Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Peruvian waters exhibit high conservation value for sharks. This contrasts with a lag in initiatives for their management and a lack of studies about their biology, ecology and fishery. We investigated the dynamics of Peruvian shark fishery and its legal framework identifying information gaps for re...

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Main Authors: Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana, Carlos Kouri J., Ximena Velez-Zuazo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: F1000 Research Ltd 2016-04-01
Series:F1000Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://f1000research.com/articles/3-164/v2
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author Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana
Carlos Kouri J.
Ximena Velez-Zuazo
author_facet Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana
Carlos Kouri J.
Ximena Velez-Zuazo
author_sort Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana
collection DOAJ
description Peruvian waters exhibit high conservation value for sharks. This contrasts with a lag in initiatives for their management and a lack of studies about their biology, ecology and fishery. We investigated the dynamics of Peruvian shark fishery and its legal framework identifying information gaps for recommending actions to improve management. Further, we investigated the importance of the Peruvian shark fishery from a regional perspective. From 1950 to 2010, 372,015 tons of sharks were landed in Peru. From 1950 to 1969, we detected a significant increase in landings; but from 2000 to 2011 there was a significant decrease in landings, estimated at 3.5% per year. Six species represented 94% of landings: blue shark (Prionace glauca), shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena), common thresher (Alopias vulpinus), smooth-hound (Mustelus whitneyi) and angel shark (Squatina californica). Of these, the angel shark exhibits a strong and significant decrease in landings: 18.9% per year from 2000 to 2010. Peru reports the highest accumulated historical landings in the Pacific Ocean; but its contribution to annual landings has decreased since 1968. Still, Peru is among the top 12 countries exporting shark fins to the Hong Kong market. Although the government collects total weight by species, the number of specimens landed as well as population parameters (e.g. sex, size and weight) are not reported. Further, for some genera, species-level identification is deficient and so overestimates the biomass landed by species and underestimates the species diversity. Recently, regional efforts to regulate shark fishery have been implemented to support the conservation of sharks but in Peru work remains to be done.
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spelling doaj.art-fa55b1c95f4345388798117288b948492022-12-22T02:39:58ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022016-04-01310.12688/f1000research.4412.28877Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana0Carlos Kouri J.1Ximena Velez-Zuazo2Departamento de Biología Marina y Econegocios, Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Lima, PeruecOceánica, Lima, PeruDepartment of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto RicoPeruvian waters exhibit high conservation value for sharks. This contrasts with a lag in initiatives for their management and a lack of studies about their biology, ecology and fishery. We investigated the dynamics of Peruvian shark fishery and its legal framework identifying information gaps for recommending actions to improve management. Further, we investigated the importance of the Peruvian shark fishery from a regional perspective. From 1950 to 2010, 372,015 tons of sharks were landed in Peru. From 1950 to 1969, we detected a significant increase in landings; but from 2000 to 2011 there was a significant decrease in landings, estimated at 3.5% per year. Six species represented 94% of landings: blue shark (Prionace glauca), shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena), common thresher (Alopias vulpinus), smooth-hound (Mustelus whitneyi) and angel shark (Squatina californica). Of these, the angel shark exhibits a strong and significant decrease in landings: 18.9% per year from 2000 to 2010. Peru reports the highest accumulated historical landings in the Pacific Ocean; but its contribution to annual landings has decreased since 1968. Still, Peru is among the top 12 countries exporting shark fins to the Hong Kong market. Although the government collects total weight by species, the number of specimens landed as well as population parameters (e.g. sex, size and weight) are not reported. Further, for some genera, species-level identification is deficient and so overestimates the biomass landed by species and underestimates the species diversity. Recently, regional efforts to regulate shark fishery have been implemented to support the conservation of sharks but in Peru work remains to be done.http://f1000research.com/articles/3-164/v2Conservation & Restoration EcologyMarine & Freshwater Ecology
spellingShingle Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana
Carlos Kouri J.
Ximena Velez-Zuazo
Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
F1000Research
Conservation & Restoration Ecology
Marine & Freshwater Ecology
title Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_full Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_fullStr Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_full_unstemmed Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_short Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_sort shark fisheries in the southeast pacific a 61 year analysis from peru version 2 referees 1 approved 2 approved with reservations
topic Conservation & Restoration Ecology
Marine & Freshwater Ecology
url http://f1000research.com/articles/3-164/v2
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