By Chantalé Fletcher
TRINIDAD and Tobago is among the top ten shark fishing countries in the region.
A release from the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) Working Group on Tuesday stated that more than 40 delegates gathered virtually in Barbados from October 20 to 22, to discuss deliberations on the development or a Regional Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks in the WECAFC Area.
Countries included Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, the European Union (member organisation), Grenada, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, T&T, and the United States of America together with nine partner organisations.
It was reported that over one-third of sharks were threatened with extinction globally and that T&T was one of the top ten shark fishing countries in the region.
WECAFC waters hosted 14% of the global number of shark species, the release stated.
The commission stated that threats were due to overfishing as sharks were fished sometimes as target species as bycatch that was either commercialised or used locally as food.
This led to concern for the ocean’s biodiversity loss, health of aquatic ecosystems and the sustainability of fisheries for livelihoods, food and nutrition security, tourism and the overall ocean economy, the release stated.
Secretary of WECAFC Yvette Diei Ouadi said, “This is absolutely unacceptable as it is inconsistent with the objective of WECAFC, which is to promote the effective conservation, management and development of the living marine resources in its area of competence.
“This is the rationale behind the firm dedication of the Commission to actions aiming at reversing this trend, with the establishment of the Joint working group supported by WECAFC, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Central America Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization (OSPESCA), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) working group under the umbrella of which is being reviewed the Regional Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (RPOA) background document, as well as strengthening the collaborative ties with key partners in the region.”
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Executive Secretary Camille Jean-Pierre Manel said, “ICCAT was pleased to actively participate in this workshop through the contribution of the Secretariat and some of our shark experts. Although there are ongoing discussions on a formal cooperation framework between our two organizations, our participation expresses ICCAT’s strong willingness to further cooperate with the WECAFC.
“We also strongly call the states of the region to join the ICCAT Convention, and further improve the data sharing and engagement on the management process, to enhance the knowledge on the tunas and tuna-like species/stocks and contribute to their sustainable exploitation in the Atlantic Ocean.”
She added, “A Task Force was established which would work to deliver the final RPOA. Its implementation, particularly in the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where shark is an integral component of the food system and livelihoods of local fisherfolk should contribute to bolstering food security in this region which continues to suffer economic downturns from the Covid-19 pandemic, improve economic, social and environmental benefits from well managed shark fisheries.”
