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Fisheries need to make gender inclusion a norm, not just ‘reach’ women, says Pacific study

January 13, 2021 — As a marine ecologist who has long worked at the intersection of gender equality, conservation and fisheries, Sangeeta Mangubhai knows the importance of getting the language right. She asks to see a draft of this article, anxious that words like “gender,” “empowering” and “fishers” are often used incorrectly.

“Gender means both men and women, and the relationships and power dynamics etc. between them,” Mangubhai told Mongabay in a recent video interview from Fiji, where she is director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Fiji country program. “It’s quite problematic when people think it’s just about women.”

This is a misunderstanding she frequently came across while carrying out research for her new study.

Co-authored by Sarah Lawless from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Australia, the report is based on interviews with fisheries managers and practitioners working in the Pacific countries of Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

One government respondent from the Solomon Islands, quoted in the report, spoke for many when he said, “We don’t really understand what gender is. Particularly the technical side of this so that we can apply to our work with communities and [have it] guide us.”

Read the full story at Mongabay News

Offshore Wind May Help The Planet — But Will It Hurt Whales?

December 5, 2019 — Tail! Tail!” shouts Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, a marine biologist, before grabbing his crossbow, as we close in on a humpback whale.

Rosenbaum gets into position on the bow of the boat, stands firmly with legs apart, takes aim, and fires at the 40-foot cetacean. The arrow that he releases doesn’t have a point – it has a hollow 2-inch tip to collect skin and blubber, and a cork-like stopper to prevent it from penetrating too deeply.

“Oh, yeah!” come shouts from the small research crew. The hit looks clean. Sure enough, when they scoop the floating arrow out of the water, its tip is filled with a small white sliver of whale flesh, containing DNA that will help identify the humpback and its pod and potentially say something about its migratory patterns.

This is the sort of research that Rosenbaum, the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s “Ocean Giants” program, has been doing for decades around the globe. Recently, though, whale monitoring has taken on a new urgency in Rosenbaum’s own native habitat — the Atlantic waters off New York City and Long Island.

As whale populations have grown, the WCS and its collaborator, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, have been monitoring them, with an eye toward mediating conflicts with the ocean’s heaviest users: cargo ships, commercial fishing trawlers and the U.S. military.

Now, the whales are poised to get many new, potentially disruptive neighbors: hundreds of skyscraper-high wind turbines, rising from the ocean floor.

The New York Energy Research and Development Authority has awarded two large contracts for offshore wind and anticipates several more in the coming years. The first phase, expected to be complete by 2024, involves dozens of wind turbines in two different offshore plots, leased by energy companies from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. They would generate 1700 megawatts — enough to power more than one million homes.

Read the full story at NPR

Equinor to support New York Bight whales monitoring

April 10, 2019 — Offshore wind power developer Equinor Wind US is entering a joint project with conservationists and scientists to deploy two new acoustic buoys to expand detection and monitoring of whales in the New York Bight.

To be operated with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, the buoys will provide near real-time monitoring of species including sei, fin and humpback whales, and the extremely endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The buoys will become a broader network with a previously deployed acoustic buoy, funded by the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation and the Flora Family Foundation, now on station about 22 miles off New York.

Read the full story at WorkBoat

Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act Receives Broad, Growing Support

May 21, 2018 — A growing coalition of industry groups, conservationists, scientists, and other stakeholders are rallying behind a bill that promotes global shark conservation, while protecting responsible U.S. fishermen. The bill, Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, is undergoing a markup before the Senate Commerce committee on Tuesday, May 22. Similar, bipartisan legislation from Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) is under consideration in the House.

Introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the bill would require that all countries exporting shark fins to the U.S. receive certification that their shark fisheries have an effective ban on the practice of shark finning, and adhere to sustainable management practices like those in U.S. fisheries. The new certification program would be similar to the existing U.S. shrimp certification program.

The United States has been praised for having among the strictest and most conservation-minded shark management in the world; all shark species are required to be harvested at sustainable rates, and the practice of shark finninghas long been banned.

The bill’s approach to conservation, which would preserve the jobs of responsible, law-abiding shark fishermen in the U.S. while promoting a high standard of shark conservation abroad, has won support from a broad cross-section of shark fishery stakeholders, including the Sustainable Shark Alliance. It is joined in its support by leading conservation groups, such as the Wildlife Conservation Society; shark experts at the Mote Marine Laboratory; 62 leading shark scientists; recreational fishing organizations such as the American Sportfishing Association, the Center for Sportfishing Policy, and the Coastal Conservation Association; the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association.

