Shark Discard Reporting Under ICCAT: Webinar Recording Now Available

The recording of the Shark League’s 10 July 2026 webinar on shark discard reporting under ICCAT is now available.

The session reviewed current shark discard reporting trends and requirements under ICCAT, drawing on challenges and possible solutions identified during a recent international discard workshop. The ICCAT Secretariat gave an overview of reporting requirements and procedures, followed by a live Q&A session.

Watch the webinar recording on the webinar resource page.

Shark Conservation Advances at International Atlantic Tuna Conference

Fishing nations agree to protect basking and white sharks, cut mako quotas, and improve compliance process

Seville, Spain. November 24, 2025 – After a record number of proposals focused on sharks, this year’s meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) ended with new protections for basking and white sharks, reduced catch limits for South Atlantic shortfin makos, and procedural advances for enforcing shark measures. For the seventeenth year, efforts to strengthen ICCAT’s shark finning ban were thwarted.

“New retention bans for basking and white sharks will close gaps in the protection of these globally threatened species by bolstering national bans and helping countries to fulfill obligations under environmental treaties,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation for the Shark Trust. “We’re hopeful that the new commitment to ensure fishermen promptly and carefully release these sharks will spark development of safe handling protocols for maximizing survival. We thank the UK for carefully shepherding these safeguards to final adoption this week.”

ICCAT scientists are updating population assessments for shortfin mako sharks and report that fishing mortality remains excessive. Advice for rebuilding the South Atlantic population led fishing countries to agree a 50% reduction in the region’s total allowable catch (accounting for landings and mortality from discarding), down to 1000 metric tons annually.

“Shortfin makos are among the Atlantic’s most valuable yet vulnerable shark species and, as such, safeguards for this species should be particularly precautionary,” said Sonja Fordham, President of Shark Advocates International. “While we welcome the significant reduction in South Atlantic catch limits, we continue to urge fishing nations to improve their reporting of mako catches, work urgently on strategies to minimize incidental mako bycatch, and expand international mako conservation measures to other oceans.”

ICCAT’s Compliance Committee scrutinized the adherence to shark conservation measures demonstrated by member countries, finding many are still lagging behind while others have made substantial improvements. Mexico received particular commendation for new shark regulations that implement several longstanding ICCAT obligations.

“We’re encouraged to see years of work to strengthen countries’ compliance with ICCAT’s shark measures finally bearing fruit,” said Shannon Arnold, Associate Director, Ecology Action Centre. “We were also pleased to help with the adoption of a new, transparent process developed collaboratively among stakeholders, scientists, and governments to close persistent loopholes. Despite this progress, too many countries are still not meeting their obligations for sharks and ICCAT is not acting decisively enough to address significant non-compliance. This a particular concern for the effectiveness of ICCAT protections for highly threatened hammerhead and silky sharks.”

The EU and US once again led a multilateral effort to strengthen ICCAT’s finning ban by requiring that sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached, a policy that is widely regarded as best practice for enforcement and also helpful for shark catch data collection. Over the years, the vast majority of ICCAT Parties have supported such a change, but Japan and China repeatedly block consensus.

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Media contact: Patricia Roy; email: patricia@communicationsinc.co.uk; telephone: +34 696 905 907.

Notes to Editors: Shark Advocates International is a project of The Ocean Foundation dedicated to securing science-based policies for sharks and rays. The Shark Trust is a UK charity working to safeguard the future of sharks through positive change. Ecology Action Centre promotes sustainable, ocean-based livelihoods, and marine conservation in Canada and internationally. These groups, in concert with PADI AWARE and with support from the Shark Conservation Fund, formed the Shark League of the Atlantic and Mediterranean to advance responsible regional shark and ray conservation policies.

Responsible for conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, ICCAT has 54 Contracting Parties. The final decisions on this year’s proposals can be found on the ICCAT website.

The Shark League position statement for the 2025 ICCAT annual meeting, a press release about Mexico’s recent shark protections, an ICCAT-CITES gap analysis, Bridging the Gaps that Hinder Shark Conservation, and supporting materials are available at www.sharkleague.org.

