Local drivers of declining shark fisheries in India

Abstract

This study evaluates local-scale drivers of shark harvests in India, one of the world's largest shark fishing nations. Focusing on key harbours in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, which together contribute 54% of India's shark harvest, this study uses a semi-structured survey to examine the practices of shark fishers and traders, their knowledge of shark trade and policy, and perceptions of shark declines. Findings indicate that a domestic market for shark meat is presently the main local driver for harvests rather than the global trade in shark fins. Sharks are mostly non-target catch, landed whole, contributing to the protein needs of coastal communities. Consumer demand is the greatest for small-bodied and juvenile sharks. Perceived steep declines in shark numbers and sizes have had economic impacts on fishers and traders. The unregulated domestic market for shark meat is a key challenge requiring nuanced local approaches that diverge from global shark conservation priorities.

Catch composition and life history characteristics of sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii) landed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

“…At many sites sampled around the world, smaller size species are predominantly landed, as many of the larger shark species have been overfished [36–39]. On peninsular India, shark stocks have also declined over the past decade with smaller, faster-growing shark species displacing larger, slower-growing species [5, 11, 40 - 43]. A decrease in the diversity of species landed has also been documented in areas with high fishing pressure.…”

“…In the past few decades, India has consistently been one of the top three shark and ray harvesters in the world [5, 6]. Here, sharks and rays are primarily caught as bycatch [7–11] in a large fishing fleet of 238,772 registered commercial and artisanal fishing crafts [12]. However, a few targeted shark fisheries that formed in the 1980’s remain including in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands [13, 14].…”

Mitigation of Elasmobranch Bycatch in Trawlers: A Case Study in Indian Fisheries

“…It has a higher risk of capture in fishing gear due to the unique shape of its head and the aggregating behavior of juveniles in nearshore waters (Gallagher et al, 2014). S. lewini is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; Rigby et al, 2019a), and previous studies have noted an apparent decline of this species in Malvan (Karnad et al, 2019). Giant guitarfish (Glaucostegidae) have relatively high population productivities with moderate recovery potential if fishing mortality is kept low (D'Alberto et al, 2019).…”

“…Though many elasmobranchs landed in India today are caught as bycatch (Kizhakudan et al, 2015), they are seldom discarded as their meat forms a cheap and widely consumed protein source (Dulvy et al, 2017;Jabado et al, 2018). Therefore, domestic elasmobranch meat consumption may be a major driver of their fishing pressure in India (Karnad et al, 2019). Although we use the term bycatch here, we emphasize that these species are retained, and have some commercial and socioeconomic importance.…”

Catch composition and life history characteristics of sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii) landed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

“…In the past few decades, India has consistently been one of the top three shark and ray harvesters in the world, contributing an average of 67,391 metric tonnes of sharks, rays, and chimaeras annually between 2007 and 2017 [ 5 , 6 ]. Here, sharks and rays are primarily caught as bycatch [ 7 – 11 ] in a large fishing fleet of 269,047 registered commercial and artisanal fishing vessels [ 12 ] targeting a range of commercially important pelagic and demersal species. However, a few targeted shark fisheries that formed in the 1980s remain active, including in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands [ 13 , 14 ].…”