Agenda Item 6.A—Regulatory Amendment to Address Impact on Oceanic Whitetip Shark Stocks by Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific

Earthjustice, on behalf of the Conservation Council for Hawai'i and Moana Ohana, advocates for the adoption of 'Alternative 3' in a regulatory amendment to mandate monofilament leaders and the removal of trailing gear for oceanic whitetip sharks. The document argues that monofilament leaders alone are insufficient and should be combined with the elimination of shallow hooks, the use of corrodible circle hooks, and mandatory crew training to maximize survival rates. It further recommends that the U.S. leverage these domestic measures to advocate for similar international requirements through Regional Fishery Management Organizations, including increased observer coverage and a ban on shark lines.

• The oceanic whitetip shark population in the Pacific has declined by as much as 95%, and its current biomass is approximately one-tenth of the minimum stock size threshold.
• U.S. fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) cause the incidental catch of more than 2,000 oceanic whitetip sharks annually, with a mortality rate double what is considered sustainable.
• The authors support 'Alternative 3' of the draft regulatory amendment, which would prohibit wire leaders in all pelagic longline fisheries and require the removal of trailing gear from oceanic whitetip sharks.
• Analysis by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center indicates that combining monofilament leaders with the elimination of shallow hooks nearly doubles the reduction in by-catch and post-release mortality compared to using monofilament leaders alone.
• The document recommends implementing a circle hook requirement for the American Samoa longline fishery and a non-stainless (corrodible) hook requirement for all U.S. Pacific longline fisheries to reduce post-release mortality.
• To achieve global conservation gains, the authors urge the U.S. to advocate for international measures including a 20% observer coverage requirement for longline fisheries, a complete ban on shark lines at the WCPFC, and the creation of an international rebuilding plan.

APA

Earthjustice (2021). Agenda Item 6.A—Regulatory Amendment to Address Impact on Oceanic Whitetip Shark Stocks by Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_comment_letter_to_wespac_6_18_21.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Agenda Item 6.A—Regulatory Amendment to Address Impact on Oceanic Whitetip Shark Stocks by Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific. 2021. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_comment_letter_to_wespac_6_18_21.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Agenda Item 6.A—Regulatory Amendment to Address Impact on Oceanic Whitetip Shark Stocks by Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific |date=18 June 2021 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_comment_letter_to_wespac_6_18_21.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2021agenda, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Agenda Item 6.A—Regulatory Amendment to Address Impact on Oceanic Whitetip Shark Stocks by Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_comment_letter_to_wespac_6_18_21.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }