GALAPAGOS NEWS FROM IGTOA
Longline Fishing News
The Inter-Institutional Management Authority, the group charged with Galapagos management, has prohibited the use of surface longlines at depths of less than 60 metres in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
According to a press release by the Charles Darwin Foundation, AIM based its decision on the results of pilot studies of longlining carried out between 1994 and 2003 by the National Fisheries Institute, Galapagos National Park, the local fishing sector and the CDF.
"The technical reports demonstrated the impact of this type of fishing which has high levels of by-catch of protected species including sharks and marine turtles," says Graham Watkins, CDF's Executive Director.
Observers say that this is a step in the right direction. But all longline fishing is not being prohibited, and many questions remain. A study showing the feasibility and impact of longline fishing below 60 metres needs to be done. Fishing below 60 metres requires sophisticated equipment and access to markets. Finally, should deep longlining occur, there is the vital question of how to monitor compliance by fishermen.
Shark Crisis Update
Shark finning, the practice of cutting fins off sharks and throwing the animals back into the ocean to die, is driving some shark species toward extinction. Sharks are vulnerable to over-fishing because they grow slowly and produce few young.
Last year, a small group of Galapagos Marine Reserve guides and local residents launched the Galapagos Year of the Shark campaign. The goal of this campaign is to support grass-root educational programmes within the local community and provide funding for the Galapagos National Park Service to patrol the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
With the support of WildAid, the campaign has achieved considerable success in raising awareness about the important role that sharks play in the ecosystem and the illegal shark fishing activities that threaten them.
There has been some good news. Although there was fear that the total prohibition on the export of shark fins in Ecuador would be lifted, the ban is still in effect. Last month 420 sacks of fins were detained en route to China, and a customs official has been thrown in jail. Supposedly the fins are to be burned this week.
Also, the fifteen member nations of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) just approved an international ban on shark finning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The shark resolution was co-sponsored by the United States, the European Union, Japan and Nicaragua and received vocal support from Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Mexico.
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