According to the report the fishermen in the EU are not content with the EU’s decision to ban shark fishing. EU has attempted to manage its fleets’ shark fisheries with quotas, recovery plans, minimum landing sizes and a “fins attached” landing policy, a conservation group is now calling for greater shark protection. Ocean voiced that shrks are not managed like other species.
Oceana, founded in 2001 as an international marine conservation and advocacy organisation, has started campaign to protect the sharks. It fears that their low reproductive rate and critical role in marine ecosystems means a drop in numbers could be catastrophic. In its report Oceana mentioned that sharks are extremely vulnerable species and claims that European Union vessels have fished sharks of many species at home and around the world without management for decades.
But Westcountry fishermen say shark protective moves like the EU total ban on retaining the species of spurdog “has crucified the fishing industry in North Devon”. In North Devon a by-catch of spurdog was a valuable part of many fisheries like netting, long-line fishing and trawling and did add considerably to the fishermen’s income. In other regions like West Cornwall such sharks as porbeagle were an equally un-predicted and unwanted by-catch, mainly of netters.
It is fact that 21 percent of shark populations are threatened, globally, with extinction, according to Oceana, and targeted and by-catch fisheries are the main threat to their survival. John Butterwith told of how the region’s small inshore fishery previously directed at spurdog has ended, and many of those fishermen have changed to potting for shellfish.
