Elasmobranchs (Sharks and Rays) Chapter 11

(South Africa), largely attributable to historic problems of shark attack. Additional drivers of research have focussed on charismatic species with tourist value.
Elasmobranchs are targeted or taken as bycatch in a range of SWIO fisheries, including longline, purse seine, pelagic drift net and especially shrimp trawling with high impact on endemic species. Some 188 species have been recorded by 39 nations totalling a catch of >100,000t in 2012. However, FAO records reveal that shark catches in the western Indian Ocean have almost halved from a peak of 180,000t in 1996.
Analysis of records for coastal waters of 11 SWIO countries provides insight into the scale of fisheries and conservation status of elasmobranchs in different regions. Available information on shark behaviour, ecology, local distribution, aggregations, nursery areas and migrations is interrogated. Significant information gaps remain with knowledge on the ecology, biology and fisheries for elasmobranchs highly fragmented; disconcerting in the light of declining catches in the SWIO. Available data is generally inadequate for the assessment and management of stocks. However, new smart tag technology and genetic profiling is expanding the information on elasmobranchs. In addition, some mitigation measures have been implemented to minimise elasmobranch bycatch through the installation of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) in several trawl fisheries. A start has also been made with the FAO-promoted National Plans Of Action for sharks (NPOA), with several countries having produced initial reports to underpin the conservation and management of sharks.