November 4, 2011
Victory for Vulnerable Porbeagle Sharks
October was a month full of shark protections, and we’re excited that the trend seems to be continuing into November.
Today, the EU has announced important measures that will protect porbeagle sharks, which are threatened by overfishing.
The new laws will protect porbeagles throughout EU waters, where previous regulations only applied in certain areas. Today’s measures make all fishing for porbeagles illegal and requires that any sharks caught accidentally be released immediately.
Porbeagles are heavily fished for their fins and meat, and because they take a long time to reproduce, they recover from overfishing extremely slowly. Estimates suggest that porbeagle populations in the Mediterranean have declined by 99% since the 1950s.
While this is great news, there is still more to be done to protect vulnerable porbeagles. “The protection of porbeagles by the EU represents an important step for the conservation of this species. However, given its highly migratory nature, if porbeagles are to recover, similar actions must follow at the international level,” said Dr. Allison Perry, wildlife marine scientist with Oceana.
We’re particularly excited about the timing of this measure because it comes right before this month’s meeting of ICCAT, an international commission with the authority to enact shark protections across the Atlantic Ocean.
We want the U.S. to call for international protections for porbeagles and other vulnerable shark species. You can help us by speaking up for sharks!