US and International mechanisms for protecting and managing shark resources

Abstract

Sharks have become a popular target for fisheries throughout the world. The presence of profitable markets for shark products, combined with the dwindling status of the more traditional target species such as cod and haddock, have led to the over-exploitation of some shark species. Due to their k-selected life history patterns (long-lived, slow-growing animals with a very limited reproductive potential), many shark species are particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation. Some species are likely to be in need of protection. Two possible ways in which sharks could be protected, in addition to traditional harvest management methods are, globally, through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) or, in the United States, through the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As a result of the United States' recommendation that the international trade in sharks be discussed at the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the CITES in November 1994, a resolution was adopted to review information on the biological status of sharks and the impacts of international trade. More work was done on the resolution at the Tenth Conference of the Parties in June 1997 and is on-going. The ESA provides protection for species that are listed as threatened or endangered. The two agencies administering the ESA must use the best available scientific and commercial data to determine whether a species warrants protection under the ESA. There are currently no international regional regimes for the management of sharks; however, their formation should be investigated by countries and intergovernmental organizations.