Re: Blue Shark Article in Honolulu Star-Bulletin -- Archive

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Subject: Re: Blue Shark Article in Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Author:
Bad Dog

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Date Posted: 938134736PDT
In reply to: Jim Morris 's message, "Blue Shark Article in Honolulu Star-Bulletin" on 938119353PDT

> Check out what Mr. Cook has to say(while reading such,
> keep in mind that he is a member of the Western
> Pacific Fisheries Management Council which has opposed
> the shark fin trade ban bill and Hawaii). The Western
> Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council is
> mentioned in that "Discover Diving" article that Bob
> Endreson and I had co-written and which can still be
> accessed via the following Web link:
>
> http://www.westpacfisheries.net/genocide1.html
>
>
> Forwarded:
>
> Tuesday 9/21/99 Honolulu Star Bulleting Editorial
> Section.
>
> People are misinformed about blue sharks:
>
> According to catch data, the blue shark is virtually
> the only shark species
> retained in Hawaii for its fins. This species is not
> slow growing, it is not
> overfished, and 98 percent of the time, it is not
> finned alive.
>
> The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management
> Council views blue sharks as
> a fishery and is examining options to ensure its
> sustainability through
> amendments to its pelagic fishery management plan.
>
> The council manages fisheries, including highly
> migratory species, in the
> exclusive economic zone (generally three to 200 miles
> from shore)
> surrounding Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern
> Mariana Islands and
> remote U.S. Pacific islands. On the East Coast,
> migratory species are
> managed by the secretary of commerce, and it is for
> this reason and not due
> to preemption (as stated in your Aug. 19 issue) that
> regional councils there
> do not manage sharks.
>
> The council process for amending its plans includes
> receiving input from
> scientists, the fishing industry and the general
> public. Some of these
> groups have testified that a move to ban shark fins in
> Hawaii could cost the
> state up to $45 million in lost imports,
> transshipment and porting of foreign fishing vessels.
>
> Restaurateurs are worried about the reputation Hawaii
> will have if its 2.5
> million Asian visitors each year can no longer be
> served shark fin soup,
> considered an Asian delicacy.
>
> Entrepreneurs on Maui are interested in utilizing the
> entire blue shark,
> including meat, jaws, sharks, cartilage, liver, etc.
> Supporting research and
> development to develop markets for these products
> could lead to a
> non-regulatory means for getting fishers --throughout
> the world --to land
> blue sharks intact.
>
> On the other hand, since Hawaii contributes only 1
> percent of the shark fins
> on the world market, any landing ban imposed solely on
> Hawaii fishers would
> unfairly penalize them and would not significantly
> address the problem.
>
> Jim Cook
> Chairman
> Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
Frequently, you will find that permitted shark fisheries run into a snag when their is a bycatch of blue sharks. As their is virtually no market for their flesh. The observers begin reporting blue shark kills on the line or in the nets and in discussions with DFG or whomever a concern comes up about the mortality of the blues. So unless the commercials can show a usefullness for the blues, the gov't wherever shuts it down. So there is a major concern for the commercials to show an economic value for the incidental and in some times a significant kill of blue sharks. This all comes out if you attend the meetings. So finning is a fabulous saving grace for the blue sharks. But, if you take it a step further, you will find out that the actual shark fin buyers in Asia aren't really thrilled with blue fins for their fiber, but I bought and sold makos and the fins were separate, kept wet on board in a drum. Our markets accepted the blue's fins, but were not happy about it. They were in the mix. Calif.DFG did not accept the finning of blue sharks as an attributable economic value for that species. I tried to sell blue shark meat everywhere for very low pricing and no takers. Even tried surimi and JAC Creative...too much water. Tried giving it away to prisons. We tried everywhere, even tried freezing, defrosting, and freezing again to dehydrate the meat so we could make fish jerky....no bueno. So to fill you in....
In a shark fishery with blues in the mix...there comes a snag when there is mortality without a market. Could this be applicable? The only marketable feature that I know of on the Blue Shark is his fins, unless someone else has found another source. But, you have to show an economic value. No one wanted their fins before, not enough fiber or the right kind. Dorsals and caudals only.

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Subject	Author	Date
Re: Blue Shark Article in Honolulu Star-Bulletin	Bob	938380290PDT