30 Years of shark fishing in west africa 30 years of shark fishing in West Africa

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Mika Diop
Justine Dossa
Mika Diop
Justine Dossa
30 Years
of shark fishing
in west africa
30 years of shark fishing
in West Africa
The price of shark fins on the Asian and European markets, along with the
gradual increase in value of certain processed products (salt-dried and smoked
meat) on the sub-regional market, led to an excessive surge in demand for
Shark meat. This dynamic of virtually uncontrolled exploitation put the
Shark fishing industry in a situation of gradual exhaustion of stocks, exposing
numerous species to the threat of extinction.
The gaol of the “SRPOA-Sharks” project, initiated by the SRFC, is to contribute
to creating appropriate conditions for the exploitation and wise-use of Sharks
that respect the need to maintain the balance between the species living in
the marine ecosystems of West Africa. Major steps have been taken during
the first four years of implementation, but there is still a long way to go. Real
commitment and appropriation of the issues by all the stakeholders concerned
are indispensable for sustaining these achievements, and thus ensuring the
conservation and rational management of Shark populations in the subregion.
The Sub-Regional Fishing Commission (SRFC) is an intergovernmental organisation
created 29 March 1985 by means of a convention. The Commission groups together
seven States (Cape-Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and
Sierra Leone), which have committed to the setting up of appropriate instruments for the
conservation and sustainable management of their halieutic resources. The Commission’s
headquarters are in the Republic of Senegal.
The SRFC is responsible for the coordination and harmonisation of fishing policies at
West African subregional level. By means of its Strategic Action Plan, the SRFC provides
its partners with a coherent framework for designing and implementing projects and
development programmes in the fishing sector.
The Permanent Secretariat is the executive organ of the SRFC, charged with implementing
the decisions taken by the Conference of Ministers. It is directed by a Permanent Secretary,
under the direct authority of the President of the Conference of Ministers. The Coordination
Committee is the technical and consultative organ of the SRFC, charged with monitoring
the execution of the various decisions taken by the Conference of Ministers.
The Conference of Ministers, for its part, is the supreme decision-making body of the
SRFC. It is made up of the ministers responsible for fishing in the various Member States.
The main objectives assigned to the Commission are as follows:
– to harmonise policies concerning the management, exploitation and conservation of
halieutic resources in the subregion;
– to develop the capacity of countries to undertake research in the fishing sector at
subregional level;
– to develop subregional cooperation concerning the surveillance of fishing;
– to encourage the creation of joint ventures and the signing of fishing agreements between
the countries of the subregion;
– to adopt common strategies in international bodies.
“To help my husband with the upkeep of the house and the education of
our children, I very quickly dedicated my energies to the fish processing
business.
In my desire to earn lots of money, I got involved in the drying and selling
of Shark products. It has to be said that the demand for shark meat was very
high. In parallel, I also had a sardine smoking activity. But that was really
secondary until the day the exploitation of Shark products was forbidden.
The situation became very difficult because there was a big difference to
make up for. I no longer had the choice, so I devoted myself more to sardine
smoking.
I have to say that at first the situation was not easy. I had to rent an oven
for 3000 CFA francs a day to be able to smoke my products. Now that the
project has provided us with ovens, I only have to rent one when those
ovens are being used by other members of our group, and I have noticed a
significant reduction in the costs required to smoke my products, as well as
an improvement in their quality. My customers are pleased.”
Mrs Gnima Sarr,
Fish processor
based in Joal (Senegal)
A joint initiative by the
30 years of shark fishing in West Africa
Technical series n°3

30 years of shark fishing
in West Africa
Development of fisheries, catch trends,
and their conservation status in Sub-Regional
Fishing Commission member countries
Mika Diop
Justine Dossa

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The Sub-Regional Fisher ies Commission
(SRFC) has included among its priorities the
promotion and development of cooperation
among its Member States for the preservation,
conservation and sustainable exploitation of
fisheries resources. To achieve its fundamen-
tal objectives, the SRFC focuses on concrete
actions on the ground, the capacity of govern-
ments and civil society. It contributes to the
debate on the future of fisheries for the benefit
of present and future populations of the sub-
region. Fishing in the SRFC area is character-
ized by overexploitation of stocks. The case of
the Sharks characterized by slow growth, lon-
gevity and late reproduction, is instructive.
Landings are plummeting because of the strong
pressure on these species. This is reinforced by
strong demand for fins on the world market.
Hence the introduction of a Sub-Regional Plan
Of Action for the Conservation and Man-
agement of Sharks (SRPOA-Sharks). Imple-
mented by the SRFC with the financial and
technical support of FIBA, the plan was broken
down into national action plans implemented
in the Member States. Thus, management
plans have been initiated, a study was con-
ducted on alternative conversion specialized
actors in the chain and concrete actions Sharks
conversion determined in each country. The
SRPOA-Sharks project has been instrumen-
tal in achieving the objectives of the Plan of
Action Strategy 2002-2010 for the SRFC. The
recorded results are eloquent enough to mag-
nify the approach whose principles have been
conducive to the implementation of political
thought and consistent. It is now up to Mem-
ber States of the SRFC to answer relevant and
coordinated to sustain the gains.
