Animal Welfare Groups Urge Government to Consider Phased Ban on Hammerhead Shark Fishing Due to Overfishing

According to a report by Central News Agency, the Taiwan Animal Society Research Institute marked today as 'Shark Awareness Day' and expressed concern over the overfishing of hammerhead sharks in the Northwest Pacific region where Taiwan is located, urging the government to consider a phased fishing ban and establish a monitoring mechanism.

The research institute emphasized that Shark Awareness Day is a global reminder to prioritize shark conservation, and for Taiwan, a major maritime fishing nation, it is an urgent moment to take immediate action to protect rare shark species.

Sharks are apex predators in the marine food chain and play an irreplaceable role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. Taiwan's coastal and offshore fisheries have long captured large quantities of species such as the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) and the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). The catch volume of scalloped hammerheads is particularly alarming—exceeding 400 metric tons in 2023 alone, and reaching a total of 1,240 metric tons from 2019 to 2023. The great hammerhead has also seen nearly 400 metric tons of catch.

The institute noted that all species within the hammerhead shark family are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), subjecting their trade to strict regulation. The scalloped hammerhead is further classified as 'Critically Endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In the Northwest Pacific, scalloped hammerheads are under intense pressure from overfishing. The number of mature individuals available for reproduction is insufficient, with large numbers of juveniles being caught before reaching maturity, leading to a decline in breeding populations. If this continues, extinction will accelerate. Therefore, hammerhead sharks should not be treated as a long-term, routine, high-intensity economic resource. The institute calls on the Fisheries Agency to immediately consider a complete fishing ban.

Before a full ban is implemented, the institute recommends immediate phased management measures: setting a size limit to prohibit catching hammerhead sharks under 200 cm in length; establishing seasonal gillnet fishing bans within three nautical miles of Taiwan's west coast during spring, summer, and autumn to protect breeding periods; mandating a landing declaration system for hammerhead sharks; and implementing a total allowable catch (TAC) system modeled after the whale shark program, with annual reductions leading to a full ban.

The institute also urges the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) under the Ocean Affairs Council to establish a long-term monitoring system for large shark populations in Taiwan's coastal and offshore waters. It calls for sustained scientific research on hammerhead sharks to better understand the population status of scalloped and great hammerheads, and to consider listing highly threatened species under Taiwan's list of protected marine wildlife based on IUCN Red List assessments. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang)