The number of rare or protected sharks swimming by or caught

Themes

Abundance trends of selected taxa

PSBR model type

State (S)

Corresponding targets

Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Target 12 By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained.

Background

At the Conference of the Parties, Washington Convention (i.e., CITES) held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2013, it was decided to include 5 species of sharks and 2 species of manta rays in Appendix II, which are the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran), smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena), oceanic whitetip (Carcharinus longimanus), porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus), and all manta ray species (Manta spp.). This is not the first time that sharks have been listed under protection (whale sharks and basking sharks have been listed in CITES), but it is the first time that sharks with commercial interests have been listed, so it is of great significance. To cope with the international trend of conservation and management of sharks (mainly whale sharks), the Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture has established measures like whale shark catch notification, total control, and rare shark catch notification since 2001. During the control period, the quota for whale sharks is limited to 60. If you catch other rare sharks, you need to fill in the catch-reporting questionnaire for rare shark catches. In addition, the Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture announced, in 2013, the control measures for the catch of the great white sharks, basking shark, and megamouth sharks, which stipulated that when fishing vessels catch the above three types of sharks in offshore operations, they must fill in the catch-reporting questionnaire and fax it to the authority.

Definition and Calculation

Information on the number of rare or protected sharks swimming by or caught, such as whale shark, megamouth shark, scalloped hammerhead, and oceanic whitetip shark, etc.

Updates

According to survey data from the "Inshore/offshore Catch Reports of the great white shark, megamouth shark, basking shark, and giant oceanic manta ray", the website of Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture, 9 great white sharks, 46 megamouth sharks, 0 basking shark, and 13 giant oceanic manta ray were caught in 2018.

Trends

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Data Management Authorities

Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture

Data Source / URL

"Inshore/offshore Catch Reports of the great white shark, megamouth shark, basking shark, and giant oceanic manta ray", the website of Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture.