For Immediate Release
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Sharks Disappearing in Costa Rican Waters
Recent research shows a 60% decline in shark relative abundance during the last 10 years
(May 6, 2003 - San Jose, Costa Rica)
A new report by
PRETOMA, presented at a UN-sponsored international symposium on
fisheries management, held in Paris, shows that shark populations are
increasingly endangered in Costa Rican waters.
www.tortugamarina.org/downloads/sharkposter04.jpg
The
data was collected by PRETOMA in collaboration with Costa Rican
commercial long line fishermen of Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. The
data clearly shows that the relative abundance of sharks in Costa Rican
waters has diminished by 60% over the last 10 years.
Alarmingly,
the relative abundance of sharks in Costa Rica has levelled off since
2000, which scientists believe shows that shark populations have hit
rock bottom.
The data aligns with studies published by Daniel
Pauly in the scientific journal, Nature, that show populations of
sharks have declined by 80-90% worldwide.
"The biggest
problem is the overwhelming impact of international long line fishing
fleets," says Randall Arauz, President of PRETOMA. "They fish
incessantly in all corners of the world, setting billions of hooks,
depleting sharks and anything that takes the bait."
"Sharks are
highly migratory species," says Allan Bolanos, Lead Fishery Observer
for PRETOMA. "They know no boundaries. They spend time in our
national waters and migrate through international waters."
According
to Bolanos, international fleets operate in the Eastern Pacific, and
rather than go all the way back to Asia, they dump thousands of tons of
sharks and shark fins here at Costa Rican ports for export to Asian
markets, in violation of domestic fisheries and customs laws.
"The
national fishermen are working with us to do research and find
sustainable solutions," says Jorge Ballestero, Vice-President of
PRETOMA. "They are really hurting due to the collapse of domestic
shark populations, but as long as the international fleets continue
operating with no control in the international waters of the Eastern
Pacific, and our fishery authorities invite them to land illegally in
Costa Rica, the national fishing industry will continue to flounder,"
he complained.
"It is clear, the only way to restore shark
populations in our waters is to significantly reduce fishing effort in
the region," says Arauz. "It's a three step process: close our ports
to foreign long line vessels; convince our neighbor countries to do the
same; and get the UN to ban long line fishing in international waters
of the Eastern Pacific. This way each nation will be responsible for
their own Exclusive Economic Zone where it's easier to implement
controls," he added. "The Costa Rican government can look at this data
and global data and realize that a resource so important to our
national fishing industry, our tourism industry and the ocean ecosystem
is disappearing. It is time to act. NOW." |
