KARACHI: Over 85 percent decline in sharks has been reported in Pakistan, as the species face over-exploitation threats, the WWF-Pakistan said on Friday.

It pointed out that sharks landings in Pakistan in the last 50 years have decreased by 85 percent, which is more than the average global decline, Whereas, rays landings have dropped by 75 percent.

While the global populations of sharks and rays have suffered 71 percent drop since 1970, it added.

Shark and ray populations in most parts of the world are facing a staggering decline, according to new analysis, “Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays.” published in the journal Nature, it said.

The world’s top 20 scientists concluded that overfishing was the main reason for sharks decline.

Some 31 species of sharks and rays were examined, of which 21 were currently facing risks of extinction, as about 100 million sharks are caught each year, the WWF-Pakistan said.

The article mentioned that the number of fishing fleets engaged in shark hunt for meat and fins have tripled over the past 50 years, it cited.

Sharks in Pakistan are caught from the coastal as well as offshore waters using gillnets, trawl nets and longlines. Shark meat is locally utilized whereas shark fins are exported to Hong Kong and China, it pointed out.

Pakistan was once abundant in shark fisheries and it has been reported that shark production substantially increased during the 1990s when dedicated shark fisheries using bottom-set longlines and gillnet were introduced, it said.

Ormara and Jiwani were the main shark fishing centres but since 2004, the targeted shark fisheries have been closed.

Commenting on this decline, Andy Cornish, WWF’s Global shark leader said “Many of the shark species in the Indian Ocean are in danger due to a lack of proper management in fisheries.”

This challenge is further exacerbated by the lack of credible data on the catches of several species of shark including but not limited to highly exploited species.”

The organization is committed to the protection and conservation of sharks and rays and recognizes the urgent need to improve the protection and recovery of these key species.

“WWF together with its partners has been working as part of the shark restoring the balance initiative for better regulation and management of e fisheries that take sharks,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021