Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary

PICI is advocating for the Cook Islands government to establish the Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary in 2011.

The Cooks Islands EEZ spans 1.97 million square kilometres of South Pacific Ocean. Currently in the World, 4.7 million square kilometres are sanctuaries for Sharks because of declarations by the following nations: Palau, the Maldives, Honduras, Tokelau, the Bahamas and most recently, the Marshall Islands. Establishing a Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary would substantially increase current protected areas.

Sharks hold a special place of reverence in many Cook Islands legends, including the placement of Ina and the shark on the Cook Islands $3 note.

While there has never been a published study on sharks in the Cook Islands, the Ministry of Marine Resources long-line observer program has noted 18 species of sharks present in the Cook Islands EEZ. Of the 18 species, 15 are listed as threatened or endangered on the IUCN red list (bold in the table below).

Sharks Present in Cook Islands Waters* Tiger Shark Lemon Shark Blue Shark Whitetip Reef Shark Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Pelagic Thresher Shark Shortfin Mako Shark Bluntnose Sixgill Shark Prickly Shark Cookiecutter Shark Nurse Shark Whale Shark Silvertip Shark Grey Reef Shark Silky Shark Galapagos Shark Oceanic Whitetip Shark Blacktip Reef Shark * as reported to Cook Islands National Biodiversity Database

Shark populations are declining at unsustainable rates. Sharks grow slowly, mature late and produce few offspring, making them especially vulnerable to overfishing and slow to recover from decline.

Most recent published data (Clarke, et al. 2003) on the number of sharks killed for Asian fin trade were from a study conducted between October 1999-March 2001 in Hong Kong. They estimated that 38 million sharks (that number could range from as low as 26 million to as high as 73 million) lost their fins per year to the Hong Kong trade. It is important to note that 38 million pertains only to sharks whose fins were traded through the Hong Kong market.

The scientific community lacks data necessary to determine if certain species can be fished at sustainable rates.

In the Cook Islands, there are no regulations in place against keeping any shark caught as by-catch in nets or on longliners. While no commercial shark fishing permits exist in the Cook Islands, there are commercial fishing (tuna or other) licenses for vessels from Fiji, Vanuatu, China and Taiwan- nations known for shark fishing and shark finning. At present, the Cook Islands government lacks the resources to place observers on every boat and without regulations or punitive measures, there remains no impetus for any nation to release any shark caught as by-catch. In addition, legislation protecting sharks and making the possession of shark material illegal would have the effect of supporting current fisheries laws and give enforcement agencies a broader scope, as they battle the huge burden of illegal fishing in the Cook Islands waters.

The establishment of a Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary would, at a minimum:

Please support our efforts to convince the government that a Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary is both necessary and essential to the survival of these vulnerable creatures.

For more information on how you can help, contact Programme Manager Jess Cramp: jess@picionline.org
Check us out on facebook: www.facebook.com/picionline

PICI is 100% volunteer. If you are able, please donate to the cause.

Kids at a fundraising and awareness event making shark fins and showing their support for shark conservation

Where you can learn more about other shark conservation efforts:

http://www.sharksanctuary.com/
http://www.pewenvironment.org/campaigns/global-shark-conservation/
http://www.wildaid.org/sharks
http://saveourseas.com/
http://www.sharkdefenders.com/
http://www.bite-back.com/
http://www.sharks.org/
http://www.sharktrust.org/
http://www.saveoursharks.com.au/
http://www.sharkalliance.org/

Links to media on Shark Sanctuaries and Ban of Shark Fins:

Palau Creates World’s First Shark Sanctuary
Tokelau Declares Shark Sanctuary
Maldives Ban Fishing of Sharks
Shark Fishing Banned in the Bahamas
Honduras Creates a Shark Sanctuary

Marshall Islands Declares World’s Largest Shark Sanctuary
Northern Mariana Islands Passes Shark Fin Ban Legislation
Mexico Will Ban Shark Fishing as Global Movement Grows
California Shark Fin Ban Signed into Law
Oregon Joins Fight Against Shark Finning
Toronto Bans Shark Fin
Washington State Passes Shark Fin Ban
Shark Finning Banned in Guam