Bridging Data Gaps and International Governance Challenges for Sharks and Rays in the Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Impacts from industrialized fisheries in areas beyond national jurisdiction have led to population declines among several shark and ray species. Sustainable fisheries management and the reduction of significant adverse impacts from those fisheries are principles firmly anchored in the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, leading to the creation of several regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and other ocean governance instruments. Several species of sharks and rays traverse the Pacific Ocean, crossing several RFMOs in these shared waters. While many governance instruments exist to reduce impacts from high seas fisheries and regulate the trade of elasmobranchs, these efforts are often not coordinated and leave a patchwork of varying policies that hinder effective conservation and management. To better understand management loopholes, I examined elasmobranch regulations, monitoring programs, and cooperative efforts across the six RFMOs in the Pacific Ocean. This was done by comparatively analyzing RFMOs through their Conventional mandates, conservation and management measures (CMMs), observer program requirements, performance reviews, and cooperative agreements with other intergovernmental bodies. In this thesis, I argue that localized elasmobranch conservation efforts would greatly benefit from improved coordination and alignment of regulations between these RFMOs. Protecting and managing elasmobranchs is a large and complex problem. However, RFMOs must scale their current conservation efforts and bolster their cooperation with other regulatory bodies to prevent overfishing and rebuild much needed elasmobranch populations.