What good news did we receive on 22 May 2020, the International Day for Biodiversity?
Minister Barbara Creecy announced that she has appointed a 9-member panel to review the status of conservation and the degree of management over South Africa’s sharks species. This follows months of public pressure on demersal longline sharkfishing, ranging from local and international newspaper articles, a Carte Blanche Flake&Chips expose, an outcry over illegal fishing in an MPA, and this Save Our Sharks petition.
I thank you all… your commitment was not in vain.
The shark panel will in effect review the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks) that has been in place over the last 7 years. If we are to take a current snapshot of shark conservation in South Africa we have to conclude that this plan has failed dismally. Several shark species in South Africa have never before in our history been so endangered, so overexploited and on such a steep slippery slope towards extinction than exactly now. How can Minister Creecy, the custodian for the protection of our environment and sustainable development, explain this to the International UN committee, IPOA-Sharks?
It is quite a coincident that the news of a shark panel review reached us precisely on International Day of Biological Diversity! Loss of species and the subsequent ecosystem changes are the main environmental and ecological issues that we are facing today. We have to ask ourselves the question: can we afford to lose any of our shark species – the elegant smooth hound shark, the enigmatic hammerhead shark, or lo and behold the epic white shark? No, they need to be protected to ensure an effective ecosystem, for the present and future generations, as enshrined in our constitution. This is exactly why the panel review is so important.
The timing of the appointment of the shark review panel is perfect. During this time of the Covid-19 pandemic we are probed to reflect, to review, to take stock of our lives. This is exactly what we are asking from the panel… to reflect, to review, and to take stock of our shark populations in South Africa. We can no longer afford the luxury of more studies, of counting sharks. We just don’t have time.. unless we want to count them to the point of no return. We now need a creative, far-reaching approach that will fix the problems, provide solution and where governance and accountability are included.
This year we can ’flatten the curve’’ of our shark numbers that are hauled from our ocean. We can work together at all levels to build a better future around our natural shark heritage, both for fishing and ecotourism.
Today we are asking the panel to put drastic actions in place to conserve our shark species, to restore them to an effective population size and if selected to be fished, to do so in a sustainable manner with vigilant enforcement.
It will mean a strong will for protecting South Africa’s biodiversity against political pressure for quick financial gains.
I trust the panel is up for the challenge.
DEFF’s Media Release:
https://www.environment.gov.za/mediarelease/creecy_espertpanelonsharks
Newspaper article in the Herald: