Shark Fisheries IOTC CT SA Umair Shahid

4 October 2010 - 2

An overview of shark fishing in Pakistan: Interaction with tuna fisheriesUmair ShahidNIO Tuna Fisheries Officer

WWF - Pakistan

History of tuna fishing in Pakistan

• Tuna fishing is one of Pakistan’s oldest fisheries

• Most of the larger boats were engaged in tuna fishing using gillnets

• Fishermen used to undertake long fishing trips to catch large pelagics in Omani (Marisa) and Somali waters

• Tuna used to be salted dried for export to Sri Lanka

An overview of shark fishing in Pakistan: Interaction with tuna fisheries

Current tuna fishing in Pakistan

• 8 species of Tuna

• Baits include Japanese mackeral, scads, Indian mackeral, squids and artificial baits

• Undesirable fishing practice

• High incidence of bycatch


KR10

KR10 Include a couple mpre points about what happens now compared to the last slide.Kathryn, 9/4/2012

Major species

Coastal tuna• Frigate Tuna• Bullet Tuna• Kawakawa• Longtail Tuna• Stripped Bonitos

Oceanic tuna• Skipjack Tuna• Yellowfin Tuna• Bigeye Tuna


Fishing gear

Gillnet Fishing

Surface/drift gillnet • Mesh size (13-17 cm stretched)• Length• 5-10 km (Coastal)• 7-20 km (High seas)• Breadth 14 m• Net hauler



TUNA LANDINGS IN PAKISTAN

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5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

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T UN A LA N D IN GS (A R EA -WISE)

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5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

SINDH BALOCHISTAN EEZ

Bycatch species

• Juvenile tunas

• Dolphins and whales

• Turtles

• Seabirds

• Sharks, including whale sharks


Shark diversity in Pakistan

ORDERS:

• SQUALIFORMES (Dogfish sharks)• PRISTIOPHORIFORMES (Saw sharks)• HETERODONTIFORMES (Bullhead sharks)• ORECTOLOBIFORMES (Carpet Sharks)• LAMNIFORMES (Mackerel Sharks)• CARCHARHINIFORMES (Ground Sharks)• PRISTIFORMES (Sawfishes)

Species of Elasmobranch = 134 (Sharks: 69 species)


Order Lamniformes

Family Alopiidae (Thresher Sharks)Family Laminidae (Mackerel Sharks, Makos)One of the important tuna bycatch groups


Mako shark

Order Carcharhiniformes

Family Scyliorhinidae (Cat Sharks)Family Triakidae (Houndsharks)Family Hemigaleidae (Weasel sharks)Family Hemigaleidae (Weasel sharks)Family Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead sharks)


Milk shark

Shark overview

Sharks are caught as part of bycatch in tuna gillnet operations

A number of species inhabit pelagic ecosystem

It is estimated that 55% of the total shark landings originate from tuna gillnet boats

All sharks arrive at the harbour with their fins attached


Shark overview

Catch of sharks is seasonal

Shark handline, longline fishing gillnet –bottom set fishing

The dominant landings of sharks include Blacktip sharks, Silvertip, Whitetip and Mako sharks

Nothing goes to waste



Shark landings at KFH (2001)


Shark landings at KFH (2011)


Shark chunks for local market


Shark landings at GWADER


Shark transportation at GWADER


Shark at curing yard in GWADER


Shark fishing grounds


LANDINGS OF ELASMOBRANCHS

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m. t

ons Sharks

GuitarfishesRays


Removal of apex predatorsLANDINGS OF ELASMOBRANCHS AND INDIAN MACKEREL

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M. t

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Indian Mackerel Elasmobranch

Fisheries legislation

The exclusive fishery zone (regulation of fishing) act, 1975

Sindh fisheries ordinance, 1980

Baluchistan sea fisheries ordinance, 1971• No protection for species specific sharks, however WWF is

encouraging the government to their improve shark conservation and management.


Thank youwww.wwf.org

Shark Fisheries IOTC CT SA Umair Shahid

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