“The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act allows the United States to continue its role as a global leader in shark conservation and management,” says Shaun Gehan, a representative for the Sustainable Shark Alliance. “Unlike other bills that would ban the sale of shark fins outright, this bill maintains our own rigorous conservation standards, while allowing U.S. fishermen to maintain their livelihoods by responsibly utilizing every part of the shark.”

About the Sustainable Shark Alliance
The Sustainable Shark Alliance (SSA) is a coalition of shark fishermen and seafood dealers that advocates for sustainable U.S. shark fisheries and supports healthy shark populations. The SSA stands behind U.S. shark fisheries as global leaders in successful shark management and conservation. The SSA is a member of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities.

 

Sportfishing and Conservation Groups Latest to Support Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act

May 9, 2018 — Three sportfishing and conservation groups have thrown their support behind a bill aimed at improving shark conservation worldwide while maintaining sustainable U.S. shark fisheries.

In a letter to the bill’s sponsors, the American Sportfishing Association, the Center for Sportfishing Policy, and the Coastal Conservation Association praise the bill, which they state will “reduce the overfishing and unsustainable trade of sharks, rays and skates around the world and prevent shark finning.” The bill was introduced in the House by Congressmen Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Ted Lieu (D-CA), and in the Senate by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

The bill would require that all countries wishing to import shark products into the United States receive certification from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce that confirms they have effective prohibitions on the practice of shark finning, where a fin is removed from a shark at sea and rest of the shark is discarded. Countries seeking certification must also have shark management policies comparable to those in force in the United States, which has been praised for being a global leader in sustainable shark management and which has long outlawed the practice of shark finning.

“Recreational fishermen and the sportfishing industry are constantly striving to improve fishing practices that minimize harm to fish,” the letter states. “Shark finning flies in the face of the sportfishing community’s conservation ethic, and we fully support efforts – such as your legislation – to curtail this practice.”

These groups join a growing list of supporters of the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act. The bill has already received the support of commercial shark fishermen, conservation groups such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Mote Marine Laboratory and 62 prominent shark scientists.

Read the full letter here.

 

Opponents continue push-back against US shark fin ban

May 7, 2018 — A bill proposing to ban the sale and purchase of shark fins across the United States continues to get pushback from advocates who say the bill would end up doing the opposite of what it intends.

The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (H.R. 1456), sponsored by U.S. Representatives Ed Royce (R-California), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (I-North Marianas Islands), was introduced back in March. Royce said shutting down the market for shark fins would “Set an example for the rest of the world.”

However, a competing bill, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act (H.R. 5248), has been endorsed by environmental advocates as the better choice environmentally. A coalition of more than 40 organizations, including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, have been actively campaigning to support the passage of the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act.

Ongoing questioning of experts during the legislative process for the shark fin ban has led to some scientists advocating against a complete ban of shark fins.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

62 Shark Scientists Endorse Bipartisan Shark Sustainability Bill

April 17, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the Wildlife Conservation Society:

Ahead of a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on various shark conservation bills, 62 marine scientists with expertise on sharks and rays submitted a letter to the committee calling for passage of the H.R. 5248, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act.

The scientists urge a science-based approach to fisheries conservation and management, as prescribed by H.R. 5248, to significantly reduce the overfishing and unsustainable trade of sharks, rays, and skates around the world and prevent shark finning.

The letter states, “Although it is not the largest importer of shark products, the U.S. is a major shark and skate fishing and exporting country and therefore can lead in both modeling and promoting sustainable shark fisheries management and responsible trade for these species. Continuing to exercise this leadership can help to reverse the declining trend in many shark, skate, and ray populations around the world. We heartily endorse the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act of 2018 and strongly urge its prompt passage by Congress.”

The 62 signatories come from research institutions, conservation organizations, and academia. This group also includes 12 past presidents of the American Elasmobranch Society.

Read the full release here

 

Shark trade bill gains industry, conservationist support

March 22, 2018 — A new bipartisan bill introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on 13 March would require new certifications for countries importing shark, ray, and skate parts and products to the United States.

H.R. 5248, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, would require all countries importing products related to sharks, rays, and skates obtain certification by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Certification would require evidence that the country has conservation policies, management, and enforcement in place that is comparable to similar programs in the U.S.

The bill was introduced to the house by Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) along with co-sponsors Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), and Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL). The goal, according to Webster and Lieu, is to promote the science-based regulations the U.S. has had in place for years while leveling the playing field between U.S. fisherman and their overseas competition.