KANE Ciré Amadou
Permanent Secretary of the SRFC
Preface

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Context ....................................................... 8
Part One. The SRPOA-Sharks project-inception,
achievements and impacts… ................................... 12
Fisheries in the SRFC zone: a vital sector ....................... 13
Context and justification of the SRPOA Sharks Process .......... 17
Origins of the SRPOA-Sharks Process .......................... 19
Support project for the implementation
of the SRPOA-Sharks Process ................................. 19
Project achievement and impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Part Two. Synthesis and preliminary analysis of the studies
carried out in the framework of the SRPOA-Sharks project ....... 34
Development of Shark fisheries in the sub-region................ 35
Migratory movements and social transformations ............... 48
Fishing zones and trends in catches in the sub-region............ 51
Part Three. Status of Sharks in the SRFC zone
and initial conclusions ......................................... 62
Conservation status of Sharks in West Africa ................... 63
Signs of the overexploitation of resources in the SRFC zone . . . . . . 66
Conclusion and prospects .................................... 71
Bibliographical references ...................................... 78
Abbreviation and Acronym ..................................... 82
Glossary ...................................................... 84
Appendices.................................................... 86
Acknowledgments ............................................. 92
Table of contents

Context
The cla ss chondrichth yes (sharks, rays
and chimaeras) includes some of the
most charismatic species found in our
oceans. However, this is not enough to save
these remarkable fish from the widespread,
intensive and short-sighted fishing prac-
tices implemented to satisfy the demand for
shark fins by the Asian food market. Of the
more than 1,100 currently known Chon-
drichthyes species, more than a quarter are
threatened, mainly due to overfishing, but
also because of coastal development, habi-
tat loss and pollution. Currently, only one
quarter of the species are considered to be
“in good health” according to the IUCN
Red List (IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. www.
iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 08 March
2011.).
Sharks1 represent a significant marine
resource for many cultures and communi-
ties throughout the world. Unfortunately, a
great number of ray and shark species are
intensively fished globally. Many authorities
1. In this report, the term ‘Sharks’ is used in sensu lato
and refers to all the species in the class Chondrich-
thyes (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras). This termi-
nology corresponds to that used by the International
Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management
of Sharks, IPOA-Sharks, adopted by the FAO Commit-
tee on Fisher ies in Febr uary 1999. In this document,
we use Shark(s) with a capital ‘S’ to refer to all Chon-
drichthyes species, and sharks with a small ‘s’ to refer
to sharks themselves.

or salted and dried meat of the selachians
(or Elasmobranches, a large subclass of car-
tilaginous fishes including the sharks, rays,
dogfish, and skates) caught in this area
(essentially sharks) was for the local mar-
ket only. However, beginning in the 1970s,
an export market opened up in response to
the high demand for selachian fins in Asian
countries, offering attractive prices that
encouraged the development of Shark fish-
ing throughout the world. In the sub-region,
the Shark trade originated in Gambia, with
a rapid and regular increase in the fishing
effort (more boats with more efficient fish-
ing gear). The activity then quickly devel-
oped in the rest of the SRFC zone, mainly in
the form of artisanal fishing (SRFC, 2003).
However, the trend towards lower yields and
the decreasing profitability of these activities
– despite the high added-value of shark fins
– quickly demonstrated that the sustainable
management of these selachians could not
be guaranteed, which in turn forced certain
groups of fishermen to migrate seasonally
towards more remote fishing zones.
The SRFC member states, aware of the
risks of the fast disappearance of Shark
stocks, and its impact on the ecosys-
tems, formalised their commitment to
develop a strategy for Shark conserva-
tion and sustainable management in the
sub-region with the Sub-Regional Plan
of Action for the Conservation and Man-
agement of Sharks (SRPOA-Sharks). The
SRFC adopted the plan in 2001, and it
was launched the following year. The
plan is divided into a number of sections,
including research, field studies and sur-
veys, development of management meas-
ures, methods for their applications, and
the standardisation of actions and man-
agement rules at the sub-regional level. A
four-year project (2004-2007) was set up
to facilitate its implementation, with inter-
national funding, SRFC management guid-
ance, and technical support from the FIBA.
The project enabled the action plan to be
implemented through the development
of pilot activities and demonstrations to
mobilise partners and stakeholders in the
field. During this time period, significant
progress was made in terms of improving
knowledge of Shark populations, moni-
toring fisheries, characterising specialised
fishing sites, and describing the stakehold-
ers directly involved in Shark fishing. In-
depth studies on the development of Shark
fisheries were conducted in all SRFC mem-
ber states.
This document summarises the findings
made during the first stage of implemen-
tation of the SRPOA-Sharks, which cor-
responds to Phase One of the Regional
Marine and Coastal Conservation Pro-
gramme for West Africa (PRCM). The sec-
ond phase of the project was launched
in 2008, and therefore some of the items
assessed in this report include the period
from 2004 to mid-2009, when required by
the analysis.
Part One of this report presents the fish-
ing context – particularly regarding Sharks
– in West Africa, as well as the SRPOA-
Sharks Project – its goals, activities, major
achievements, and impacts.
Part Two contains an analysis of the studies
carried out at the national and sub-regional
levels: a description of the specialised Shark
fishing sites, trends in the catch and the bio-
logical characteristics of the species caught
using artisanal fishing methods, an assess-
ment of the bycatch of Sharks by indus-
trial fisheries, and a study of intra-regional
migration by Shark fishermen.
Finally, Part Three describes the conserva-
tion status of Sharks and the initial conclu-
sions drawn from these observations. The
final section ‘Conclusions and prospects’
explores the challenges for the future in
terms of managing Shark fisheries in the
sub-region.
To make this document easier to read and
understand, the strategic process put in
place within the framework of the SRFC
sub-regional plan of action is called the
‘SRPOA-Shark s Process’, wherea s the
project itself is called the ‘SRPOA-Sharks
Project’.
are worried about the increasing catch of
Sharks and the impact of this increase on
certain species found in several ocean zones
throughout the world (FAO, 2001). The
European Union's Plan of Action for the
Conservation and Sustainable Management
of Sharks describes the current situation in
the following terms: “The Chondrichthyes
[…], commonly called “Sharks”, have been
subject to increasingly intensive fishing
practices since the middle of 1980s, due to
higher demand for Shark products (in par-
ticular shark fins, but also shark meat, skin,
and cartilage), especially for the Asian mar-
kets. Between 1984 and 2004, worldwide
shark catches increased from 600,000 tons
to more than 810,000 tons (EU, 2009).
