(MY) - cruel act

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Tuesday November 15, 2005 - The Star.

 

Curbing a cruel act

 

By HILARY CHIEW

 

The campaign against shark fin soup consumption, triggered by the

cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning, has not only led to some

boycotting the traditional Chinese dish but also compelled fishing

nations to take stock of incidental shark catch.

 

Calling for a worldwide ban on shark finning, the campaign has gotten

developing countries worried about trade suspension if they are

labelled as shark fining nations.

 

Countries like Malaysia, however, argue that artisanal fishermen have

for centuries, brought sharks whole to the port and sell the meat.

 

" We don't have a shark fisheries per se and we definitely do not

practise shark fining, " declares Ahmad Ali, research officer at the

South-East Asia Fisheries Development Centre (Seafdec). He says no

Malaysian-registered fishing boats are specifically looking for sharks

and rays. What they get are those entangled in nets meant for bony

fish with commercial value.

 

 

Malaysian fishermen will make full use of incidental catch of sharks

and they do not practise the wasteful practice of shark-finning.

Ahmad has led a year-long study to determine the exploitation of

sharks and rays. The study is in accordance with the recommendation of

the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which adopted the

International Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sharks

in 1999. It urges member states to develop national action plans to

conserve and manage these fish.

 

The plan defines " shark " as all cartilaginous fish grouped under the

Chondrichthyes class. This includes all species of sharks, skates and

rays and chimaerid.

 

The Seafdec study, jointly undertaken with the Fisheries Department,

was completed in August 2004 and culminated in the report Elasmobranch

Resources, Utilisation, Trade and Management in Malaysia, which for

the first time, expresses the need to manage sharks and rays.

 

The study says sharks and their relatives make up 2% of marine fish

landings. The vaIue is small when compared to landings of commercially

favoured fish such as groupers, red snappers, Spanish mackerels and

tunas.

 

But landings of sharks and rays have increased from 10,792 tonnes in

1982 to 27,948 tonnes in 2003. The value is less than 1% of the total

marine fish catch but is growing – from RM76,000 in 1977 to RM5.3mil

in 1993. In 2003, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan accounted for 60% of the

catch.

 

Locally, most sharks and rays are consumed fresh or salted. Cartilage

and non-edible parts are used as baits or sold as raw material for

fertiliser. A small number of shark jaws and teeth are sold as

souvenirs. Processed products, especially shark fins, are exported to

Hong Kong and China.

 

The landing trend is worrying as it mimics shark fisheries elsewhere

that typically undergoes a boom and bust pattern. For example,

landings in Sabah have grown since 1991, peaked at 3,176 tonnes in

1995, but gradually declined to 1,577 tonnes in 2001. The report says

this could be due to over-fishing.

 

The Seafdec report notes that landings on the West Coast have exceeded

the sustainable levels of 1,274 tonnes for sharks and 4,240 tonnes for

rays, since 1985 and 1986 respectively. In 2003, fishermen netted

3,195 tonnes of sharks and 19,253 tonnes of rays. The status of these

fish at the East Coast has not been assessed.

 

At Hutan Melintang, Perak, the foremost fishery port on the West

Coast, Ahmad says in four of the five dominant shark species, more

than half the catch were mature specimens. At the Kuantan port, over

78% of three species landed were adults. A mixed of mature and

juvenile sharks were caught in the waters of Sarawak and Sabah.

 

Worldwide Fund for Nature Malaysia marine co-ordinator Kenneth Kassem

warns that if mature fish are taken before they have a chance to

reproduce, the population will almost certainly collapse.

 

" As many species of sharks begin to reproduce only after seven or

eight years, any catch rate can be unsustainable. Even incidental

catch can impact a population of slow-reproducing top predators, " he

says.

 

The increase in shark and ray landings coincides with the advent of

trawling operations. In 1965, when trawlers were uncommon, sharks form

just 4% of the landings. The figure jumped to 35% five years later and

to almost 60% in 2001.

 

The draft national plan does not conclude that sharks and rays are

depleting fast but acknowledges that stocks are becoming endangered

and require management. The plan is being fine-tuned and expected to

be adopted by year-end. Consultation continues with stakeholders,

especially the fishing industry.

 

The plan says understanding the biology and ecology of sharks and

rays, especially their population dynamics, habitat requirements and

conservation needs, are crucial for formulating management plans.

 

But stock assessment is difficult as the Annual Fisheries Statistics

does not report catch by species. Ahmad Saktian Langgang, who heads

the resource management section of the Fisheries Department, says

monitoring of shark landings will be stepped up. He says some species

will be added to the Fisheries (Control of Endangered Species of Fish)

Regulations 1999. Currently, only the whale shark is listed, whereby

no catch is allowed.

 

The plan says under the proposed regulation on marine recreational

fishing, only catch and release angling is allowed for these five

shark species – the brown-banded bamboo shark, grey bamboo shark,

zebra shark, coral catshark and zebra bullhead shark.

 

Ahmad Saktian fears rising prices for some sharks and rays,

particularly those with large fins, will discourage fishermen from

releasing these bycatch, one measure which the department is

encouraging.

 

Fin prices range from RM190 and RM247 per kg. The most expensive fins

are those of the white-spotted wedgefish or giant guitarfish and the

white-spotted shovelnose ray, which can go for up to RM1,900 a kg.

 

Ahmad Saktian says other steps being considered are restricting

fishing gear, zoning fishing areas and controlling vessel tonnage. " We

need to convince fishermen of the long-term benefits of the plan. If

we commit to protect the fish now, we can continue to reap the harvest

for years to come, " he says.

 

But since countries like Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia have

long-lining fisheries that specifically target sharks and rays,

Seafdec's Ahmad wants to see regional collaboration.

 

" Harmonising regional plans and ensuring everyone has the same

commitment will be tough, " he says.