Pakistan announces first national action plan to conserve sharks

Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Tuesday announced the country’s first national action plan for shark conservation.

The 10-year National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA) will seek to restore declining shark populations, curb illegal finning and bycatch, protect critical marine habitats and promote sustainable fisheries in Pakistani waters through 2035.

The plan is to be implemented in three phases, with an estimated $3.8 million to $5m in funding during its first five years. Chaudhry said the plan would be overseen by a multi-stakeholder National Advisory Committee.

The minister said the plan sought to “strengthen fisheries management and enforcement while improving data collection and scientific research on shark populations”.

Among the proposed measures are mandatory fins-naturally-attached policies, species-specific protections, shark sanctuaries, mangrove restoration and steps to reduce shark deaths as bycatch across fisheries.

The plan also seeks to improve the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities through targeted support, while encouraging sustainable shark fisheries and greater international cooperation, including through Pakistan’s participation in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.

Chaudhry said the implementation would be assessed annually against performance indicators such as landing-site monitoring coverage, completion of stock assessments, use of vessel monitoring systems and reductions in bycatch mortality. Formal reviews would be carried out every three years.

The plan covers all chondrichthyan species found in Pakistani waters, including sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras, with a particular focus on species targeted by fisheries or facing high levels of bycatch mortality.

“Although the primary emphasis is on sharks, the management frameworks, data collection systems and enforcement mechanisms established through the NPOA will also benefit other elasmobranch species,” the minister said.

He said the action plan was tailored to Pakistan’s ecological, institutional and socio-economic conditions while remaining aligned with the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s International Plan of Action for Sharks and other international best practices.

Chaudhry said preparation of the plan met Pakistan’s responsibilities as a shark-fishing nation under international fisheries law.

The FAO’s international shark action plan encourages countries to develop national conservation and management plans, minimise waste and promote sustainable fishing practices, he added.

“Responsible management of marine resources must come first,” Chaudhry said, stressing the need for stronger safeguards for vulnerable shark species and those whose capture is prohibited.

According to a 2021 assessment by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P), shark landings in Pakistan decreased by over 85 per cent in five decades, which is more than the average decline in shark resources across the world. WWF-P had suggested a ban on the catch of endangered shark species and the import and export of shark fins at the time.