According to the U.S. Department of
Commerce, Shark catches amounted to
800,000 tons per year, which represented
about 0.6% of worldwide fishing in 2002
(IWMC, World Conservation Trust, 2002).
In 2000, worldwide Shark catches were
estimated to be nearly 900,000 tons in
three years (2003). There was a decrease
in the amount of sharks, rays, and chi-
maeras caught, which was estimated to be
750,000 tons in 2006, or 15% less than the
maximum level (anonymous,
2008). Furthermore, it has
been estimated that 73 mil-
lion Sharks are killed each
year, either as direct tar-
gets or as bycatch (Clarke
et al., 2006).
The impact on sharks is particularly sub-
stantial for a number of reasons. Many shark
and ray species are coastal, and are therefore
directly impacted by coastal fishing activi-
ties, currently characterised by an increased
fishing effort, a low degree of selectivity, and
overcapacity in terms of the fishing fleet. In
a global context in which many commer-
cial fishing stocks are exhausted, Sharks
represent a meat resource that is consumed
in many countries. Furthermore, bycatch
of sharks by deep-sea fisheries has been
increasing over the past 15 years.
Sharks are also particularly vulnerable
to overexploitation. Due to their life his-
tory characterized by low fecundity, slow
growth and late sexual maturity, they have
a low capacity to recover once their popula-
tions have been overexploited. These spe-
cies, which play a very important role in
maintaining balanced marine ecosystems,
are also threatened by overfishing and ille-
gal fishing. For example, according to the
IUCN Red List (IUCN 2010. IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4.
www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on
08 March 2011.), a number of species are
Critically Endangered, Endangered (e.g.
basking shark) or Vulnerable (e.g. shortfin
mako, great hammerhead) due mainly to
impacts of overfishing and bycatch.
As a consequence of this increased pres-
sure on Sharks, the countries represented
by the FAO Committee on
Fisheries created a work-
ing group for their conser-
vation and management
(1995). This group’s recom-
mendations led to the draw-
ing up and adoption of an
International Plan of Action for
the Conservation and Manage-
ment of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks) in
February 1999, by the FAO Com-
mittee on Fisheries, (FAO, 2001).
Sharks have been fished by the
Sub Regional Fisheries Commission
(SRFC) member countries for approxi-
mately 30 years. Prior to this the smoked
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Part one.
The SRPOA-sharks project - inception,
achievements and impacts
FISHING IN THE SRFC ZONE:
A VITAL SECTOR
Fishi ng pl ays a cr uci al rol e in SRFC
member states. The EE Z of the
SRFC member countries is about
1,550,000 km2, with an average annual
fish catch estimated to be 1,500,000 tons,
of which only 25% are demersal species2
(SRFC, 2007). This catch represents 1.8%
of the global fish catch, estimated to be 82
million tons in 2006 (FAO, 2008)3. The
stocks of demersal and pelagic4 fish are, in
many cases, being fished at full capacity, or
are overfished.
In recent years, West Africa has experi-
enced very heavy coastal human migration
pressure. For the SRFC member countries,
the population was estimated at 35 million
people in 20075. This population is pre-
dicted to reach nearly 76 million by 2050.
2. Species dwelling in the deep sea, like sea bream,
white g roup er, meagre, cephalopod mollusks and
shellfish, and certain species of rays and sharks.
3. ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/i0250e/i0250 e01.
pdf, consulted on 9 January, 2010.
4. Species dwelling near the sur face, like tuna, sar-
dine s, sardinella, mackerel, ch inchard horse m ack-
erel, and certain species of sharks.
5. State of the World in 2007. Unleashing the Potential
for Urban Growth, UNFPA, 2007. http://www.unfpa.
org /swp/2007/english/notes/indicators .ht ml, con-
sulted on 13 September 2009.

Based on World Resources Institute6 cal-
culations, the percentage of the current
population living within 100 kilometres
of the coast in SRFC member countries is
estimated to be 78.4%. This ‘coastalisation’
of the populations has resulted in a higher
pressure on the coastal environments and
a higher demand for marine resources.
Pressure from fishing activities is high
(there were 30,000 dugboats /canoes
and an industrial f leet of 1,000 boats in
2007,(Diop, personal communication).
Many of the target species migrate along the
coast, and are not generally confined to the
waters of a single country (e.g. sardinella,
tuna, and other pelagic fish). Therefore
fishermen must also migrate, which makes
cross-border resource management and the
formulation and implementation of appro-
priate development policies very difficult.
6. World Resources Institute, Page, 2000. http://earth-
trends.wri.org/text/coastal-marine/variable-63.html,
consulted on 15 September 2009.
Artisanal fishing, supported by interna-
tional cooperation programmes, plays an
increasingly significant role in the impact
on fish populations in the SRFC member
countries. In the late 1990s, nearly 2/3 of
the annual catch was from industrial fish-
eries, versus 1/3 from artisanal fishing.
Today, these two sectors are nearly iden-
tical: approximately 700,000 tons come
from artisanal fishing, and a little under
800,000 tons are taken from industrial
fishing (see Table I).
It has not been possible to control the
increase in artisanal fishing boats, espe-
cially in Senegal and Mauritania, where
catches are increasing for international and
sub-regional markets. As a result, there
are now some 30,000 pirogues (16,000
motorised), 60% of which are in Senegal
and 20% in Mauritania (see Table II).
As the numbers of artisanal boats have
increased, the number of industrial boats
has remained largely stable (except in
Figure 1. Location of the SRFC member states Table I. Average of fish caught by industrial fisheries
and artisanal fishing in SRFC member countries, in tonnes
Countries
Catches
(in tonnes)
Cape-
Verde Gambia Guinea Guinea-
Bissau Mauritania Senegal Sierra
Leone Total
Total artisanal fishing 4 200 30 000 57 000 26 306 89 700 385 902 116 600 709 708
Total industrial fishing 3 800 10 000 42 000 44 720 807 300 42 000 15 800 965 620
Total catch 8 000 40 000 99 000 71 026 897 000 427 902 132 400 1 675 328
Sources: MA AP, 2005 ; GFD, 2005 ; CNSHB, 2005 ; IMROP, 2006 ;
DPM, 2006 ; MFMW, 2005 ; COPACE, 2003 et 2005.