Photo Credit: Lars von Ritter Zahony / Ocean Image Bank

Better Late Than Never: Mexico Fulfills International Obligations to Protect Atlantic Sharks

Shark League welcomes overdue bans on bigeye thresher, oceanic whitetip, shortfin mako, hammerhead & silky sharks

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)

Washington, DC. October 16, 2025. The Shark League is expressing relief that the government of Mexico has at long last adopted national regulations to protect a suite of threatened Atlantic shark species, in line with commitments made from 2009 to 2021 under the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Mexico, a major shark fishing and trading country, has come under increasing scrutiny from other governments and conservation groups for failure to demonstrate compliance with international shark conservation commitments.

“Although long overdue, Mexico’s new shark protections have the potential to significantly bolster international conservation efforts for some of the Atlantic’s most imperiled species,” said Sonja Fordham, President of Shark Advocates International. “In addition to reducing fishing pressure, the new bans can serve to inspire other countries to follow suit and live up to their various, urgent treaty obligations for sharks.”

According to a recent announcement by the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mexican longline fisheries that target tuna but catch sharks incidentally in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the ICCAT Convention Area are no longer allowed to retain on board, store, transship, and land (whole or parts of):

• bigeye threshers (Alopias superciliosus)
• oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus)
• shortfin makos (Isurus oxyrinchus)
• hammerheads (Genus Sphyrna, except for Sphyrna tiburo, bonnethead sharks), and
• silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis).

If captured, these shark species must be released in the best possible condition for survival.

“Most of the shark species subject to Mexico’s new retention bans — including the Critically Endangered oceanic whitetip and the exceptionally vulnerable bigeye thresher — were granted protections by ICCAT well over a decade ago,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation for the Shark Trust. “We simply must pick up the pace and raise the priority for implementing these vital safeguards.”

ICCAT’s Compliance Committee scrutinizes adherence to ICCAT’s shark measures through examination of annual reports submitted by member governments. Mexico has long been among the countries called out to explain lacking data and regulations for sharks. Mexico also featured prominently in a Shark League Atlantic gap analysis.

“Because effective international conservation of migratory species depends on follow-up actions at the national level, we will continue to highlight gaps in countries’ compliance with ICCAT shark measures.” said Shannon Arnold, Associate Director for Ecology Action Centre. “We’re pleased to see Mexico finally following through on its shark obligations and we hope to soon hear about more progress by the many other ICCAT countries that are still lagging behind with requirements to similarly protect these sharks by amending their national laws.

Media contact: Patricia Roy email: patricia@communicationsinc.co.uk, Tel: +34 696 905 907.

Notes to Editors: Shark Advocates International is a project of The Ocean Foundation dedicated to securing science-based policies for sharks and rays. The Shark Trust is a UK charity working to safeguard the future of sharks through positive change. Ecology Action Centre promotes sustainable, ocean-based livelihoods, and marine conservation in Canada and internationally. These groups, along with PADI AWARE and with support from the Shark Conservation Fund, formed the Shark League of the Atlantic and Mediterranean to advance responsible regional shark and ray conservation policies.

Responsible for conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, ICCAT has 53 Contracting Parties.

The Shark League website (sharkleague.org) covers the coalition’s activities aimed at improving the implementation of ICCAT shark obligations by key fishing nations like Mexico. Key documents include: Bridging the Gaps that Hinder Shark Conservation: An analysis of ICCAT Parties’ policies for CITES-listed Atlantic elasmobranchs, Recommendations for 33^rd meeting of the CITES Animals Committee, and the 2025 Submission to the ICCAT Compliance Committee re: Mexican shark fin trade.

Mexico’s new “Agreement establishing various provisions on incidental catches of sharks in tuna fishing by larger longline vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and in the Convention area of ​​the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas” is available here.

ICCAT’s Compliance Committee will give special attention to member countries’ adherence with shark conservation obligations at its November 15-16 meeting, just prior to the ICCAT annual meeting in Seville, Spain.

In 2023, Mexico’s hammerhead shark trade was among a small number of country-species combinations referred for special scrutiny under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) first-ever Review of Significant Trade for sharks.

