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  WWF 15 Dec 06
Time to curb the EU's appetite for shark meat

Brussels, Belgium: Populations of two shark species used for meat and consumed mainly in the European Union are on the verge of collapse, says WWF and TRAFFIC.

The international trade of porbeagle and spiny dogfish sharks is not controlled, and as a result, populations have dramatically declined in the North Atlantic--by up to 95 per cent for the spiny dogfish and 89 per cent for the porbeagle, in the last ten and 40 years respectively.

The porbeagle shark is principally used for fresh, frozen and dried-salted meat across Europe.

Spiny dogfish is used in fish and chips in the UK, where it is often called 'Rock Salmon', and as a smoked meat delicacy in Germany, called "Schillerlocken".

"Current levels of fishing for these sharks, especially the capture of mature, female sharks, just can't continue," says Stephanie von Meibom of TRAFFIC Europe.

"European market demand has been driving these fisheries to depletion. As its biggest market, the EU should lead the way by supporting their protection under international environmental law."

Germany has been championing the conservation of these sharks, proposing that the two species be listed under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which requires that international trade is legal, and not detrimental to the species' survival in the wild or their role in the ecosystem.

While a final decision to introduce controls for these shark species under CITES can only be taken by the convention's member states at its next meeting in June 2007 in the Netherlands, Germany is looking to get EU support for the proposal at next week's EU committee meeting on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora.

A similar proposal failed to gain EU support in 2004.

"If the EU discards this opportunity, it may be the end of the road for these two shark species and in turn, the end for some favourite seafood dishes for Europe's consumers," says Cliona O'Brien of WWF's Global Species Programme.

END NOTES:

Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) is a powerful, medium sized, highly migratory shark related to mako and great white sharks. It can reach a length of about 3.5m and is found in cool waters in both hemispheres, including off shore northern Europe. Its meat is among the most valuable of all shark species.

Spurdog or spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) is a slender, smaller sized white-spotted shark that grows to about one meter long and travels in schools. It is found in cool, coastal waters worldwide.

Europe also includes some of the most important shark fishing nations in the world. Between 1990 and 2003, the global reported catch of sharks increased by 22 per cent. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) data, European Union (EU) countries caught nearly 115,000 metric tons (t) of shark (including rays and chimaeras) in 2004. Spain took the largest share at around 45 per cent of the EU total, followed by France (18 per cent), the UK (14 per cent) and Portugal (10.5 per cent).
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