“Would ending shark meat consumption in Australia contribute to the conservation of white sharks in South Africa?” – Our response

A scientific article has been commissioned, investigating the claims of our campaign.

Aside from the title used by the authors, Shark Free Chips is in agreement with the content of the article in that the shark fisheries in South Africa urgently require better management. Shark fisheries, and in particular the Demersal Shark Longline Fishery in South Africa has been unsustainable for more than a decade, and continues to be unsustainable to this day. This is despite scientific recommendations to effect change since at least 2011. Management within the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has ignored its own scientific recommendations and failed to implement sustainable fishing measures.

Our response to the puiblication

With specific regards to the article “Would ending shark meat consumption in Australia contribute to the conservation of white sharks in South Africa?” we would like to highlight the below.

  1. The South African demersal shark fishery is not sustainable due to gross mismanagement by the South African Government (as an example: for any demersal shark species, TAE is used instead of TAC)
  2. Imports of shark meat from South Africa is not driving the flake industry in Australia (although in recent years it has been the second highest exporter of shark meat to Australia after New Zealand)
  3. Yet, Australian demand for flake is driving the unsustainability of the demersal shark fishery in South Africa
  4. White sharks rely on demersal sharks as per many peer review papers. See various citations below:
    • Cliff et al 1989 – Sharks caught in the protective gill nets off Natal, South Africa. 2. The great white shark Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus)
    • Grainger et al 2020 – Diet Composition and Nutritional Niche Breadth Variability in Juvenile White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias)
    • From Weltz Kock et al 2013 – The Influence of Environmental Variables on the Presence of White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias at Two Popular Cape Town Bathing Beaches: A Generalized Additive Mixed Model
      • “Since white sharks are capable of regulating their internal body temperature and tolerating a wide range of water temperatures, it seems more likely that the result of an increase in sightings in warmer waters is related to the increase in availability of potential prey, rather than a physiological preference for warm water at such a narrow temperature range”.
    • From Kock et al 2013 – Residency, Habitat Use and Sexual Segregation of White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias in False Bay, South Africa :
      • “Previous research has suggested a clear size-based preference for different prey species with white sharks ≤3 m feeding predominantly on teleosts and elasmobranchs, while white sharks >3 m supplement their diet with marine mammals, such as seals (Cliff et al 1989; Hussey et al 2012)”
      • “The diet of white sharks on the inshore areas of False Bay is unknown, but they have been observed feeding on seasonally abundant fish such as white steenbras (Lithognathus lithognathus), yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) and depredating on various elasmobranch species frequently caught by fishermen in False Bay (unpublished data)”.
      • “The shift from the Island in autumn and winter to the Inshore region in spring and summer by females mirrors the seasonal peak in abundance of juvenile seals and of migratory teleost and elasmobranch species respectively”
    • From Kock et al 2018:
      • “Along the inshore regions of False Bay, potential teleost and elasmobranch prey resources are being heavily overfished and white sharks are occasionally caught in three fisheries, namely recreational rock and surf fishing, beach purse-seine fishing and experimental fishing gear (Lambert 2006; unpublished data). Thus, future Marine Spatial Planning could benefit white sharks by conserving important prey resources, habitats and/or mitigating incidental catches”.
      • “Fish and elasmobranch prey species have been confirmed to be more abundant along the inshore areas of False Bay during spring and summer, especially in the northern regions of False Bay when the water is warmer. Strandfontein in particular is a very well-known fishing location for various line-fish species e.g. kob (Argyrosomus spp.) and smooth hound sharks (Mustelus mustelus)”.
      • “We found no effect of shark size on occurrence patterns at inshore sites”.
      • “The probability of detecting a white shark at both Fish Hoek and Muizenberg beaches has been shown to be significantly higher when prey fish are present”
      • “White sharks do not benefit much from the current MPA network in False Bay, as high occurrence sites, such as Strandfontein and Seal Island are not included in the network. Our results suggest that they could benefit in two different ways if these sites were included in the future. Firstly, to conserve important prey resources and secondly, to reduce being caught incidentally by fisheries”.
      • “While the Cape fur seal population in False Bay seems to be stable, the same cannot be said for coastal fish populations and other shark populations in False Bay e.g. soupfin sharks (Galeorhinus galeus). It is possible that loss or changes in distribution of prey could impact the distribution, and spatial and temporal movements of white sharks in False Bay, in addition to inadvertently driving sharks to seek alternative prey sources”.
  5. We agree that ending the flake industry (provided it is sourced sustainably) could create a big issue for Australia
  6. Braccini et al paper does not debunk a myth because:
    • It does not contradict that South Africa’s shark populations are in a bad state, which is the main topic of the Shark Free Chips campaign, AND
    • data used in the Shark Free Chips campaign is unfortunately far from a myth. All information gathered is based on peer reviewed scientific studies and fisheries assessment data.
  7. With regards to the title of the article:
  8. Would ending shark meat consumption in Australia be the best way to contribute to the conservation of white sharks in South Africa? The answer is NO
  9. Does the import from South Africa drive the demand for flake in Australia? The answer is NO, but:
    • Australian’s demand for fish n’chips is impacting shark populations in South Africa including white sharks THUS
    • Would ending shark meat consumption in Australia contribute to the conservation of white sharks in South Africa? The answer is YES

