Position Statement General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

Compliance Committee June 2017 Meeting The Shark Trust, Shark Advocates International, Project AWARE, and Ecology Action Centre are pleased to observe the deliberations of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), and appreciate the consideration of our views on associated efforts to conserve sharks and rays (elasmobranchs). Our organizations are focused on these species because of their inherent vulnerability to overexploitation, and have made protection of threatened Mediterranean elasmobranchs a primary goal of our new Shark League coalition.

As we have expressed before, we are keenly interested in implementation of the GFCM ban on retention and fishing of the 24 shark and ray species listed on the Barcelona Convention’s Annex II of the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean. This measure (GFCM/36/2012/3) was the most sweeping action of its kind for any Regional Fishery Management Organization, and has great potential to protect many especially valuable and vulnerable elasmobranchs -- from economically important shortfin makos to critically endangered angel sharks. It seems clear, however, that proper implementation through domestic prohibitions is seriously lacking.

As you will recall, under GFCM/36/2012/3, Annex II-listed elasmobranch species “cannot be retained on board, transhipped, landed, transferred, stored, sold or displayed or offered for sale.” Instead, these species “must be released unharmed and alive to the extent possible,” and ensured “a high protection from fishing activities” by GFCM Contracting Parties and Cooperating non-contracting Parties (CPCs). We are eager to hear CPCs discuss this week the latest developments in implementing GFCM/36/2012/3, and look forward to a detailed account of domestic regulations aimed at protecting the elasmobranchs covered by the measures, as requested by the Secretariat in May. We urge CPCs to ensure that corresponding national-level prohibitions cover all 24 listed species, as agreed five years ago. We remain hopeful that we can collaborate toward improved compliance with the GFCM’s main shark and ray measure and, in turn, safeguard these exceptional and imperiled species.

The Shark Trust is a UK charity working to safeguard the future of sharks through positive change.

Shark Advocates International is a project of The Ocean Foundation dedicated to securing science-based shark and ray policies. Ecology Action Centre promotes sustainable, ocean-based livelihoods, and marine conservation in Atlantic Canada.

Project AWARE is a growing movement of scuba divers protecting the ocean planet – one dive at a time.

Elasmobranch Species on Barcelona Convention Annex II Covered by 2012 binding Recommendation (GFCM/36/2012/3) banning retention, transshipment, landing, storage, display, and sale.

• Sand Tiger Shark Carcharias taurus

• Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias

• Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus

• Shortfin Mako Isurus oxyrinchus

• Tope Galeorhinus galeus

• Porbeagle Lamna nasus

• Sandy Skate Leucoraja circularis

• Maltese Skate Leucoraja melitensis

• Spiny Butterfly Ray Gymnura altavela

• Giant Devil Ray Mobula mobular

• Smalltooth Sand Tiger Odontaspis ferox

• Angular Rough Shark Oxynotus centrina

• Smalltooth Sawfish Pristis pectinata

• Largetooth Sawfish Pristis pristis

• Common Skate Dipturus batis

• Blackchin Guitarfish Rhinobatos cemiculus

• Common Guitarfish Rhinobatos rhinobatos

• White Skate Rostroraja alba

• Smooth Hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena

• Scalloped Hammerhead Sphyrna lewini

• Great Hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran

• Smoothback Angel Shark Squatina oculata

• Sawback Angel Shark Squatina aculeata

• Angel Shark Squatina squatina