It is evident that sharks are vulnerable to over-fishing. The government of New Zealand has a new national plan of action that will strengthen measures to conserve and manage them. Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton told that the plan was released on Friday Ocotber 24 which laid down some actions which include:
1. Ensuring fishers know live finning is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act. There will be a reporting protocol to ensure that any observed instances of live finning are reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).
2. Protecting the basking shark. It is said that the country has an obligation to provide protection for this species in New Zealand waters and from New Zealand vessels fishing on the High Seas.
3. A new ‘prohibited utilisation process standard’ that will ban utilisation of some species where no level of utilisation at all is sustainable.
Commenting on this Jim Anderton said that the plan is a commitment to achieving shark conservation and sustainable use. He opined that the plan meets New Zealand’s international obligations under the UNFAO International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks).
Jim Anderton explained that New Zealand has a world class fisheries management system. Sharks are vulnerable to over fishing and so the plan sets out how we are going to have stronger conservation and management of the 112 shark species found in New Zealand.
