Sharks will have more protection in the Indian Ocean. (Photo: WWF-Canon / Wildlife Pictures / Jerome Mallefet)

Indian Ocean commission improves shark protection measures

WORLDWIDE
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 15:10 (GMT + 9)

Steps were taken by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) at its 14th annual meeting last week for the protection of the fish stocks in the Indian Ocean, such as tropical tunas and sharks. Conservation group the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), however, believes the IOTC fell drastically short of taking the actions necessary to affect concrete change.

The parties at the meeting agreed on an upgraded system for control and compliance, on introducing a time/area closure and on forbidding sharks of the thresher family from being taken or kept on board. According to the European Commission (EU), these measures are probably the most far reaching undertaken by IOTC since its creation, and the few members still opposing the ban on sharks were outvoted.

The measures all came from the European Union’s (EU) proposal.

IOTC established a time/area closure in the region outside the Somalian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to 60 degrees E and between 0 and 10 degrees North throughout February for longline fleet and throughout November for purse fleet. This approach targeting longline and purse seine fisheries on equal footing is the first management measure ever adopted by the IOTC, it said.

But WWF had higher expectations.

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“We have agreement on a catch limit for bigeye and yellowfin tuna, as recommended by the scientists and this is a big step forward for the IOTC. And we have a non-binding commitment that catch limits for the tuna resources of the Indian Ocean will be considered at the 2012 meeting, which could be a big step nowhere,” said Dr Amani Ngusaru, head of WWF’s Coastal East Africa Marine Programme.

“In the meantime, we have this laughable measure that an area off Somalia which is already largely off limits due to piracy will be closed to long-liners for a month and purse seiners for a month. Are we really serious about limiting fishing pressure on our already overfished stocks?” Ngusaru continued.

IOTC members agreed to develop a TAC and Quota system by 2012 and gave the Scientific Committee instructions to create management options and present them to the commission.

The commission adopted a Port State control and inspection scheme which reflects the recent Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU). There was also a considerable expansion of the IOTC list of IUU vessels, including vessels flagged to the IOTC Contracting Parties themselves.

A fund was created to support developing States’ participation to IOTC Meetings.

The EU is extremely pleased with the progress made by this regional fisheries management organisation and believes the steps adopted will benefit the natural heritage of the Indian Ocean.

Related articles:

- Canners feel the impact of Indian Ocean pirates
- IOTC ends meeting with controversy

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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