Ocean Conservancy Shines Spotlight on Sharks at World Conservation Congress
IUCN Members Call for Improved Shark Conservation through Multiple Initiatives

October 15, 2008

Media Contact: Tim McHugh

Barcelona, Spain This week’s close of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress brings new hope for sharks. The Congress featured several motions for IUCN Resolutions and a well-attended workshop focused on improving policies on shark fishing and finning (the wasteful practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea) in the European Union (EU) and globally, all with favorable results.

"The high level of attention to sharks at this International Union for the Conservation of Nature Congress reflects growing recognition among governments and conservationists of the urgent need for stronger controls on shark fishing and finning," said Sonja Fordham, Director of Ocean Conservancy’s Shark Conservation Program. "We are encouraged by the common ground identified at our productive workshop and by the resounding success of the three shark conservation motions proposed by Ocean Conservancy and our colleagues."

Ocean Conservancy received overwhelming support for its motion promoting global conservation of migratory sharks. The resulting IUCN Resolution calls on countries to secure sound national and international fishing limits for migratory and oceanic sharks through National Plans of Action and international bodies such as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). Specifically, the Resolution calls on countries to support additions of shark species to the CMS Appendices and urges all countries to participate in the development and implementation of an effective global conservation instrument for migratory sharks, currently under development. Ocean Conservancy’s motion received support from 100% of governments voting and 96.9% of NGOs voting.

A motion sponsored by Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas (Pretoma) resulted in a new IUCN Resolution on shark finning which, most notably, calls on governments to require that sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached. Most conservationists and scientists agree that a requirement to land sharks with fins attached is by far the most reliable means of enforcing a finning ban. This method also facilitates improved data on shark species taken in fisheries.

During the Congress, Ms. Fordham served as a panelist in a workshop hosted by the Shark Alliance*, Pretoma and the European Bureau for Conservation and Development, aimed at finding common ground among diverse interests on improvements to EU shark fishing policies. Panelists representing conservation groups, the Spanish fishing industry, IUCN and the governments of Spain and the UK reached nine points of consensus, including a call to protect vulnerable bigeye thresher and porbeagle sharks through the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

"The overwhelming support for safeguarding sharks demonstrated during the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Congress must be carried forward in the coming months in order to seize important opportunities for concrete shark conservation actions," added Fordham.

Specifically, Ocean Conservancy is working with other members of the Shark Alliance to promote:

National and international requirements that sharks be landed with their fins attached
the first international catch limits for sharks at ICCAT in November
the addition of spiny dogfish, mako and porbeagle sharks to CMS Appendix II in December, and
A binding, global agreement for sharks under CMS.

* The Shark Alliance is a coalition of 59 conservation, scientific and recreational organizations dedicated to improving European Union policies for sharks. Ocean Conservancy serves on the Steering Committee of the Shark Alliance.

To learn more about Ocean Conservancy visit www.oceanconservancy.org