SHARK CAMPAIGN

Shark Campaign 2007, including shark finning and preventative measures

Shark Campaign 2007

Up to 100 million sharks are killed a year, mainly for their fins. They are dragged from the water, their four fins removed and they are then discarded back into the water where they are left to drown. At the rapid rate that sharks are being fished they could be completely wiped out in the next 50 years. Please help our campaign to stop the import of shark fins into Britain and raise awareness of the barbaric practice of shark finning more widely - see What can you do to help?

Illegal fishing, including shark finning

Due to the high commercial value of key fisheries (i.e. $120 kilo for shark fin), illegal fishing still takes place within the GMR. Illegal fishing also threatens pristine terrestrial park lands as fishermen introduce invasive species while processing products at their illegal camps. Despite continuous efforts by the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS) to stop illegal fishing, these activities continue.

Galapagos fishermen, who recognise that better enforcement means better fishing in the long run, report that the intensity of illegal shark fishing increases in areas where patrols are least frequent. There are approximately 180 fishing boats on Isabela, and they generally employ longlines and gillnets to fish for sharks. All shark fishing in Galapagos is illegal as is the use of longlines and gillnets. Evidence also suggests that since these can trap and kill these vulnerable predators, but they are still employed openly by many illegal fishing boats. The wasteful and unsustainable practice known as 'finning', i.e. the removal of fins at sea from live sharks with discard of the body, is still taking place. Divers have reported viewing as many as 12 finned sharks lying dead on the ocean floor at popular dive sites in the archipelago.

The Galapagos represents a microcosm for the challenge of finding equilibrium between man and his environment. The islands' flora and fauna are unique to the world due to years of geographic isolation, the confluence of major ocean currents and conservation efforts made to date. Today, the integrity of Galapagos ecosystems and their evolution are at a crossroads and the question is whether they can withstand current pressures into the future. We are still at an opportune moment to ensure the conservation of this World Heritage Site but only if we carry-out strategic measures now.

What's taking place to prevent this happening in Galapagos?

While the obstacles in halting shark finning in the GMR are many, the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS), in cooperation with partners, has recently designed a comprehensive plan to crack down on violators. The GNPS is currently undertaking a special effort to increase patrolling of the GMR through the deployment of a new oceanic patrol vessel called the Yoshka and a floating barge called the Tiburon Martillo among the islands of Wolf and Darwin. These initiatives, in combination with the Sea Wolf Park patrol plane, will be instrumental in identifying and apprehending foreign fishing boats illegally fishing in the GMR.

In order to curb local illegal fishing, the GNPS recently assisted in the creation of an Environmental Police (EP) force unit on the island of Isabela. The Environmental Police can be extremely effective in enforcing wildlife law as they posses the full power to bear arms and arrest infractors, which Park Wardens of the National Park do not have. The power of arrest and the possibility of subjecting crime breakers to formal sanctions, offer a great opportunity to control and eventually eradicate environmental crimes. In addition, the Environmental Police are staffed by individuals who do not have family links in the archipelago, which is necessary to effectively combat corruption. Currently, the GNPS and the EP are collaborating on numerous enforcement initiatives and have ensured a continuous presence in areas that were traditionally infrequently patrolled.

The GNPS and the Environmental Police are also attempting to stop the illegal trade of shark fins when they are in transit by the introduction of sniffer dogs to Galapagos. The sniffer dogs are now a common sight at the airport in Baltra and around the village, even boarding cargo boats and other vessels that may be involved in the traffic of drugs and other illegal produce, such as shark fins and sea cucumbers out of season. The dogs have been so successful that the Environmental Police have imported two more to the islands.

Last but not least, the GNPS has also received support to ensure that violators who are caught breaking environmental laws are actually prosecuted. The GNPS currently has a full time lawyer that follows up illegal fishing cases. In the past, many of these cases fell through the cracks due to a lack of resources and personnel, but not anymore. Since the dedicated men and women who patrol these waters are putting their lives at risk, it is only right that these criminals are tried accordingly.

Research

Alongside these patrols and preventative measures, vital research is being carried out by the Charles Darwin Foundation to understand more about the behaviour and movement of key species, such as Hammerhead sharks, Whale sharks, White tipped reef sharks and the Galapagos shark. This work is vital to ensure that the best possible conditions are maintained to conserve these iconic species and to identify ways that the marine life and local population can co-exist. You can read more about some of these projects in the Shark Campaign 2008, How last year's money was spent and What you can do to help pages.

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