Source: Fiji Times
Fiji will soon have a National Action Plan for sharks in Fiji.
Consultations are in progress at the Southern Cross Hotel in Suva to determine how these measures will be implemented.
Ian Freeman, fisheries management adviser of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agencies, said the consultations would enable stakeholders to build a plan for shark conservation and management in Fiji waters.
He said they wanted to ensure shark catches from directed and non-directed fisheries were sustainable and minimize the unutilized incidental catching of sharks by especially tuna long liners.
He said participants from relevant authorities and NGOs would assess the threat to shark populations and implement harvesting strategies consistent with the principles of biological sustainability and rational long-term economic use.
“It is important that stakeholders learn how they could draft a plan and how they put those plans to practice,†Mr. Freeman said.
He said their major concern now was the Oceanic white-tip shark which topped the over fishing list in 2011.
From a graph presented yesterday, 939 sharks were caught by Fiji domestic long liners, which are mostly targeting albacore tuna.
He said of these, 92 were Oceanic white-tip sharks.
Mr. Freeman said the scenario was similar to other parts of the country where blue sharks, silky sharks and short fin mako sharks were over caught.
The consultations will continue today.