Management and Policy

The Shark Trust has been engaged with several international bodies related to the management and legislation of elasmobranchs, with the aim of improving current legislation and its implementation. Some examples of these international organisations or management bodies are:

Barcelona Convention (RAC/SPA) and General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM): The Barcelona Convention aims to encourage its Parties to prevent, reduce, fight and as far as possible eliminate pollution in the Mediterranean zone, and to protect the marine environment and its natural resources in order to contribute to the sustainable development of the area. The Barcelona Convention is supplemented by seven Protocols approaching various aspects of the conservation of the Mediterranean. The Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity (SPA/BD Protocol) is one of them, and the species that are endangered or threatened are listed in the Annex II. All the species listed in Annex II are immediately protected by the GFCM by the Recommendation GFCM/42/2018/2, which is a binding recommendation for all the Parties.

International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT):

Is responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. Its objective is the cooperation in maintaining the populations of these fishes at levels that will permit the maximum sustainable catch for food and other purposes. ICCAT performs several activities: it compiles fishery statistics from its members and from all entities fishing for relevant species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas; it coordinates research on behalf of its members, including periodic stock assessments; it develops scientific- based management advice; it provides a mechanism for Contracting Parties to agree on management measures; and it produces relevant publications. In the Mediterranean Sea, ICCAT cooperates with GFCM and the European Commission to provide periodic scientific advice for the management of tunas and tuna-like species.

Mediterranean countries that are parties to ICCAT are Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, and Albania. The EU is also a contracting party.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): CITES aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants is legal, sustainable and traceable, and does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. Appendix I include species threatened with extinction and trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. Species listed in annex II, includes species that, although currently not threatened with extinction, may become so without trade controls. It also includes species that resemble other listed species and need to be regulated in order to effectively control the trade in those other listed species. CITES regulates international trade in listed species of wild animals and plants, through a system of permits and certificates, in order to ensure that such trade is legal, sustainable and traceable. Key conditions that must be met before a permit is granted are generally that the trade of the specimen will not be detrimental to the survival of the species (non-detriment finding) and that the specimen has been obtained in accordance with the laws of the exporting State (legality finding).

Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): The CMS is a framework treaty with numerous regional or global Agreements (legally binding) and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU, non-legally binding) focused on the conservation and management of particular species. It is aimed at conserving species that cross national boundaries and/or are in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In order to avoid such species from becoming endangered, the principal conservation measures that fall under the CMS are: (i) the prohibition of harvesting of endangered species imposed by range States; and (ii) for range States to enter into agreements for the protection of species within an unfavourable conservation status and their habitats. Parties are called on to promote cooperation and support research related to migratory species and endeavour to take immediate protective action for endangered migratory species.