Shark League 2025 Submission to the ICCAT Compliance Committee

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Unprecedented International Effort to Prevent Shark Finning Blocked by Japan & China

ICCAT meeting ends in dramatic defeat of proposal to end at-sea fin removal while other shark safeguards advance

This press release is also available in: Français (French), Español (Spanish)

Limassol, Cyprus. November 18, 2024. This year’s meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has ended with a dramatic showdown over shark finning with Belize calling for a rare vote, only to be thwarted by Japan and China. ICCAT did manage to finalize protections for devil rays, mantas, and whale sharks, and took steps to improve countries’ compliance with existing requirements to report and limit shark catch.

For sixteen years, the US, Belize, and Brazil have led a multilateral effort to strengthen ICCAT’s finning ban by requiring that sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached, a policy that is widely regarded as best practice for enforcement and also helpful for shark catch data collection. This year, the proposal gained a record 42 co-sponsors (roughly 80% of ICCAT Parties), but Japan and China once again blocked consensus. In the final hours of the eight-day meeting, Belize valiantly attempted to settle the matter with a vote, an action rarely seen within consensus-based international fisheries bodies. After vigorous opposition from Japan and confusion over process, the Chair convinced the room to yield, leaving the issue unresolved.

“We are exasperated that a strong, enforceable shark finning ban has once again been blocked by essentially two countries, despite clear scientific advice and overwhelming support from governments and conservationists alike. This failure marks twenty years of an ICCAT finning ban that is unacceptably difficult to enforce, continuing the risk of atrocious waste for some of the Atlantic’s most vulnerable animals,” said Sonja Fordham, President of Shark Advocates International. “We urge countries to continue implementing fins-naturally-attached rules at the national level and to press on with the work of this unprecedented coalition to close finning ban loopholes at all international fisheries bodies.”

The Shark League thanked Belize, US, Brazil, Canada, UK, and EU for persisting with proposals to strengthen ICCAT’s finning ban over many years and welcomed new support from the Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, and the Philippines.

The UK won a two-year effort to ban retention and promote the safe release of manta and devil rays. The EU secured similar protections for whale sharks and previewed plans to propose expanding them to basking and white sharks next year. The UK had insufficient support to secure a special 2025 meeting focused on curbing incidental mortality of shortfin mako sharks.

“We’re grateful to the UK and EU for closing gaps in the protection of several threatened species that have been overlooked by fisheries bodies despite longstanding protected status under wildlife treaties,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation for the Shark Trust. “At the same time, we highlight the need to extend safeguards to similarly vulnerable sharks that have yet to garner the conservation spotlight, such as longfin makos and common threshers. We also urge all ICCAT Parties to join the UK in reducing the egregious bycatch of endangered shortfin makos, as a matter of priority.”

ICCAT’S Compliance Committee scrutinized adherence to ICCAT’s shark measures through examination of Parties’ reports. Mexico and Ghana were among the countries called out to explain lacking data and regulations for sharks.

“Many countries have made progress in recent years in reporting on their shark catches and the national regulations needed to fulfill ICCAT shark conservation mandates,” said Shannon Arnold, Marine Program Associate Director for Ecology Action Centre. “Despite these advances, critical gaps in data and implementation persist. Particularly concerning is the lack of reporting on the sharks that fleets discard at sea and information on relevant domestic regulations, which are needed to verify compliance with treaty obligations. These gaps reinforce the pressing need for ICCAT to establish a clear process for evaluating countries’ requests for exemptions to shark measures.”

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Media contact: Patricia Roy email: patricia@communicationsinc.co.uk, Tel: +34 696 905 907.

Notes to Editors: Shark Advocates International is a project of The Ocean Foundation dedicated to securing science-based policies for sharks and rays. The Shark Trust is a UK charity working to safeguard the future of sharks through positive change. Ecology Action Centre promotes sustainable, ocean-based livelihoods, and marine conservation in Canada and internationally. PADI AWARE is a global movement for ocean protection powered by a community of adventurers. These groups, with support from the Shark Conservation Fund, formed the Shark League of the Atlantic and Mediterranean to advance responsible regional shark and ray conservation policies.

Responsible for conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas, ICCAT has 53 Contracting Parties.

Proposals from the EU and UK to protect whale sharks and mobula rays received strong support at the 2023 ICCAT meeting, but Japan and China secured a condition that measures would not take effect until ICCAT scientists confirmed the vulnerability of these species.

