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Official stats mask almost all shark and ray species caught in the Mediterranean and Black seas
http://www.seaaroundus.org/hidden-behind-bad-numbers-official-stats-mask-almost-all-shark-and-ray-species-caught-in-the-mediterranean-and-black-seas/Hidden behind bad numbers: Official stats mask almost all shark and ray species caught in the Mediterranean and Black seas
April 8, 2019
Shark and ray species commonly caught in the Mediterranean and Black seas are not being reported in official statistics, new research from the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia shows.
A new study published in Marine Policy reveals that 97 per cent of the sharks and rays caught and brought to market domestically by fleets from the European, North African and Middle Eastern countries that surround these seas are not reported by species.
“The Mediterranean and Black Seas have historically harboured a high diversity and abundance of sharks and rays, but now between 53 per cent and 71 per cent of them face an elevated risk of extinction,” said Madeline Cashion, lead author of the study, who carried out the research at the Sea Around Us initiative at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
…
“Part of the problem is that many sharks and rays in the region are caught as bycatch in fisheries targeting other species and are brought to port either because there is a small market for them or because, by law, they cannot be thrown back at sea,” Cashion said. “If neither fishers nor authorities keep detailed records of what is being caught, then it’s very difficult to detect declines and design effective measures to protect threatened species.”
…
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.02.041April 8, 2019
Shark and ray species commonly caught in the Mediterranean and Black seas are not being reported in official statistics, new research from the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia shows.
A new study published in Marine Policy reveals that 97 per cent of the sharks and rays caught and brought to market domestically by fleets from the European, North African and Middle Eastern countries that surround these seas are not reported by species.
“The Mediterranean and Black Seas have historically harboured a high diversity and abundance of sharks and rays, but now between 53 per cent and 71 per cent of them face an elevated risk of extinction,” said Madeline Cashion, lead author of the study, who carried out the research at the Sea Around Us initiative at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
…
“Part of the problem is that many sharks and rays in the region are caught as bycatch in fisheries targeting other species and are brought to port either because there is a small market for them or because, by law, they cannot be thrown back at sea,” Cashion said. “If neither fishers nor authorities keep detailed records of what is being caught, then it’s very difficult to detect declines and design effective measures to protect threatened species.”
…
…
Global vs. regional (Mediterranean Sea) IUCN Red List statuses of the 16 shark species reported in domestic FAO landings statistics by Mediterranean countries from 1950–2014. At least half of these sharks face an elevated risk of extinction in the Mediterranean Sea than they do globally. Illustrations courtesy of Marc Dando.