“Fishing is a long-standing profession and treasured American pastime, and particularly important in Florida,” Webster said.  “This bill recognizes the sacrifices American fishermen have made to rebuild and sustain our shark populations. It encourages other nations wishing to export shark products to the United States to the same high standards for shark, skate, and ray conservation and management we apply to fishermen here.”

The bill has already garnered supporters from within the industry. Bob Jones, the executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association, said the bill represents “A better way forward.”

“This legislation goes a long way toward combating the threats facing global shark stocks by promoting the successful model of American shark management,” he said.

Other industry supporters include the Garden State Seafood Association, Directed Sustainable Fisheries, and the North Carolina Fisheries Association.

Conservation groups also support the bill. A coalition of more than 40 organizations including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, have begun a campaign to support the passage of the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

 

New Sustainable Shark Trade Bill is Supported by Both Conservationists and Fishing Industry

March 15, 2018 — The following was released by the Wildlife Conservation Society:

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) supports a new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Congress that encourages a science-based approach to fisheries conservation and management to significantly reduce the overfishing and unsustainable trade of sharks, rays, and skates around the world and prevent shark finning.

H.R. 5248, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), along with co-sponsors Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), and Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC).

The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act would require that imports of shark, ray, and skate parts and products to the U.S. be permitted only from countries certified by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as having in place and enforcing management and conservation policies for these species comparable to the U.S., including science-based measures to prevent overfishing and provide for recovery of stocks, and a similar prohibition on shark finning.

By requiring that imports of shark, skate, and ray parts and products be subject to the same standards that U.S. domestic fishers already meet, the legislation aims to level the playing field for U.S. producers and use access to the U.S. market as leverage to encourage other countries to adopt and implement strong conservation and management measures that support sustainable fisheries and trade in shark and ray products.

WCS, along with its partners in the conservation community and allies in the fishing industry, have launched a campaign to support the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act in order to conserve sharks, rays and skates. The coalition includes more than 40 partner organizations and aligns with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) initiative, which leverages the reach, expertise and resources of accredited zoos and aquariums to save species in the wild.

Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) said, “Fishing is a long-standing profession and treasured American pastime, and particularly important in Florida. Our responsibility to is balance the needs of the industry with conservation. This bill recognizes the sacrifices American fishermen have made to rebuild and sustain our shark populations. It encourages other nations wishing to export shark products to the United States to the same high standards for shark, skate, and ray conservation and management we apply to fishermen here.”

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) said, “U.S. shark fisheries are governed by some of the strongest science-based conservation regulations in the world. Accordingly, we should be leading the charge to counsel other nations in proper shark management. Preventing exploitation in global fisheries helps safeguard our ocean’s delicate ecosystem and can help promote the humane treatment of shark populations. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Webster because the U.S. should be leading the charge in environmental conservation efforts. We have a responsibility to disincentivize the trade of unsustainably or illegally harvested shark fins and other shark products.”

John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, said: “We must take action now to prevent the global overfishing of sharks and rays that is decimating populations of these prehistoric and iconic animals. This bill is a bipartisan solution that both conservationists and the fishing industry can agree upon. The incentives laid out by the legislation can create a ripple effect that can make all the world’s oceans a better home for sharks, rays and skates.”

Luke Warwick, Associate Director of WCS’s Sharks and Rays Program, said: “Sharks play an essential part in the health of our oceans, and they need our help. Research has clearly shown that effective fisheries management can reverse the global declines see in shark and ray populations, but that outside of a limited number of countries including the US, such management is lacking. This law would incentivize countries to better manage their shark and ray fisheries, which when coupled with our work globally to support those Governments understand their shark fisheries, and develop strong conservation and management measures, can help safe these inherently vulnerable animals.”

Bob Jones, executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association in Tallahassee, Florida, said, “We’d like to thank Congressmen Webster and Lieu for introducing the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, which represents a better way forward for shark conservation. This legislation goes a long way toward combatting the threats facing global shark stocks by promoting the successful model of American shark management.”

There are more than 1,250 species of cartilaginous fish—sharks and their relatives, which include skates and rays. Of these, as many as one-quarter are estimated to be threatened with extinction, and the conservation status of nearly half is poorly known. These fishes play important ecological roles in the marine and freshwater habitats in which they occur, and many species are culturally and economically important. These fishes are particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation—they grow slowly, mature late, and produce few young. Overfishing is the primary threat to sharks and their relatives, which are caught to supply demand for fins, meat, oil, cartilage, and other products.