Thanks to special funding from the Animal Welfare Institute and the Big Shark Pledge, the Shark League hosted an ICCAT reception featuring speakers representing the US, Belize, Brazil, EU, Canada, and the UK who reviewed the many practical advantages of fins-naturally-attached policies for small and large-scale fisheries.

The proposal to strengthen ICCAT’s shark finning ban was submitted by the US and Canada, and cosponsored by Albania, Algeria, Angola, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Curaçao, Egypt, El Salvador, EU, France (on behalf of Saint Pierre & Miquelon), Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Iceland, Republic of Korea, Liberia, Libya, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, the Philippines, São Tomé e Príncipe, Senegal, South Africa,  St Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, UK, and Venezuela.

The US, UK, EU, Costa Rica, Republic of Korea, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, Guinea, Guatemala, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Barbados expressed support for the fins-naturally-attached proposal during the floor debate.

Shark finning factsheets, the Shark League ICCAT-CITES gap analysis, Bridging the Gaps that Hinder Shark Conservation: An analysis of ICCAT Parties’ policies for CITES-listed Atlantic elasmobranchs, and supporting materials are available at www.sharkleague.org.

PRESS RELEASE: Atlantic manta ray and blue shark conservation advances under UK leadership

EU promotes whale shark protection and risky blue shark quotas as Japan blocks finning measure

The Press Release is available in French and Spanish

Cairo, Egypt. November 20, 2023.  The Shark League member groups are heralding conservation advances for imperiled Atlantic sharks and rays at this year’s meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) while warning that new measures are still insufficiently cautious to properly safeguard such inherently vulnerable species.  ICCAT Parties agreed provisional protections for mantas and devil rays, as well as whale sharks, reduced quotas for heavily fished blue sharks, and improved processes for ensuring that nations comply with ICCAT fishing and data reporting requirements. Many of the improvements reflect recommendations made in a new Shark League gap analysis.

A proposal from the United Kingdom (UK) to ban retention of manta and devil rays (mobula rays) and promote safe release by 2025 was co-sponsored by the host country of Egypt as well as the European Union (EU), Morocco, Brazil, Gabon, Belize, and Canada. The measure gained broad support from other nations, including the only one reporting manta landings to ICCAT (Venezuela). It was however weakened by Japan to take effect only if all Parties agree again after reviewing a 2024 evaluation by ICCAT scientists. Similar safeguards for whale sharks were proposed by the EU and co-sponsored by the UK, Morocco, Brazil, Belize, and Canada, but also made contingent on additional review and consensus next year, at Japan’s insistence.

“After highlighting that endangered Atlantic mantas, devil rays, and whale sharks lack critical high seas Atlantic fisheries safeguards, we welcome countries’ interest in closing these gaps,” said Sonja Fordham, President of Shark Advocates International. “We are confident that ICCAT scientists will promptly confirm the exceptional vulnerability of these animals and underscore their previous advice that such species warrant precautionary conservation, thereby clearing the way for protections to take effect without further delay.”

Among the last measures agreed were hotly contested catch limit reductions for heavily fished blue sharks, in response to a new population assessment that warned take was too high to ensure long-term sustainability. The UK had proposed significant cuts in North Atlantic quotas in line with the precautionary approach, but the EU —which takes more blue sharks than all other ICCAT Parties combined – insisted on higher and therefore risker allotments and fell short in considering other countries’ fisheries as well as overall discards. The compromise agreement reduces the North Atlantic catch limit by 23%, but the short-term chance of keeping within safe levels of fishing is about the same as a flip of a coin. The EU was the only Party to propose reduced South Atlantic blue shark limits, but again failed to adequately account for cumulative landings by countries without quotas and resisted requests to accommodate developing countries. That compromise measure reduces the total catch limit by only 4% and leaves the population at risk for continued overfishing but does — for the first time — allocate quotas among Parties, which is vital for ending overages.

“We thank the UK for their commitment to maximizing the conservation effect of the blue shark compromise measures, that – in the end – do represent steps in the right direction,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation for Shark Trust. “While we acknowledge the importance of the EU securing the overdue allocation of South Atlantic blue shark quotas, we are frustrated with the EU’s dogged prioritization of continued fishing dominance over the need to promote equity and minimize risk to shark populations that are already in a precarious state.”

