The Facts - Shark Free Chips

Australia has limits on fishing, designed to protect the long term sustainability of its ocean ecosystem. In South Africa, The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) , who are responsible for managing the country’s fish stocks and thus the Demersal Shark Longline (DSL) fishery have imposed no such limits, ignoring facts and guidance from both scientists and fishermen alike. This is why we need people in both countries to start demanding Shark Free Chips.

South African sharks are in Australian fish and chips

South African Smoothhound shark is being exported to Australia where it is used in Fish and Chips. It is often called “Flake” or “Gummy Shark”.

The DSL is impacting shark populations in SA

In 2005 the DSL was already catching up to 5 times the amount of Smoothhound sharks as all other fisheries combined.

Sharks are disappearing from South Africa’s oceans

Local populations of the two targeted shark species, Smoothhound and Soupfin, are in collapse.

The SA government is ignoring facts, scientists and fishermen

In 2018 DEFF’s own review of the shark action plan identified “inadequate regulatory reference to sharks” as one of its main failings.

Sharks are being killed faster than they breed

The simple fact is that the Demersal Shark Longline fishery is killing sharks well before they start to reproduce.

DSL Vessels are targeting Marine Protected areas

For several years the public's reports of the DSL's vessels fishing in Marine Protected Areas went unheeded.

Shark meat isn’t healthy nor are the animals ethically killed

Ethics, health and hygiene officials clearly are not aware or turn a blind eye as to how these sharks are caught, killed and stored before ending up in Fish and Chips in Australia.

Current laws do not protect sharks

Before the DSL fishery even began operations there was NEVER any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) done to see what the effects of the industrial scale removal of predators would have on our marine ecosystem.

DSL Vessels are catching Cites-protected species and are fishing illegally in MPAs

The DSL fishery indiscriminately targets areas that are known to be nursery areas for protected species such as Smooth Hammerheads.

Oceans stay healthy with strong shark populations

The importance of predators both in a terrestrial and marine environment has been comprehensively and exhaustively established.

The DSL can be Integrated into other fisheries

Its vessels and fishermen can be integrated into other far larger, far less damaging, better researched and assessed fisheries with regards to their environmental damage.

Other options are more sustainable

There are guides and apps available to help you make an informed decision about your shopping choices.

The world is starting to take notice

While this issue is primarily effecting South Africa's oceans, the implications are global and more people are starting to notice.