Fact Sheet Shark Finning

! The global shark fin trade is estimated to be between 3,000 to 4,000 metric tons (mt) of fins per year, or 6.6 to 8.8 million pounds. Hawaii=s domestic longline fleet produces between 30B40 mt (66,000B88,000 lbs) of shark fins per year or about 1 percent of the total global production.

! Federal observers on Hawaii longline vessels have documented that 98 percent of sharks that are finned are done so while dead and that most sharks that are killed by severing the spinal column or spiking the brain, methods used to kill other fish brought on board alive.

! The Magnuson Act requires Councils to minimize bycatch in federally managed fisheries. If shark finning is stopped in the Hawaii longline fishery, this will actually increase bycatch, since none of the shark is used. However, it is hoped that greater utilization of blue shark can be achieved by 2001, when the U.S. National Plan of Action for Management of Shark Fisheries is to be completed.

! The Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service have just completed a study to examine the sociocultural importance of shark fishing in the Western Pacific, evaluate the impact of regulations to constrain shark finning in U.S. domestic fisheries in the region and look at the realities of promoting greater utilization of blue sharks by the Hawaii longline fishery. This study will be presented to the Council at its June meeting where it will decide on what action, if any, is required.

! Total shark catch has Annual shark and swordfish catches in the declined as fishing directed Hawaii longline fishery number of sharks caught at swordfish has declined. 180000 number of swordfish caught and In the early 1990s, the 160000 retained number of sharks retained total catch of sharks was 140000

at about the same level as 120000

now, but very few sharks 100000

were retained. Currently, 80000 number of fish about 60,000 sharks are 60000

retained by the Hawaii 40000

longline fishery, 20000

predominantly for finning. 0 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 year

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A Council authorized by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 1164 Bishop St, # 1400 $ Honolulu $ Hawaii $ Ph (808) 522-8220 $ Fax (808) 522-8226 $ www.wpcouncil.org