Information Hub - Science & Reports
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)’s Fisheries Standard (FS) incorporates a shark finning component. As part of the periodic Fisheries Standard Review (FSR), the MSC is assessing whether the shark finning component should be revised, in particular, whether strengthening requirements on policies such as “Fins Naturally Attached” (FNA) is needed. This report on "Best practice in the prevention of shark finning" has been commissioned to support the MSC’s deliberations on this issue
This report presents systematic analysis of threat for a globally distributed lineage of 1,041 chondrichthyan fishes-sharks, rays, and chimaeras. The report estimates that one-quarter are threatened according to IUCN Red List criteria due to overfishing (targeted and incidental). The results show that large-bodied, shallow-water species are at greatest risk and five out of the seven most threatened families are rays. Overall chondrichthyan extinction risk is substantially higher than for most other vertebrates, and only one-third of species are considered safe.
A comparative approach with other estualar and lagoon environments in West Africa has found that despite the hyperhalinity, the specific biomass and richness of fish stands in the Siné-Saloum estuary are relatively high. In addition, it has been found that all ecological functions of the estuary are still adequately insured, with the exception of the enrichment of the adjacent coastal environment, due to the absence of flooding and a sharp decrease in freshwater inflows.
As directed by the Shark Finning Prohibition Act (H.R. 5461 (106th)), the United States continues to work with countries form accross the globe to encourage a fins-attached approach to shark fisheries. To help promote adoption of these regualtions, this document provides details on the at-sea processing of sharks while maintaining their find naturally attached.
This report provides an update of allometric relationships for species commonly captured in the longline fisheries in the western North Atlantic.
Note on the ecology and biology of shark species, development of shark fisheries in the SRFC area (Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission) and impacts of finning on these resources. The SRFC has 7 Member States: Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
This study estimates the age and growth of the milk shark, Rhizoprionodon acutus, from vertebrae age bands. From December 2009 to November 2010, 423 R. acutus between 37 and 112 cm total length (LT) were sampled along the Senegalese coast. Marginal increment ratio was used to check annual band deposition. Three growth models were adjusted to the length at age and compared using Akaike’s information criterion. Results suggest that R. acutus is a slow-growing species, which render the species particularly vulnerable to heavy fishery exploitation.