The new Shark League gap analysis reviews ICCAT Parties’ performance for implementing their shark conservation obligations under ICCAT as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). All of the sharks restricted under ICCAT measures are listed on CITES Appendix II, through which countries are to permit exports – including landings form the high seas – based on Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs) that demonstrate legal and sustainable sources. Of particular relevance to ICCAT is the 2022 CITES listing for blue sharks which takes effect within days (November 25).

ICCAT’S Compliance Committee this year scrutinized adherence to ICCAT’s shark measures through close examination of reports submitted by Parties and NGOs. The US, Canada, and Japan raised concerns that echoed those in the Shark League report. Mexico, Namibia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Guatemala, and Côte d’Ivoire were among the countries called out to explain on the record their shark compliance shortcomings. The Committee also agreed to create a process for evaluating exemptions to certain shark limits, in line with Shark League recommendations.

“Ensuring that fishing nations fully comply with ICCAT measures is clearly essential to their effectiveness,” said Shannon Arnold, Marine Program Associate Director for Ecology Action Centre. “We are pleased that our analysis of shark conservation implementation inadequacies within ICCAT has been integrated into the Compliance Committee’s work. This underscores the importance of NGO participation in not only holding governments to account, but also contributing to more workable and effective processes.”

For the fifteenth year, the US led an effort to strengthen ICCAT’s finning ban by requiring that sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached. The proposal gained 25 co-sponsors but was once again blocked by Japan.

Media contact: Patricia Roy email: patricia@communicationsinc.co.uk, Tel: +34 696 905 907.

Notes to Editors: Shark Advocates International is a project of The Ocean Foundation dedicated to securing science-based policies for sharks and rays. The Shark Trust is a UK charity working to safeguard the future of sharks through positive change. Ecology Action Centre promotes sustainable, ocean-based livelihoods, and marine conservation in Canada and internationally. PADI AWARE is a global movement for ocean protection powered by a community of adventurers. These groups, with support from the Shark Conservation Fund, formed the Shark League of the Atlantic and Mediterranean to advance responsible regional shark and ray conservation policies.

ICCAT is responsible for conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. ICCAT has 52 Contracting Parties, including the European Union.

The Shark League ICCAT-CITES gap analysis, Bridging the Gaps that Hinder Shark Conservation: An analysis of ICCAT Parties’ policies for CITES-listed Atlantic elasmobranchs, and supporting materials are available on the Shark League website (www.sharkleague.org).

ICCAT has agreed to reduce the North Atlantic blue shark total allowable catch (TAC) from the current 39,102 metric tons (t) to 30,000t.  The ICCAT South Atlantic blue shark TAC will be reduced from 28,923t to 27,711t. Since the ICCAT blue shark limits were adopted in 2019, there have been significant overages (10-16%) of the South Atlantic limit, which until now has not been allocated to Parties, while quotas for the North Atlantic have not been reached.

ICCAT 2023: POSITION STATEMENT

At the 2023 ICCAT Annual Meeting, Parties have the opportunity to continue leading the world in international management of heavily fished blue sharks while catching up to other Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) in the protection of endangered, filter-feeding elasmobranchs and the prevention of finning. Immediate action — based on science and the precautionary approach — is clearly warranted to safeguard these and other exceptionally vulnerable species.

PRESS RELEASE: New Shark Conservation Report Launched at Atlantic Tuna Meeting Targets Troublesome Gaps

Analysis details problems and recommends remedies for aligning nations’ commitments and actions

This Press Release is available in Arabic, French and Spanish.

London, November 9, 2023.  A new Shark League gap analysis highlights where shark fishing and trading nations are falling short after decades of conservation commitments made through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES, a global wildlife treaty) and the International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT, a regional fishery management organization). The authors:

• review the performance of ICCAT’s 52 Parties and 5 Cooperators (CPCs) with respect to obligations for Atlantic shark and ray species listed under CITES between 2002 and 2020;
• identify key implementation and policy gaps; and
• recommend priority improvements at national and international levels.

