Baby sharks – an unfair target A combination of overfishing and climate change is driving the demise of sharks, but their ‘K-selected’ reproductive strategy compounds the problem. Most shark species are characterised as having low productivity associated with low fecundity, a slow growth rate and a late-age sexual maturation. This makes them particularly susceptible to fishing pressure and gives them very limited capacity to recover from depletions. Shortfin makos are ovoviviparous. They have a gestation period of 15-18 months, a spawning cycle every three years and a litter of 4-16 pups. Blue sharks are viviparous with a gestation period of 9-12 months, a litter of 4-135 pups (usually 15-30) and breed annually or on alternate years. In May 2022, a Greenpeace investigation documented the landings of this so-called swordfish fishery at two ports – Horta (Azores, Portugal) and Vigo (Galicia, Spain) – where we verified the capture of immature and juvenile blue sharks.
Galicia, Spain, May 2022. One of the fresh shark landings investigated by Greenpeace in Vigo. These sharks are estimated to be between 50-70 centimetres, making them juvenile. An adult male blue shark is 180cm and an adult female is 200-220cm. © Greenpeace.
Canada
Spain Portugal
Morocco
Western Sahara
Ospar Marine Protected Area Blue shark juveniles (30-125cm) potential habitat, April-August 2018
Spanish vessels tracks 2020-2022 Portuguese vessels tracks 2020-2022
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
FIGURE 3: Mapping of the potential feeding habitat of blue shark juveniles (under 135 cm total length) using satellite
observation data (source: JRC- Joint Research Center of the European Commission). The juveniles distribution is mapped together with the fishing footprint of the European longliners and MPAs declared by OSPAR.
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HOOKED ON SHARKS: THE EU FISHING FLEETS FUELLING THE GLOBAL SHARK TRADE
