Need for joint international efforts to conserve sharks

The permits for shark species for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are on the rise. Issued by the Environment Authority, there were 60 permits in 2021 against 47 in 2020, according to Suleiman bin Nasser al Akhzmi, Director-General of Nature Conservation.

Several facts regarding the conservation of sharks were revealed during a workshop organised by the Environment Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (FAW) and is meant for preparing studies to protect two types of sharks -- the silky shark and the bigeye thresher, also known as fox shark. The event was held on Tuesday at Avani Muscat hotel under the auspices of Yaqoub bin Khalfan al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources. The workshop will continue until Thursday.

The workshop aims to shed light on the importance of preserving sharks and highlighting obligations related to the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

It also aims to prepare Non-Determinal Findings (NDFS) and apply them to the two types of sharks registered in the waters of the Sultanate of Oman.

Suleiman al Akhzmi delivered a speech in which he talked about the importance of preserving the marine life and fisheries in the Sultanate of Oman as one of the pillars of its national priorities and the most important economic food sources that contribute mainly to food and economic security.

“The Sultanate of Oman has adopted many policies, plans and programmes to develop this sector and achieve sustainable development, in addition to implementing oversight operations that focus on implementing laws and legislation issued in this regard including monitoring fishing fleets, border crossings and companies,” he said, adding that the country has realised the importance of activating the areas of relations and cooperation among the countries of the world in the field of preserving marine life and fisheries and supporting negotiations and related agreements.

The Sultanate of Oman joined the CITES on March 19, 2008, pursuant to Royal Decree No 117/2007. It is one of the strongest agreements concerned with the preservation of wildlife and marine life in the world, which works to reduce smuggling and combating illegal trade, especially cross-border trade.

“The Environment Authority, as the body responsible for protecting wildlife and biodiversity and the national focal point in the Sultanate of Oman and concerned with the implementation of CITES, is making unremitting efforts in the field of cooperation and coordination at all local, regional and international levels with the aim of controlling and ensuring that international trade in endangered species does not pose a threat to the chances of their survival in nature, among which are sharks included in the lists of CITES,” Al Akhzmi explained.

He called for the need to unite national, regional and international efforts to conserve sharks and regulate their fishing and movement between the borders of countries, describing it as a matter of great importance and an urgent global priority given what these species face at present from excessive and continuous exploitation as a result of the increasing demand for them, in addition to other reasons, such as the deterioration of their natural environments, unguided human activities and other challenges.

“We all have a responsibility to ensure that terrestrial and marine biological resources are used sustainably for the benefit of present and future generations,” he asserted.

Dr Akram Issa Darwish, Programme Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, in his speech spoke of the threats facing marine creatures, including sharks. He said, “Marine life, including sharks, is under increasing fishing pressure worldwide, and the main goal is to trade in their fins. This has led to the depletion of groups of these organisms, which represent an important natural wealth for many countries of the world and local communities. Fishing of more than 100 million sharks annually in the world is obvious, and everyone knows the most important fishing areas, the reasons behind the intensive fishing, and the most important areas of consumption in the world.”

Dr Akram added that sharks have biological characteristics that do not help to protect them and their survival in the face of this increase. “Among these characteristics is that many types of sharks need many years to reach the stage of maturity, and when they reach it, they produce a limited number of young compared to other types of fish, which makes overfishing of significant negative impact on the survival chances of this species.”

He continued, “During the last decade, the world’s countries agreed, through the conferences of the CITES, with remarkable unanimity on the importance of protecting sharks from the danger they are exposed to. The number of species listed in the CITES appendices reached 44 species of sharks and manta sharks in the second appendix of the convention; during the last three conferences, the parties to this convention to be granted a degree of protection by regulating their international fishing and trade, which is an unusual precedent in this field. Most of these species are also included in the lists of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) with the aim of protecting them as migratory species.”

He indicated that many types of sharks are migratory fish, which makes the issue of preserving them subject to international cooperation and the development of the necessary mechanisms to protect them on their migration paths from the danger of extinction.