Several actions recommended in the Shark League analysis will be considered by ICCAT in the coming days:

• strengthening the shark finning ban by banning at-sea fin removal (a multi-national effort led by the US);
• reducing and allocating blue shark quotas based on new scientific advice; and
• protecting mobula rays and whale sharks (proposed by the UK and EU, respectively).

Sharks and rays are threatened mainly by overfishing, with international trade as a key driver. The success of international conservation agreements depends on proper implementation at the national level. Because sharks and rays are considered both commodities and wildlife, governments’ approaches toward meeting obligations under fisheries and environment treaties are often misaligned. The analysis explores problematic gaps in the national implementation of CITES and ICCAT commitments stemming from this divide, as well as serious inadequacies in countries’ basic reporting of vital catch and trade statistics for shark and ray species.

“ICCAT and CITES have both advanced shark and ray conservation, and both bodies face major implementation challenges stemming from inadequate resources and insufficient political will,” said Sonja Fordham, President of Shark Advocates International. “We document myriad gaps that hinder effective conservation and urgently warrant priority attention from multiple government agencies and stakeholders. Narrowing the divides highlighted in our report is essential to ensuring a brighter outlook for sharks and rays in the Atlantic and beyond.”

The European Union is by far the top ICCAT CPC for shark and ray fishing, with landings that exceed those reported by all other ICCAT CPCs combined. Countries with significant discrepancies between the shark and ray landings they report to ICCAT versus the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) include the People’s Republic of China, Spain, Portugal, and Liberia. Despite ICCAT measures that ban retention of multiple shark species, very few ICCAT CPCs are meeting their requirements to report discarding them. Most ICCAT CPCs don’t report any shark discards at all; this includes five countries that rank in the top ten for reported shark landings (Namibia, Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Belize). Only 12 ICCAT CPCs report plans to increaseonboard monitoring of longliner fleets to the agreed 10%.

“Despite a rising profile at CITES, sharks and rays are less valuable than traditional food fish and remain a relatively low priority for fisheries bodies,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation for the Shark Trust. “We must balance the attention given to achieving conservation agreements with the fulfillment of commitments, particularly limits on fishing and trade. Recently, it’s been encouraging to see the 2019 CITES obligations for severely depleted Atlantic shortfin mako sharks at last result in overdue cutbacks in fishing by the world leader in mako catch – the EU – and we’re advocating for similar policy integration to help achieve necessary reductions in blue shark quotas at ICCAT this month.”

The report finds that most countries are not yet reporting oceanic shark landings from the high seas as “Introduction from the Sea” to CITES, as required. Production, quality, and availability of Atlantic shark and ray “Non-Detriment Findings” (NDFs, required for export of CITES Appendix II listed species) are also lacking, with 13 ICCAT CPCs reporting commercial trade in listed sharks without public NDFs. Only four ICCAT CPCs have publicized negative NDFs for sharks.

“Lack of data on shark and ray exploitation is a primary and persistent hurdle to population assessment, compliance monitoring, and conservation, with governments’ required reports too often incomplete, late, inconsistent, or non-existent,” said Shannon Arnold, Associate Director for the Ecology Action Centre. “Our analysis includes a deep dive into ICCAT members’ 2022 Shark Check Sheets, initiated by the ICCAT Compliance Committee to elicit domestic implementation information. They clearly show that many CPCs still lack national regulations to implement ICCAT shark measures. We’re holding out hope that the increasing scrutiny will result in wide-ranging benefits before it’s too late.”

The analysis pays special attention to gaps that threaten particularly vulnerable sharks and rays, such as:

• Myriad inconsistencies in Mexico’s reporting on shark catch, trade, and domestic regulations;
• A lack of sourcing and landings information for much of Senegal’s reported shark fin exports;
• Gaping exceptions and inconsistent reporting associated with ICCAT bans on threatened* hammerhead and silky sharks, particularly with respect to Mexico, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Costa Rica;
• Post-protection exploitation of Critically Endangered* oceanic whitetip sharks by Mexico, Brazil, and Senegal, according to ICCAT, FAO, and CITES records (respectively);
• Increased landings of exceptionally vulnerable, as-of-yet unprotected, Endangered* manta and devil rays by Venezuela and under-reporting of catch across the central Atlantic;
• The urgent need for ICCAT CPCs to follow through on commitments to reduce bycatch of Endangered* North Atlantic shortfin makos and report discards of the species (particularlywith respect to Morocco);
• A decade of inconsistent reporting of unregulated, Endangered* longfin mako landings, particularly by Portugal, along with a dearth of discard data for the species (reported only by the United States);
• The genus-level reporting that hinders compliance monitoring for ICCAT’s bigeye thresher ban as well as assessment of unprotected common thresher populations.