Across the world, most shark, ray, and skate fisheries are subject to very little management; shark and ray populations are widely overfished and fisheries are often not regulated or monitored so that the impacts of fishing pressure are unknown or unchecked. In the U.S., however, current fisheries law, including the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provides a strong framework for improving shark and ray conservation worldwide, such as requirements for science-based limits on fisheries to prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. For example, a recent analysis of global shark catches identified several U.S. shark fisheries as meeting that study’s criteria for biological sustainability and science-based management – but globally most shark and ray fisheries lack the management needed to guarantee sustainability.

The U.S. is a significant shark fishing and trading country, primarily through exports, and U.S. leadership on sustainable trade standard is important to promoting sustainable shark fisheries globally. This bill, if it becomes law, would continue to give the U.S. a strong position from which to advocate for adoption of similar policies in other countries. As part of its field conservation work, WCS is working with governments, the fisheries sector, and environment agencies to document shark fisheries, investigate the status of shark and ray populations, and develop and implement conservation and management measures for these species.

Based on official statistics, which are widely believed to under-report actual levels, global trade in shark and ray parts and products is approaching $1 billion in value. In 2011, total global trade in shark and ray parts and products was valued at $438.6 million in fins and $379.8 million in meat. These figures do not include domestic use of shark and ray products, which drives much of the global consumption for the 800,000metric tons of sharks and rays that are reported to be landed annually by global fisheries. The value of the shark tourism industry is also estimated to be around $314 million annually. Major shark fishing countries beyond the U.S. include Indonesia, India, Spain, Taiwan ROC, Mexico, and Pakistan. The U.S. also imports shark, skate and ray parts and products from a variety of countries, including New Zealand, Canada, China including Hong Kong, and Mexico.

Market demand for shark – and in some instances ray – fins, meat and other products drives large scale international trade – with fins highly valued in parts of Asia, and meat in Europe, Republic of Korea, Latin America, and the U.S. Some of the most valuable “shark” fins in the global fin market are actually from other cartilaginous fishes, such as sawfishes and guitarfishes – two of the seven most threatened families of sharks and rays and among the most endangered of the world’s marine fishes.

Overfishing through targeted fisheries and incidental catches in fisheries targeting other species such as tunas are by far the biggest threat to sharks and rays worldwide. Although some species are so threatened that they cannot be sustainably fished, others can support sustainable fisheries if subject to adequate management.

WCS works to conserve sharks, rays and skates and their relatives through its Global Marine program, WCS country programs, and participation in the Global Sharks and Rays Initiative (GSRI), a global partnership implementing a ten-year global strategy to conserve the chondrichthyan fishes. WCS’s New York Seascape program is centered at its New York Aquarium, which provides a unique opportunity to build a constituency for shark and ray conservation in the United States. The WCS New York Aquarium is currently constructing a major new exhibit, Ocean Wonders: Sharks! which will connect visitors to the marine life and habitats vital to healthy waterways in and around New York City. The WCS New York Aquarium aims to become the hub for marine conservation on the East Coast and continue to build support for marine conservation both locally and globally.

Learn more about the Wildlife Conservation Society by visiting their site here.

 

At the UN Ocean Conference, Recognizing an Unseen Pollutant: Noise

June 9, 2017 — As we mark World Oceans Day today, it is safe to say that of all the threats facing the world’s oceans in the 21st Century, the most tangible (and visible) of these is pollution. Televised images of oil spills in a once-pristine location have become the very definition of environmental disaster, while firsthand encounters with plastics and debris on a beach or floating offshore serve to remind us that no corner of the earth is completely free of human-produced refuse.

Pollution is also a major topic of discussion at this week’s United Nations Ocean Conference in New York City. The event brings together governmental leaders, conservationists, scientists, and others from all corners of the globe to focus on the ocean, its future, and sustainable development.

The discussions include efforts to conserve the world’s oceans, seas, and marine resources while minimizing threats such as climate change, overfishing, and a frightening array of pollutants ranging from solid waste runoff, hazardous chemicals, wastewater, and plastics that all flow seaward from our cities, farms, and coastal dwellings.

Some UN delegates are also focusing on another kind of pollution, one that is invisible and temporary but devastating to many marine animals: noise. Noise pollution has to be recognized as a threat to whales, dolphins, and other species, and was the focus of a specific workshop at the UN conference that my colleagues and I at Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) organized with a number of partners last February.

Whales, which live in and migrate between marine habitats (some with considerable levels of maritime transport and other industrial activities), are particularly at risk from noise. These underwater blasts can disrupt behaviors and prevent these marine mammals from finding food and communicating with one another.

Read the full story at National Geographic 

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