Table II. Industrial fishing fleets and artisanal fishing
in the SRFC zone (2010)
Flottilles Cape-
Verde Gambia Guinea Guinea-
Bissau Mauritania Senegal Sierra
Leone Total
Industrial fishing fleets 197 30 191 121 323 130 100 1 092
National or nationally-based boats 77 0 22 3 211 117 40 470
Foreign boat licenses * 120 30 169 118 112 13 60 622
Artisanal fishing fleet 1 267 1 700 3 636 1 000 4 800 13 420** 7 000 32 823
Percent motorised 73% 37% 29% 22% 97% 79% 3% 52%
Number or motorised pirogues 925 629 1 054 216 4 686 7 165 210 14 885
* More licenses are available. ** Seules 8 991 pirogues sont actives.
Sources: DGP, 2005; GFD, 2004; CNSHB, 2005; DGPA, 2006; IMROP, 2006; DPM, 2006 ; MFMW, 2006.
Senegal), and the problems in this sector
(high levels of bycatch and discards, and
impacts on threatened species) remain
unresolved.
The combination of overcapacity, as
described above, and increased perform-
ance (e.g. the use of GPS) resulted in
decreasing yields in the 1990s ( Josse and
Garcia, 1986; FAO, 1988; Chavance et al.,
2004) and contributed significantly to the
overfishing of demersal species.
The rapid development of this sector had
a negative impact on the status of fisher-
ies resources in the countries in the sub-
region, and is cause for concern. According
to Chavance et al. (2004), 2/3 of the stocks
of main demersal species exploited in the
area are either close to their MSY (maxi-
mum sustainable yield), meaning that
there is no room for further increase in the
fisheries, or already overfished.
At the same time, the fisheries play an
important role in State economies: it con-
tributes to 43% of the export revenues and
nearly 5% of the GDP in Mauritania, nearly
3% of the GDP in Gambia, and 21% of
export revenues in Senegal (see table III).
Fish products also play a very important
role in terms of food security, as in Cape-
Verde, where the average consumption per
inhabitant is 25 kilograms per year.
The fishing sector contributes signifi-
cantly to the socio-economic development
of the countries in the sub-region via job
creation, food, and exports. It generates
some 1,000,000 direct and indirect jobs
– in particular more than 189,000 arti-
sanal fishermen – 1.45% of jobs in these
countries. On average, 4% of the active
population in the SRFC zone are directly
employed by fishing activities. In Sierra
Leone, this figure is more than 5% despite
the lack of modernisation in the artisanal
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CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
OF THE SRPOA-SHARKS PROCESS
According to the FAO, over three-quar-
ters of global fish stocks and at least 90%
of Shark stocks are overexploited (FAO,
2001). The contrast between these two
estimates can be explained by the rapid
and continued increase in fishing effort
targeting these vulnerable species during
the second half of the 20th century. It is
also related to the increasing standard of
living in South East Asia and globalised
trade, which have resulted in a higher
demand for shark fins; fisheries have
developed throughout the world, attracted
by this product’s high commercial value
(up to 100 US dollars per kilo).
The same pattern is evident on the West
African coast. Shark fishing has increased
rapidly in SRFC member countries. The
sub-region’s Shark fishing industry origi-
nated in Gambia in the 1970s. Centred ini-
tially in Gambia and the mouth of the Sine
Saloum delta in Senegal, fishing activities
soon developed in Mauritania to the north,
and Casamance (Senegal) and Guinea Bis-
sau to the south in the 1980s, then Guinea
and Sierra Leone in the 1990s.
Sharks were not generally targeted by
coastal fishermen in the sub-region prior
to the 1970s. Sharks caught as incidental
bycatch were processed (salted, dried) and
traded with the rural populations in the
Sine Saloum region for various grain prod-
ucts. Sharks were only occasionally subject
to targeted fishing, and were sometimes
used for cultural and ceremonial purposes
(on the Bijagos islands). Attempts were
made at semi-industrial targeted shark
fishing in the 1940s on the Petite Côte in
Senegal, but it failed due to a sharp reduc-
tion in yield.
Specialised artisanal fishing only devel-
oped in the early 1970s within the Gha-
naian community in Gambia. Originally
carried out by about sixty fishermen, the
fishery developed rapidly to also include
fish-processing; the salted and dried meat
was subsequently exported to Ghana. The
Ghanaian processors bought the shark
bycatch from nearby fisheries, such as
those run by the Lebou and Niyominka
peoples in Senegal. This first successful
fishery triggered the subsequent interest
in Sharks, which was immediately boosted
by the growing numbers of shark fin buy-
ers in the late 1970s. The fishing business
boomed in the 1980s. However, faced with
the almost immediate drop in yields, some
fishermen were forced to migrate to dis-
tant fishing areas.
Another important driver of the increase
in Shark fishing in the sub-region was the
fishing sector. On average, artisanal fish-
ing accounts for 38% of the fishing sector
jobs (see Table IV)7.
An alyses of data obtained within the
framework of the SRPOA-Sharks Project
show that Shark fishing is an impor-
tant source of employment in the fish-
ing sector. In 2008, some 13,000 jobs
were estimated to be directly generated
by Shark fisheries: nearly 7% of the jobs
7. http://www.csr psp.org /presentation /presentation.
html
generated by artisanal fishing. The value
of Sharks landed was estimated to be
8,500,000 euros per year from 2005 to
2008: nearly 3.5% of the value of exports
of fish products, which was reported to
be slightly more than 250,000,000 Euros
(350,000,000 US dollars) (see Table III).
