Nine governments across Micronesia convened from April 6-7,
2016 at a workshop in Palikir, Federated States of Micronesia to discuss how to
work collaboratively to ensure effective enforcement of the Micronesia Regional
Shark Sanctuary and discuss the larger fisheries management challenges,
including Illegal unreported and unregulated vessels.
The Pacific island jurisdictions of Palau, Marshall Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia and its four States of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei,
and Yap, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S.
Territory of Guam attended the workshop hosted by the Government of the
Federated States of Micronesia, with support from the Micronesia Conservation
Trust and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary was completed in
2015, an area that spans 6.5 million square kilometers and prohibits the
commercial fishing for sharks, retention of sharks caught as bycatch, and
trade, possession, and sale of shark products.
Enforcement of the Regional Shark Sanctuary is key to
ensuring meaningful protections for these species.
“It is
critical we take the words in the shark protection measures and put them into
action on a regional level if we wish to protect these species,” Vice President
Yosiwo George stated during his opening remarks. “This workshop is a momentous
step to doing just that and illustrates the Pacific’s understanding of the
importance of this Regional Sanctuary to its marine ecosystem and the lives of
those relying on these resources.”
Palau’s
Vice President Antonio Bells added: “Sharks are worth more alive than dead,
especially in Palau’s waters, with one reef shark contributing US $1.9 million
over its lifetime compared to a one-time value of $108 if sold at the market.”
In the
closing of his keynote address, Tony De Brum, Ambassador of Climate Change for
the Republic of the Marshall Islands stated, “If the jurisdictions of the
Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary are able to harmonize their enforcement
efforts and make these shark protections a reality, it will go down in history
as a major achievement not just for the Pacific region, but on a global scale.”
The regional
workshop builds on a series of enforcement workshops that began in 2012 held
across the region to train officials on best practices to implement the shark
sanctuary laws. These workshops laid the groundwork for this regional workshop
as each jurisdiction now has an understanding of the successes and challenges
to enforcing their respective sanctuaries.
“The
Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary is the first in the world and is a
significant accomplishment in and of itself, but it also acts as a framework
for each jurisdiction moving forward to enforce its regulations,” explained
Willy Kostka, Executive Director of the Micronesia Conservation Trust, one of
the organizations instrumental in the development of the FSM shark sanctuary.
The workshop included facilitated
discussions on maximizing
the effectiveness of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) efforts across
the sanctuary and presentations from both government officials and experts in
the field. Peter Graham, representing the Pacific Islands Fisheries Forum
Agency presented on the multiple tools available to enhance communication and
collaboration between governments to enforce fisheries management measures,
including shark protections, which will assist these jurisdictions in working
together to make regional enforcement a reality.
At least 100 million sharks are killed per year in
commercial fisheries due to the unsustainable demand for their fins, and nearly
30 percent of all known shark species assessed by scientists are threatened
with extinction.
“Given the importance of sharks to the Pacific ecologically,
economically, and culturally, the ability for these governments to work
together to develop solutions to enforce the shark sanctuary on a regional
scale is a significant step toward ensuring these species survival,” said Jen
Sawada, Officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
