Safe Release Guidelines for Sharks and Rays

At its December 2017 meeting in Manila, Philippines, WCPFC14 agreed to task SC14 to:
“develop proposed guidelines for safe release of rays and sharks and taking into account existing standards or guidelines adopted on other fora. The Commission agreed that priority should be given to the development of guidelines for safe release of silky shark and oceanic whitetip sharks.” (WCPFC14 Summary Report at para. 331)
This topic was discussed at the Workshop on WCPFC Bycatch Mitigation Problem-Solving2, where it was suggested that new guidelines should be based on the recently adopted “Best Handling Practices for the Safe Release of Mantas and Mobulids” (Annex A)3. The following guidance was also provided:
o “Use the existing manta and mobulid guidelines as the starting text;
o Add graphics/drawings for the do’s and don’ts contained in the existing guideline;
o Consider constructing the format to facilitate conversion to a poster format;
o Modify language as necessary to suit sharks (e.g. weight limits may need to be adjusted for sharks, special language may be needed for thresher sharks); and
o Ensure there is appropriate language regarding the maintenance of crew safety”.