This percentage is significant if we keep
in mind that the declared Shark catch by
the small scale fisheries (24,000 tons in
2010) accounted for 1.6% of the average
annual fish landed in the fishing sector,
which was reported to be 1,473,900 tons
per year (see table I).
Table III. Importance of the fishing sector in the budgets of SRFC member states (2010)
Indicators Cape-
Verde Gambia Guinea Guinea-
Bissau Mauritania Senegal Sierra
Leone Total
Percent of GDP 1,52 % 2,68 % 0,43 % 5% 6%* 1,4% N.D.
Value of exports
(M $US) 0,55 0,31 33,30 0,20 169,03 313,49 18,10 534,94
Contribution to exports 0,99% 0,24 % 4,48 % 3,9% 43.45% 21.53% 0%
Contribution
to the State budget N.D. N.D. 2,5% 6,71% 6%** 1,7% 0,9%
N.D.: not determined
* According to the 2005 FAO/PMEDP study, the contribution to GDP of the artisanal fishing sector alone was estimated to be 4.1%.
** Excluding the community fishing agreement. By including the fishing agreement with the European Union, this contribution amounted
to 25% in 2003.
Sources: IMF, 2006 ; World Resources Institute, 2006 ; WB, 2006 ;
FAO Country Profiles ; national statistics institutes.
Table V. Estimation of the direct and indirect jobs generated
by Shark fishing in the SRFC countries (2008)
Indicators Cape-
Verde Gambia Guinea Guinea-
Bissau Mauritania Senegal Sierra
Leone Total
Fishermen 20 900 1 250 68 1 800 600 3 000 7 638
Processors 100 53 400 3 015 400 3 968
Fish smokers 77 32 109
Total jobs 20 1 000 1 385 68 2 200 3 647 3 400 12 720
Value of fish
landed (in euros) 58 104 2 125 175 1 878 452 3 477 397 993 326 8 532 454
Source: Synthesis of the results of surveys on the development
of Shark fisheries in SRFC member countries, SRPOA-Sharks Project, 2008.
Table IV. Jobs in the fishing sector
in the SRFC member countries(2010)
Indicators Cape-
Verde Gambia Guinea Guinea-
Bissau Mauritania Senegal Sierra
Leone Total
Jobs in the fishing
sector 9 100 30 000 84 200 16 000 36 000 220 000 125 000 520 300
Number of artisanal
fishermen 4 380 47 00 80 000 3 113 30 000 59 500 25 000 206 193
Percentage of jobs in
the artisanal fishing
sector
48 % 16% 95% 19% 84% 27% 20% 39%
Percentage of fisher-
men
in the active popu-
lation
4,6% 4,5% 2,5% 2,2% 3,1% 5% 5,2% 4%
Sources: IMF, 2006; World Resources Institute, 2006;
WB, 2006; FAO Country Profiles; national statistics institutes.

- 18 - - 19 -
devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994. This
immediately meant that products pro-
duced in the CFA zone were highly com-
petitive globally and greatly increased
the commercial value of fishing products
exported from the ‘franc zone’. As fish-
ing activities increased, fishing zones
moved further south, with many fisher-
men from Saint-Louis in Senegal target-
ing Sharks as far south as Sierra Leone. In
the sub-region today, with the exception
of Cape Verde, resources seem to be fully
exploited, if not overexploited, for almost
all selachian species.
ORIGINS OF THE SRPOA-SHARKS
PROCESS
Concerned by the global status of Sharks,
the FAO Committee on Fisheries cre-
ated in 1995 a working group to tackle
the problem. Recommendations from the
group resulted in the creation and adop-
tion of the International Plan of Action
for the Conservation and Management of
Sharks (IPOA-Sharks) by the Committee
on Fisheries in February 1999. The goals
of this strategic instrument were firstly to
improve the statistical information avail-
able and the capacity to describe and mon-
itor the status of Shark populations, and
secondly to set up conservation and man-
agement measures when needed (see the
text box on the IPOA-Sharks in Appen-
dix 2).
In light of increasing awareness of the risks
of rapid depletion of Shark stocks and the
consequences of this depletion on bio-
logical diversity, the SRFC member states
decided, in agreement with the recom-
mendations made by the IPOA-Sharks, to
create a Sub-regional Plan of Action for the
Conservation and Management of Sharks
(SRPOA-Sharks). This plan was adopted
in 2001 by the Conference of Ministers
of the SRFC, and its effective implemen-
tation began in 2004 with the SRPOA-
Sharks Project. This was in combination
with other provisions, mechanisms, and
programmes concerning access to fish-
ing zones and the management of marine
resource utilisation in the member states.
The SRPOA-Sharks Process falls within
the framework of the SRFC’s 2002-2010
strategic plan of action (see text box on
this Commission in the Appendix).
Between 2004 and 20 07, within the
framework of the PRCM, activities of the
SRPOA-Sharks Project focused on the
conservation, monitoring, and sustainable
management of Shark populations, with
funds from the MAVA Foundation and the
Dutch Embassy in Dakar. In addition to
the mechanisms set up to monitor trends
in shark resources and the actions per-
formed to regulate shark fishing, several
studies were carried out on other issues
relating to the shark industry in the sub-
region.
To effectively contribute to the success
of the SRPOA-Sharks Project, each coun-
try was required to create its National
Plan of Action (NPOA-Sharks), inspired
by the Sub-Regional Plan of Action. This
began in 2003 with technical support
from the FIBA for the drafting of NPOA-
Sharks documents. The official NPOA-
Sharks review process started in 2005.
First, the NPOA-Sharks documents were
distributed to the various concerned par-
ties (administrators, researchers, fisher-
men, fish processors, and wholesale fish
merchants), and then workshops were
organised in each country. Currently,
five out of seven NPOA-Sharks have been
reviewed (Senegal, Guinea, Mauritania,
Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau); these
documents have been approved by the
governments involved (texts published in
the official bulletins giving details of laws
and official announcements), showing
encouraging commitment on the part of
the member states to shark conservation.
