spain and other EU countries, unaffected. Since EU fleets tend to fish in those southern waters and use electronic monitoring, they're allowed to keep dead makos while others are not. That discrepancy has drawn sharp criticism from conservation groups, who argue it undermines the intent of the ban and could keep mortality levels far too high for mako populations to recover.
Scientific advice suggests mako mortality needs to drop by 60% to give the species a fighting chance. The current resolution likely won't achieve that, and some observers fear it could be too late already. Still, the IOTC considers the adoption of even a partial ban a success, though one unevenly shared. EU officials defended their position by pointing out that many developing coastal nations lack the resources to monitor their fleets as rigorously, leading to gaps in reporting. Without stronger commitments and better data, the path to true recovery for sharks like the shortfin mako remains uncertain.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
18 hours ago
- New York Times
They Kindled Froggy Romance and Rescued Eggs to Save a Species in Mississippi
It didn't look good for the dusky gopher frog. By the early 2000s, scientists knew of fewer than 100 adults left at a single seasonal pond in southern Mississippi, and that population faced an imminent threat: The water kept drying up before the tadpoles turned into frogs, killing them. Then, to make things worse, a parasite hit. A few survivors were taken into captivity. They refused to mate. But two decades later, the frog's trajectory has turned around. While the species remains critically endangered and still relies on intensive interventions, its numbers have grown to around 600 adults, spread out over some 15 ponds and a handful of captive populations that now produce offspring. It's been a roller-coaster ride. Over the years, collaborators — from federal and state agencies, academia, zoos and other conservation organizations — have lived through crushing lows, dizzying highs and chronic worry over the three-inch frogs. There have been brushes with disaster, like when critical genetic diversity was saved by relocating two frogs at a crucial moment. There have been quixotic quests to kindle froggy romance: Entire ponds have been constructed at the Memphis Zoo to tempt captive populations into mating. 50 States, 50 Fixes is a series about local solutions to environmental problems. More to come this year. Not to mention the mundane logistics. Some of the most important work has to happen on frog time (at night) and in frog weather (pouring rain). A pond where the frogs have been released into the wild. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times A froglet going through metamorphosis. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Frogs being released into the wild. Whitney Steinfeld/Memphis Zoo An adult frog. A pond built at the Memphis Zoo. Zoo frogs in an imitation burrow. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Glen's Pond, named for the researcher who discovered dusky gopher frogs there. John Tupy, USFWS A tortoise in its burrow, which the frogs also like to use. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Sinlan Poo at a pond where frogs are reintroduced to nature. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Calls for ‘landscape-wide' action to protect butterflies amid falling numbers
Conservationists have called for 'landscape-wide' action to protect butterflies, as new official figures indicate declines of nearly a fifth since the 1970s. The latest annual update on butterfly monitoring published by the Environment Department (Defra) reveal abundance across all butterfly species has declined 18% in the UK and 19% in England over the long-term. The situation is even worse for specialists which need specific habitats such as flower-rich grassland, heathland and woodland clearings to thrive, with numbers declining by more than a third (39%) across the UK, and 25% in England. And some individual species of butterflies have seen numbers plummet by more than 80% since 1976, the monitoring suggests. Conservationists warn falls in the abundance of butterflies are a signal of problems in the wider environment, and reveal what is happening to many other insects that are a key part of ecosystems. The latest figures include 2024, which wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation's head of science Dr Richard Fox described as a 'terrible year for the UK's butterflies'. May last year was the warmest on record, but had notably low levels of sunshine, and overall 2024 ranked as the fourth warmest and eighth wettest year since the early 1900s, disrupting seasonal patterns essential to many butterfly species. The weather conditions hit butterflies which were already struggling with habitat loss and pollution, conservationists warn. Dr Fox said: 'With the addition of data from 2024, which was a terrible year for the UK's butterflies, these updated indicators reiterate the long-term decline of these beautiful insects. 'In particular, habitat specialists – butterfly species that rely on specific habitats such as heathland, woodland clearings or flower-rich grassland – have fared poorly since the 1970s as humans have destroyed and polluted these habitats. 'When we also factor in the implications of climate change, which is resulting in unpredictable extremes of weather, it is more important than ever that we take conservation action on a landscape-wide scale.' The data indicate nearly half (46%) of individual species that are restricted to certain habitats have seen declines in the UK, while 50% have seen numbers fall in England. Across the UK, heath fritillary has seen the most severe declines since 1976 with an 89% drop in abundance, while other habitat specialists including wood white, small-bordered fritillary, grayling and pearl-bordered fritillary have seen declines of 70% to 80%. The assessment from Defra said the main causes for the declines in habitat specialist butterflies were the loss, fragmentation and degradation of those landscapes, with more intensive agriculture also contributing to the drop in numbers. Many have not recovered from declines experienced in the late 1970s, which were partly as a result of the knock-on effects of the drought conditions in 1976, but a lack of suitable habitat after that is the main driver for persistent declines and lack of recovery since, it said. Butterflies found on farmland have declined by around a third in both the UK and England, with those that require the specific habitat to thrive seeing falls in abundance of 42% in the UK and 47% in England. Woodland butterflies have fared even worse with declines of more than half (54%) since the 1970s when monitoring began, with woodland specialist species declining by 55% in the UK and 57% in England. Butterflies have also seen short-term declines on farmland, with numbers falling 12% across the UK and 11% in England over the past decade, the figures suggest, while woodland butterflies have shown no significant change over the same period. But the findings also indicate some specialist species are on the increase, including black hairstreak, silver-spotted skippers, large heath, dark green fritillary, silver-washed fritillary and purple emperor. Officials said some recent increases could be attributed to targeted conservation action, while some species are benefiting from climate change which is allowing them to expand their range. Dr Fox urged: 'Looking at the specific conditions these species need to thrive and working to reinstate them where we can will offer some of these very vulnerable species an opportunity to recover.' Across more 'generalist' species, which are not restricted to specific habitats, there has been no change over the long or short-term, but the fortunes of individual species have differed wildly. Small tortoiseshell butterflies have seen falls of 86% between 1976 and 2024, while wall and white-letter hairstreak butterflies have seen almost as severe declines. But ringlet butterflies have increased by 273%, and holly blue and comma butterflies have also seen some of the largest increases in abundance over five decades, the figures suggest. Across the 50 species monitored across the UK, 44% have suffered declines since 1976, while 47% of the 49 species assessed in England have seen drops since then. Some 28% of individual species have increased across the UK and 24% have increased in England, the statistics indicate.
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
Saving South Africa's endangered sandfish
Once so plentiful that their annual migrations churned water into waves, the Clanwilliam sandfish – endemic to South Africa's Western Cape – have been in rapid decline for the past few decades. Meet the conservationists helping restore this threatened freshwater species.
