Sharks

The Problem

About 112 species of shark have been recorded in New Zealand fisheries. Of these, more than 70 species are caught by fishers.

Because sharks are generally near the top of the food chain, they are less abundant than many species further down the chain. As well as this, sharks mature late, grow slowly and produce only a small number of young at a time, so they have a much lower reproduction rate than many other fish.

These issues put sharks at risk of overfishing.

Current and future management

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has set up an International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks), with an aim to ensure the long term sustainability of these species.

As a member nation of the FAO, New Zealand is expected to establish a National Plan of Action for sharks (NPOA-Sharks).

New Zealand already has an established fisheries management system to manage extractive fisheries and protect threatened and endangered marine species, such as White Pointer sharks, from the effects of fishing. This system aligns closely with the IPOA Sharks.

However, a number of areas still need to be addressed to satisfy the objectives of the IPOA-Sharks.

New actions proposed under the NPOA-Sharks are:

Produce a field identification guide
Production of a draft field identification guide for QMS and other fish species (including sharks) commonly caught in commercial and non-commercial fisheries by late 2007.

Reduce use of generic shark reporting codes
Reduce the percentage of the total commercial shark catch recorded against generic codes to below 1% by 1 October, 2010. This will enable better tracking of which shark species are being caught.

Initiate a research and monitoring programme to address the: 

• stock status and sustainable yields for exploited shark stocks 
• effectiveness of conversion factors in achieving accurate greenweight; 
• monitoring of wastage in shark fisheries; 
• assessment of measures to promote improved use; and 
• identification of areas of habitat of particular significance to shark species (e.g. spawning, pupping and nursery grounds)

Participate in relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and other relevant international fora
Support initiatives by other organisations/agencies to collect information on the distribution and abundance of shark species; and actively participate in the research and management of shark species which are managed through RFMOs of which New Zealand is a member.

Develop and implement a prohibited utilisation process standard
The standard will be used to identify marine species where no level of utilisation is considered to be sustainable.

Protect Basking Shark
As basking shark is listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, New Zealand has an obligation to provide protection for this species in New Zealand waters and from New Zealand vessels fishing on the High Seas. White Pointer sharks are also a protected species in New Zealand.

Strengthen measures to eliminate live shark finning
The Ministry of Fisheries will ensure that fishers are aware that live shark finning constitutes ill-treatment of an animal and is therefore an offence both within and beyond New Zealand’s Territorial Sea. A reporting protocol will also be established to ensure that any observed instances of live finning are reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).

Read the draft NPOA-Sharks>>