In Cape-Verde, NPOA-Sharks goals have
been given official backing by integrating
them into national development plans.
SUPPORT PROJECT
FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE SRPOA-SHARKS PROCESS
1. Goals and organisation
In line with SRFC mandate and mission,
the project supported the implementa-
tion of the SRPOA-Sharks. The interven-
tion strategy focused on conservation
issues and responsible management of
Shark populations at the regional level.
Additional support was made to Member
States to assist with the implementation of
national plans.
1.a. Goals of Phase 1
During Phase One of the project, special
attention was paid to three main goals:
1. supporting the implementation of the
SRPOA-Sharks Process and the pro-
duction of tools for Shark population
management;
2. developing a pilot programme to tran-
sition people out of Shark fishing
industries to other activities;
3. Through outreach and communication
actions, share the best conservation
and sustainable management practices
acquired through the project with the
participants.
Many activities have been carried out to
achieve these goals. Before describing
these activities, we will briefly present the
intervention strategy adopted to perform
them.
Project architecture
and intervention strategy
The SRFC administers the implementation
of the SRPOA-Sharks Process for the Min-
ister of Fishing through the National Plans
Sharks caught aboard a boat in Cape Verde (I. Ndiaye)

of Action for the Conservation and Man-
agement of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks).
To better coordinate the SRPOA-Sharks
Project activities, it was considered nec-
essary for each country to have its own
NPOA-Sharks programme, defining the
actions to be carried out and the goals
to be achieved. These National Plans of
Action also define an intervention strategy
and an implementation framework. Each
NPOA-Sharks is coordinated by either
the Fisher ies Department or research
institutes in the specific countries. These
NPOA-Sharks programmes then feed into
the SRPOA-Sharks Project to help achieve
its goals.
Information gathered by the research
institutes in Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea
Bissau, and Cape Verde, and Fisheries
Departments and Bureaus in the Gambia,
Senegal, and Sierra Leone by interviewers,
scientific observers, students, and consult-
ants are analysed. This work provides the
basis for creating management and devel-
opment measures proposed to the fish-
ery ministries at the national level, and to
the SRFC for standardisation at the sub-
regional level.
Partner institutions in the SRPOA-Sharks
Project in the seven SRFC countr ies
include:
– Guinea Bissau: CIPA (Centro de Inves-
tigaçao Pesqueira Aplicada / Centre of
Applied Fishing Research).
– Gambia: FD (Fisheries Department).
– Cap Verde: INDP (Instituto Nacional
de Desenvolvimento das Pescas / National
Institute of Fishing Development); DGP
(Fisheries Directorate).
– M auritania: DARO (Direct ion de
l’aménagement des ressources et de
l’océanographie / Directorate of Resources
Management and Oceanography) and
IMROP (Institut mauritanien de recher-
ches océanographiques et des pêches /
Mauritanian Institute for Oceanographic
and Fisheries Research);
– Guinea: CNSHB (Centre national des
sciences halieutiques de Boussoura / Bous-
soura National Centre for Halieutic Sci-
ences).
– Senegal: DPM (Direction des pêches
maritimes / Directorate of Marine Fisher-
ies).
– Sierra Leone: FD (Fisheries Depart-
ment).
Integration in the PRCM and synergy
with other SRFC projects
The SRPOA-Sharks Project is one of the
flagship projects in the PRCM and SRFC
programmes. It is also one of the SRFC’s
most visible projects, thanks to effec-
tive communication and the considerable
efforts made to create management tools
and to standardise shark conservation leg-
islation.
Within the framework of the PRCM,
the SRPOA-Sharks Project is part of the
fishing component, which aims to “pro-
mote joint management frameworks that
guarantee the sustainable exploitation of
halieutic resources, respect ecosystem
integrity and functioning, and participate
in socio-economic development”. The
activities carried out in this component of
the SRPOA-Sharks Project are exemplary
in terms of the commitments made by the
national institutions concerned (Fisheries
Departments, research centres) and by
those involved in the fishing industry. In
synergy with the PRCM’s other projects
(creation of Marine Protected Areas, joint
management of shared migratory stocks,
for example), the project also contributes
by identifying critical habitats and pos-
sible sanctuary zones, initiating dialogue
on the development of fisheries, and sup-
porting the SRFC in its implementation
of coordi nat ion mechanisms, lin king
research activ ities and fishing regula-
tions.
Infor mation on shark fisheries in the
SRFC zone, gathered and analysed with
support from the SRPOA-Sharks Project,
has enabled positive measures to be for-
mulated to manage Shark stocks: creating
specific licenses, establishing protected
zones, limiting access to the resources,
banning fishing on threatened species,
establishing minimum landing sizes for
species, and recommending how to set up
specific fiscal regimes (for example, taxa-
tion on the export of Shark products, par-
ticularly shark fins). The results achieved
through these initiatives have contrib-
uted to attaining the PCRM fishing com-
ponent’s goals.
In addition, the d ifferent cou ntrie s
involved have agreed to make important
efforts to create their own NPOA-Sharks,
even if the implementation of these
National Plans of Action differ.
Further more, the numerous regional
and national training sessions organised
within the framework of the project have
greatly contributed to the PRCM’s and
SRFC’s capacity building goals.
1.b. Goals for Phase 2
Not all of the goals of Phase 1 were met by
2007; therefore, a second phase was con-
sidered necessary (2008-2011). This second
phase included the following major actions:
– continue the NPOA-Sharks imple-
mentation process (production of shark
population management tools and stand-
ardisation of legislation);
– the creation of a selachians observa-
tory in West Africa (with the BIOMAC net-
work);
– carry out pilot actions in terms of rede-
velopment and conservation;
– capitalise on and make wise use of the
SRPOA-Sharks findings obtained during
the first phase.
