Question to the EC: Protection of shortfin mako sharks in the framework of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

See the joint question to the European Commission by Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA), Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA), Pierre Karleskind (Renew), Isabel Carvalhais (S&D), Nora Mebarek (S&D), Benoît Biteau (Greens/EFA), Grace O'Sullivan (Greens/EFA), Catherine Chabaud (Renew) and Eric Andrieu (S&D) on the protection of shortfin mako sharks in the framework of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

Subject: Protection of shortfin mako sharks in the framework of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

The Commission has just started a cycle of coordination meetings with the Member States in order to establish the official proposals of the European Union for the annual International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT meeting) in November 2021. 

According to the latest scientific advice from the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) (1) , the endangered North Atlantic shortfin mako shark is being heavily overfished, is in decline and has very worrying levels of biomass. The shortfin mako is considered to be a by-catch of swordfish fisheries. The management recommendations are very clear and call for the urgent adoption of a policy of non-retention of this species without exception, in addition to by-catch mitigation measures, as has already been done for other shark species. 

The stock is mostly exploited by European vessels (Spanish and Portuguese vessels in particular). 

1. Will the Commission follow and support the formal recommendations of the SCRS in its upcoming negotiations with the Member States? 

2. If it is planning to continue to allow the retention and landing of shortfin mako, what scientific evidence is there that mortality will be reduced to sustainable levels?

(1)       https://www.iccat.int/Documents/SCRS/DetRep/SMA_SA_ENG.pdf

Answer in writing:

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) intersessional and annual meetings have been cancelled in 2020. Instead, it is proposed to roll-over the existing measures, and to extend expiring or urgent measures by one year. Some additional measures are also being considered in the context of ongoing exchanges between Parties, but anything else than a rollover will be challenging to achieve.

The Commission prepared a proposal for a rebuilding plan to ensure the recovery of the northern shortfin mako (SMA) stock, which — consistent with the common fisheries policy — would result in fishing at maximum sustainable yield within a year while reducing discards. It also proposes to further reduce mortality by actively avoiding catches of SMA, and when this is not possible, to release all live fish in presence of observers on-board. The proposal also promotes the sharing of best practices to avoid catches, such as those used by the Spanish fleet which have reduced catches by about 50% since 2017, and tasks the ICCAT scientists to look at possible complementary measures (e.g. time area closures). The proposal from the EU provides a path towards the sustainable management of SMA by allowing ICCAT to fulfil its role while being complementary to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES) measures.

The Commission considers that the reference in the scientific advice to a total retention ban is not consistent with risk-based scientific advice as it strays from purely scientific considerations into aspects at the core of policy decisions pertaining to fisheries management (choice of probability of recovery and length of the recovery period).

Share this post