Therefore we agree with Braccini et al that the best way forward is for South Africa to address the unsustainability of its shark fisheries.

Our Goal

The Shark Free Chips campaign was launched with the goal of:

  1. At best, to close the small Demersal Shark Longline fishery that is the primary fishery responsible for the smoothhound shark (gummy shark) collapse and contributes substantially to the collapse of soupfin (school or tope) shark. The fishery is small enough to be integrated into another fishing sector so there would be no job loss. Note that only approximately 50 employees are currently in this fishing sector.
  2. At worst, to pressurize government into implementing Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Slot limits and a full time observer program as have been recommended since 2011. To date none of these conditions are placed on the industry and with the current exponentially worse state that the shark stocks are now in, it is unlikely that even this will have the desired effect.

In order to achieve these goals pressure was placed on the South African Government and awareness raised in Australia.

In South Africa an expert panel has been convened by the South African Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) to review the current NPOA-Sharks. This panel will convene from June to August 2020. This panel was assembled purely due to public and media pressure. The future of South Africa’s shark stocks and the consequences now rest in these panel members hands.

As a result of media and public awareness in Australia the article “Would ending shark meat consumption in Australia contribute to the conservation of white sharks in South Africa?” has now been published and reviewed.

Shark Free Chips does not believe that conscientious Australian Consumers would choose gummy shark imported from the unsustainable fishery in South Africa. According to DEFF 2019 assessments both smoothhound and soupfin sharks are in a state of collapse.

Added to this, fishing vessels from the Demersal Shark Longline fishery have been caught poaching sharks inside MPA’s and target the areas adjacent to these protected areas as their primary fishing areas. They remain unprosecuted and continue to be allowed to fish.

CITES protected species such as smooth hammerhead are caught and killed by the fishery and the fishery fishes in what were historically high density great white shark and hammerhead areas. Research just conducted shows clearly the overlap and high likelihood of overlap with the target and protected species mentioned.

With regards to the assumed link between distribution and density of white and their primary prey, at the very least applying a Precautionary principle should be employed until this can be fully investigated or a thoroughly proven alternative be given.

Since seafood labelling in Australia currently does not allow for origin of catch, the best solution would be for Australia to cease importing shark meat from South Africa.

This would help protect South Africa’s shark stocks and at the same time protect the Australian shark fishermen in a country where the fishery is better regulated and laws are enforced.

If Australia does not stop the import of South African shark meat they would be complicit to the issue as what is happening in South Africa to supply the Australian market has been clearly highlighted.

There has never been a better and more urgent time for shark and fishery scientists as well as conservationists to band together to make changes to stop the unsustainable exploitation of sharks in South Africa.