Figure 2. Cooperative links between the different
SRPOA-Sharks Project stakeholders
- 20 - - 21 -
Fisheries
Department
Fisheries
Department
Research
institutes
Research
institutes

- 22 - - 23 -
• Trained fisheries technicians and scien-
tific observers in Shark biology, biological
data collection, and management of Shark
fishery (regional and national training
since 2004).
• Produced a scientific publication on
halting shark fishing in the Banc d’Arguin
National Park (Mauritania), Shark biology
and fishing, and the cultural importance
of sawfish in West Africa.
• Created database s on Shark catch
and Shark fishing activities in the SRFC
zone.
• Produced a film on the biological char-
acteristics of Sharks and the use of Shark
resources in West Africa.
• Supervised several theses (see text
box 2) on selachian biology, ecology, and
fishing in Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea,
Sierra Leone, and Cape-Verde.
2. Data acquisition strategy
Data for these projects has come from var-
ious sources: historical information has
been used, as well as data collected within
the framework of the project. In terms
of historical data, the project team used
information from the TrawlBase (experi-
mental fishing trip) and StatBase (fishing
statistics) databases in the Fisheries Infor-
mation and Analysis System (FIAS), which
was set up by the SRFC between 2000 and
2002, with funding from the European
Union. These regional databases pro-
vided information on species caught in the
SRFC zone (identification of the different
species of rays and sharks, when catches
occur, and trends in landings and fishing
efforts) in the past 50 years. From these
sources the best time series of shark catch
by industrial and artisanal fisheries over
the past twenty years (1984-2004) were
pieced together.
Furthermore, through surveys at land-
ing areas since 2005 (complete sur veys
or representative samplings of the boats
catch according to the zone and country),
the project has included the monitoring of
Shark landings and the collection of bio-
logical data on fishing effort, the price of
shark by-products and jobs generated by
Shark fishing.
It should be emphasised here that
the regular monitoring of fish-
ing activities and the collec-
tion of biological data were
made possible by a network
of field surveyors trained in shark land-
ing monitoring techniques, which was
set up in each of the SRFC member coun-
tries. Indeed, within the framework of the
SRPOA-Sharks Project, annual training
sessions have been organised for techni-
cians and scientific observers since 2004,
to include Shark identification, biology,
data collection of landings, etc. A species
identification guide was created within
this framework (see Text Box 1). They are
intended for research institutes, fisheries
departments, field surveyors and at-sea
observers, students, fishermen and fish
processors. Before the project was imple-
mented, this infor mation wa s organ-
ised only by groups of species (rays and
sharks), but since 2005 the data have been
gathered and recorded at the species level,
which has significantly improved data
quality (for Mauritania, data had been col-
lected according to species since 1998 by
the IMROP field surveyors working at the
principal landing sites).
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
AND IMPACT
1. Major project achievements
The information gathered by field survey-
ors, scientific observers, students, and con-
sultants working at research institutes (in
Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and
Cape-Verde) and Fisheries Departments (in
Gambia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone) were
consolidated, analysed and compared.
The principal project achievements were
written up in technical reports and in the
framework of the sub-regional capitalisa-
tion workshop organised in 2008. They
can be summarised as follows:
• Used information from databases
created in previous projects (notably
the FIAS project) within the framework
of the SRPOA-Sharks Project.
Text Box 1. Field guide for the principal Shark species
found in the sub-region
Completed within the frame-
work of the SRPOA-Sharks
Project, this guide is intended
to facilitate the rapid and effort-
less identification of the prin-
cipal shark species commonly
found at landing sites in the
SRFC zone and, more generally,
in West Africa. It was published
with support from the FIBA and
IUCN.
Data collection on Sharks is a
priority of the SRPOA-Sharks
Project. This guide has made
it possible to improve shark
monitoring capacity, and con-
sequently, th e accuracy of
the scientific information that is available for their sustainable management. This work
is mainly intended for the networks of field surveyors and biologists, participating in the
SRPOA-Sharks Project in the seven SRFC member countries, who gather information on
Shark catches and the biology of shark species. However, it is also used by fishermen, who
record daily catch in their fishing logbooks.
Each species is described by a master identification page, featuring a central picture, some-
times with extra pictures that describe a species-specific morphological characteristic (e.g.
details on teeth morphology). The species’ main morphological characteristics are listed to
draw the user’s attention to the distinguishing features used to identify the species. Several
other details such as the fishing equipment used to catch the species, bathymetric distribu-
tion, and habitat are also provided. The guide is an extremely valuable tool for improving
the quality of data gathered on coastal shark catches. The guide was originally written in
French, but English and Portuguese translations were created, covering therefore the three
main languages spoken in the Sub-Regional member countries.
This guide can be downloaded at: http://www.lafiba.org/index.php/fr/documentation/
boite_a_outils/guides_methodologiques/

- 24 -
training technicians, observers, and stu-
dents to achieve they thesis on Sharks.
All of the stakeholders concerned par-
ticipated in these workshops, including
fisheries administrations, various profes-
sionals, research institutes, social science
researchers, representatives of nature con-
servation NGOs, and local partners.
The project’s impact was assessed in terms
of three main criteria:
1. capacity building and improv ing
knowledge on how the shark industry is
developing;
2. the status of Shark fisheries;
3. the conservation status of Sharks at the
national, sub-regional, and international
levels.
Capacity building
The SRPOA-Sharks Project has enabled
an annual regional training course to be
organised for NPOA-Sharks managers,
technicians, and on-board observers. The
project has also provided financial support
for national training courses for the field
surveyors in charge of data collection for
Shark fisheries.
Major advances have been made in terms
of improving capacity and skills through
these training courses and the supervi-
sion of student dissertations. The initia-
tive has been supported by the production
of a shark species identification guide and
tools for raising awareness among pol-
icy makers and the general public on the
• Published an identification guide for
West African rays and sharks (see text
box 1).
• Organised meetings and workshops to
consult with Shark trade stakeholders in
Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Maurita-
nia, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.
