Sharks, skates and rays, collectively known as Elasmobranchs are caught in fisheries worldwide, including in EU and UK waters. Many species have been depleted rapidly and extensively by fishing pressure and now exist at very low levels compared to their historic maximum. They are also often highly migratory and regularly move across national and international boundaries, which poses an additional challenge for their management.

Compared to other fish species rapidly depleted by overfishing, elasmobranchs are slow to recover due to their specific biological characteristics. They typically grow very slowly, reach sexual maturity late, and have very few young.

The UK is committed to ensuring that all fisheries for elasmobranchs are sustainable and that the most threatened species are adequately protected. The UK will continue to support and push for suitable conservation and management measures (based on scientific advice), at a European and international levels, for better control of the exploitation of sharks, and the trade in shark products.

Shark, Skate and Ray conservation planThe Shark, Skate and Ray conservation plan explains the role of elasmobranchs in the ecosystem, their characteristics, and the pressures facing them. It summarises current management and conservation measures to protect sharks, skates and rays and sets out policy objectives. Defra will aim to meet these policy objectives by pursuing work on all the areas in the fields of action, in line with the timetable.

This Plan will help us to secure our overarching aim of managing elasmobranch stocks sustainably so that depleted stocks recover and that those faring better are fished sustainably

•Read the conservation plan (PDF 210KB)
Shark finning‘Shark finning’ is the practice of removing the fins of a shark from its carcass and disposing of the carcass at sea. This is a wasteful practice, which the UK does not support. To address the issue of shark finning at European level, the EU introduced Council Regulation 1185/2003 which prohibits the removal of shark fins at sea.

However, where justification has been provided, Member States are able to derogate from this by issuing a special fishing permit. The permit allows vessels to process sharks and fins separately on board vessels. The weight of fins kept from the catch must not exceed 5% of the live weight of the shark catch. However, as the fins of some shark species do not typically represent 5% of the live weight of a shark, there is a risk that vessels could land more fins in relation to shark bodies i.e. there is a risk that ‘finning’ could take place unnoticed.

The UK has taken the decision to stop issuing special fishing permits – this means that all UK registered vessels will now have to land sharks with their fins naturally attached, wherever they fish. We did not think that UK fishermen were engaged in shark finning, but wanted to take a strong position and make clear our support for ‘fin- on’ landings.

This sends a strong conservation message to countries where controls are less stringent and will enable the UK to lead the forthcoming review of Regulation 1185/2003 at a European level. We want to see ‘fin-on’ landings become mandatory for all EU member states, and so remove any potential loopholes in the Regulation that could allow finning.

The UK produces annual reports under Regulation 1185/2003.

•See the 2009 report (PDF 180KB)
Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008In 2008 measures were introduced to protect tope, a vulnerable European continental-shelf and coastal shark species. Tope do not mature until they are around 12 years old and then produce a relatively low number of pups compared with other marine species (20 every 2-3 years), making them very vulnerable to fishing pressure.

Following reports of plans for a commercial tope fishing operation, Defra consulted on precautionary conservation measures. The majority of responses supported the prevention of directed fisheries or pointed out that tope were a low value but inevitable by-catch in commercial fisheries for other species.

Defra therefore decided to lay a Statutory Instrument prohibiting fishing for tope other than by rod and line: the Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008 (SI Number 2008/691).

This SI sets a 45kg per day tope by-catch limit in commercial fisheries for other species. Tope landed by commercial vessels must have their head and fins still attached. Rod and line anglers fishing from boats are not allowed to land their catches ashore alive or dead. In this way both commercial and recreational fishermen share responsibility for the conservation of tope.

As a review of the SI was planned for 2010, Defra held an informal consultation with those consultees from the original consultation exercise to seek views on:

•What effects the catch and release and by-catch provisions in the SI have had over the last two years.
•Whether additional measures are required to achieve further conservation benefits for this species.
In summary, the consultation, along with fisheries statistics and enforcement evidence clearly indicate that the Tope Order has, and continues to be effective in its primary aim of protecting this vulnerable species from targeted commercial fisheries that could rapidly lead to overexploitation.

Additionally, responses, along with fisheries data indicate there has been a high level of compliance with the catch and release policy by the recreational angling sector, and the weight per day limit in commercial fisheries. The consultation responses indicated that there are ongoing concerns over the level of tope bycatch in commercial fisheries, although official statistics suggest that, while by-catch is an issue affecting tope, since the introduction of the SI there has been a gradual but steady decrease in the amount of tope landed.

Based on the consultation responses, fisheries statistics, scientific advice and enforcement evidence we don’t believe that there are any other issues seriously affecting the status of the tope stock in UK waters.

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