The report concludes with specific recommendations for improving shark and ray conservation through better integration of fisheries and environmental agency activities. Governments are urged to focus on immediate fulfillment of various treaty obligations and to be more timely, accurate, and transparent in reporting of catches and trade. Assistance for low-capacity countries should be requested and facilitated as a matter of priority.

CITES-specific needs include a shift toward reporting exports by region/ocean/population; robust, public NDFs tied to concrete fishing limits; and consideration of listing heavily traded, less iconic species like skates and dogfishes. ICCAT-specific needs include elimination of exceptions to retention bans for hammerhead, silky, and bigeye thresher sharks; augmentation and long-term extension of the North Atlantic shortfin mako ban; new safeguards for unprotected species; and 100% observer coverage for large-scale longliners.

Media contact: Patricia Roy email: patricia@communicationsinc.co.uk, Tel: +34 696 905 907.

Notes to Editors: Shark Advocates International is a project of The Ocean Foundation dedicated to securing science-based policies for sharks and rays. The Shark Trust is a UK charity working to safeguard the future of sharks through positive change. Ecology Action Centre promotes sustainable, ocean-based livelihoods, and marine conservation in Canada and internationally. These groups, with support from the Shark Conservation Fund and in partnership with PADI AWARE Foundation, formed the Shark League of the Atlantic and Mediterranean to advance responsible regional shark and ray conservation policies.

The new report, “Bridging the Gaps that Hinder Shark Conservation: An analysis of ICCAT Parties’ policies for CITES-listed Atlantic elasmobranchs,” is available on the Shark League website. An executive summary is also posted.

The coalition will present key findings at an ICCAT event in Cairo, just prior to the November 13-20 annual meeting.

ICCAT is responsible for conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. ICCAT has 52 Contracting Parties, including the European Union.

* according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

New Report: Bridging the Gaps that Hinder Shark Conservation

An analysis of ICCAT Parties’ policies for CITES-listed Atlantic elasmobranchs

Analyzing pivotal international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Shark League’s latest analysis, “Bridging the Gaps that Hinder Shark Conservation,” scrutinizes the efficacy of existing conservation initiatives and recommends essential improvements.

Conservation treaties are only as strong as their implementation, both internationally and at the national level. The Shark League’s analysis zeroes in on the performance of ICCAT Parties, evaluating their adherence to obligations for CITES-listed elasmobranchs. By identifying gaps between restrictions and conservation needs, the report serves as a compass for actionable change.

The report highlights essential areas where current measures fall short of safeguarding Atlantic elasmobranchs. By pinpointing these gaps, the analysis sets the stage for recommended improvements, creating a roadmap for policymakers and conservationists alike. The success of conservation efforts hinges on addressing these key discrepancies to ensure a thriving future for sharks and rays.

The Executive Summary is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
The Press Release is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

Shark League Side Event

As part of the release, the Shark League organised a Side Event during the 28th Regular Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on Saturday, November 11th, from 18:00 to 20:00 EGY. The event took place at the Triumph Hotel in the Vienna Ballroom. Speakers include Shark League partners – Sonja Fordham from Shark Advocates International, Shannon Arnold from Ecology Action Centre, and Ali Hood from Shark Trust. The Side Events provided opportunities to gain insights into the latest analysis of Atlantic shark and ray protection measures under CITES and ICCAT, and learn about recommended improvements at both national and international levels.

ICCAT 2023 NGO Advocacy Letter

A collective effort by 20 Environmental Organizations is underway to address pressing issues in Atlantic tuna fisheries and ecosystems at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The letter, directed to Heads of Delegation, provides specific recommendations for sustainable tuna management.