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Congolese artisanal fishermen are turning to shark fishing due to the increased shortage of populations, which are overfished through commercial fishing.
With a sea coast only 169 km long, an active fleet of more than 110 commercial vessels and almost 700 craft vessels exceeds the shipping capacity of the national exclusive economic zone (EEZ) estimated at 30 commercial vessels.
“In addition to overexploitation, artisanal fishermen, Chinese commercial trawlers will be their biggest threat as they operate illegally in artisanal fishing spaces and also destroy their tackles,” said a new report, published through Traffic (Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network) this week, titled: “Rapid assessment of the artisanal trade in sharks in the Republic of Congo. “
The huge amount of oil rigs is also a major limitation for small-scale fishing, which cuts artisanal fishing by two-thirds and pollutes coastal waters.
The report notes that the Republic of Congo was the fourth largest hammerhead shark hunter in the world between 2000 and 2017 and has a thriving artisanal fishing sector, caught at least 15 species of sharks and rays indexed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wildlife Species (cited).
Illegal fishing through commercial trawlers in spaces reserved for artisanal fishing “creates a conflicting and bad relationship” between the two fisheries.
“Illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing (INNs) and sub-declared catches, combined with the increasing pressures of a higher commercial fleet and sustained shark capture, adding juveniles, are of concern. “
The combination of these points in a context of insufficient monitoring of species fish and insufficient enforcement capacity through government requires careful control of shark populations in Congo, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Cites have classified as threatened through overexploitation and trade Said.
At BlackPointe, artisanal shark fishing and related industry is a vital economic activity that takes place primarily through settled communities in West Africa, fueled by the call for shark fins in East and Southeast Asia “through a local oligopsony of fin industries and a network of intermediaries.
It is commonly accepted at the Pointe-Noire artisan fish market that all fins are exported to China, their maximum is likely to go to Hong Kong, which recorded total imports of 131594 kg of Congo shark fins between 2005 and 2019.
However, the Cites Trade Database does not include any industry registrations on Congo’s shark or strip products. And none of these species is included in the corresponding elegance of which is regulated by national law. This suggests that the fins of the species mentioned are likely to be exported without the required Cites permits ».
The dynamics of shark fishing are improved through festivals for other fish stocks through a giant fleet of commercial trawlers, making shark fishing a convenient option for Small-scale Congolese fishermen who historically catch small amounts of sharks and rays for their livelihood, according to the report.
The importance of sharks in the conservation of marine ecosystems and as an animal protein to Congolese communities is undeniable.
“Processed shark meat is a source of fish of choice for the country, which has one of the highest fish intake rates in line with fish consumption among sub-Saharan African countries. “
Of the 1868701 kg of sharks caught in 2017, 95% (1766,589 kg) came here from artisanal fishing, or 32% of total artisanal fish catches. for eliminating any incentive to waste shark fins on board.
The report mainly notes how shark populations are likely to be overexploited in permanent open seas, demand-based quotas and ININ fishing.
“This is compounded by a lack of sufficient clinical and ancient knowledge about shark populations, population viability and trends in shark fishing and trade. There is also no species control plan or formula to assess the effect of Pointe-Noire’s Pesqueria on the viability of shark species and the area.
The artisanal fishing net limits the number of fishing expeditions organized into vessels authorised to fish for other months of the year.
“Sharks have an essential source of livelihood and a source of income for other local people whose livelihoods and well-being are in excessive threat if shark populations collapse,” said the report’s author, Constant Momballa.
Excess capacity and illegal fishing threaten the very survival of sharks such as hammerhead shark, with juveniles landed at Pointe-Noire, while globally, the IUCN Red List believes they are critically endangered, in an excessive threat of extinction, he said.
Saturday star
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