The Shark Trust, Ecology Action Centre, The Ocean Foundation, Shark Advocates International, and Defenders of Wildlife thank the European Union for proposing blue shark limits based on the advice of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SRCS). This heavily fished species remains at risk for overfishing due to the lack of basic catch limits by ICCAT and major fishing nations. The existing landing threshold for the North Atlantic is insufficient to ensure that overages are prevented. South Atlantic blue shark fishing is still essentially unregulated. We urge Parties to establish, without further delay, hard catch limits for blue sharks in both oceans, at levels at or below those advised by the SCRS.
ICCAT intervention on blue sharks
Date:
November 23, 2019