• Completed studies on the possibility of
reassigning specialised Shark trade stake-
holders and setting up pilot initiatives for
reassigning these individuals.
• Updated the IUCN Red List of rays and
sharks for West Africa and assisted with
the listing of sawfish under CITES appen-
dix I and II.
• Set up databases on catch from arti-
sanal fishing and industrial fishing for
each country. These databases are a reli-
able source of information, because they
include data not only from research insti-
tutes and fisheries departments, since
2003, but also information from the FIAS
databases prior to 2002.
• Completed several studies on Shark
migration and how fisheries in the sub-
region have consequently developed.
The results obtained during the first phase
of this project were presented and ana-
lysed in the framework of two assessment
workshops organised in Dakar in 2008.
The first workshop discussed the over-
all capitalisation achieved by the project,
and the second looked at the impact of
Text Box 2. A student supported
by the SRPOA-Sharks Project
“In 2007, I received financial support
from the FIBA, via the SRPOA-Sharks
Project, to carry out the research needed
to write my final report. At that time, I
was a student at the Fishing and Aquac-
ulture Institute (IUPA) in Dakar. I chose
to work on the topic of conservation of
Shark populations in Senegal. This study
fit into the POA-Sharks implementa-
tion framework and the IUPA’s research
goals.
The SRPOA-Sharks Project team sup-
ported and guided me, and, thanks to
their assistance, I was able to success-
fully complete my field surveys, process the data I had collected, and produce a document on
the demographic composition of the landings and a structural and biological analysis of the
five species caught by the elasmobranch fisheries on the Senegalese coast.
I was given high marks for my dissertation (defended in May 2008) by the jury that included
professors from IUPA’s science and technology faculties, CRODT and SRFC researchers,
and the SRPOA-Sharks Project Coordinator. My dissertation allowed me to graduate with
honours.”
Ndaté (Mingué) MAR, completed a Master’s Degree in fishing and aquaculture from the
University of Cheikh-Anta-Diop (Dakar, Senegal)
- 25 -
Field exercise for identification of species and practice of biological
data collection during a regional training seminar. (M. Diop & J. Dossa)

- 26 - - 27 -
2. State recognition
2.a. Official adoption of the NPOA-Sharks in
the SRFC member countries
In conjunction with its effort to improve
training and provide support for data col-
lection on the Shark fishing industry, the
SRPOA-Sharks Project has undertaken
considerable activities to improve the
awareness of fishery administrations, so
that the States concerned w ill make an
official commitment to the conservation
and sustainable management of Sharks.
The SRPOA-Sharks Project established a
process for the official adoption of National
Plans of Action for the Conservation and
Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks) in
each SRFC country. This process consisted
of three steps:
Rev iew of NPOA-Sh ark s docu ments
within national institutions in charge of
the plan;
Organisation of national review work-
shops for all stakeholders involved;
Official adoption of the NPOA-Sharks by
States.
The min istr ies of fishing admin ister
the NPOA-Sharks, a responsibility they
entrust to one of their technical services,
which is designated as the national focal
point for the SRPOA-Sharks Project.
All of the countries involved adopted a
NPOA-Sharks, which was reviewed by all
of the stakeholders concerned. Six NPOA-
Sharks have been officially adopted in Sen-
egal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania,
Sierra Leone, and Cape-Verde. In Cape-
Verde, the NPOA-Sharks objectives were
incorporated into the country’s plan for
Senegal
• Improved species information (47 species
listed in the database).
• Monitored changes in landings by species
and species group.
• Identified fishing zones, especially in the
south.
• Identified the main fishing techniques (and
local differences).
• Studied the distribution channels of sharks
using the database created by field surveys
• Heightened awareness of how fragile this
resource is by those involved in the Shark
fishing industry
Gambia
Acquisition of far more accurate data
(before the implementation of the SRPOA-
Sharks Project, the identification of the spe-
cies caught was problematic).
Mauritania
• Acquisition of far more accurate data,
which are used to form relevant scientific
opinions.
• Increased interest in Sharks and improved
knowledge about their biology, role in the
ecosystems, • etc.
More effective data gathering by technicians.
• Diversified the parameters for monitoring
fisheries.
• Better-informed technical opinions for tak-
ing management decisions.
• Contributed to the project for revising a
number of regulatory measures.
• Improved the perceived image of sharks by
the local community
• Reorganised the Sharks database
• Improved regulations through improved
knowledge of Sharks
Sierra Leone
Improved data quality collected on Sharks
Guinea
• Improved the data collection and process-
ing skills of Technicians
• Strengthened the CNSHB’s capacity
via the recruitment of two students who
have written their Master’s dissertation on
Sharks.
• Published studies on ray and shark fishing
in the CNSHB’s scientific journals.
Guinea-Bissau
• Improved data collection on sharks.
• Trained fishermen to identify species using
the Sharks identification guide.
Cape-Verde
Setup a national system for collecting land-
ing data and identifying species.
Source: Workshop to assess the impact
of Shark training in the countries in the SRFC zone,
FIBA /SRFC, September 2008.
Text Box 3. Impact of national and regional training courses
in the SRFC member countries
Field surveyors and fisheries technicians attending the fifth regional
training for Sharks identification. (M. Diop & J. Dossa)
issues involved in managing Shark pop-
ulations (a film, brochures, f lyers, and
posters).
During the first phase of the project,
approximately one hundred observers,
technicians, and NPOA-Sharks manag-
ers completed training on Shark identifi-
cation, biology, statistical data gathering,
and the development of Shark fisheries.
Furthermore, nine theses were completed
on Shark populations in Senegal (2), Guinea
(4), Cape-Verde (1), and Sierra Leone (2).
The impact of this training was assessed
for each country (see Text Box 3).

- 28 - - 29 -
from technical and financial support for
drawing up and implementing the NPOA-
Sharks. Depending on the national cir-
cumstances, research institutions, nature
conservation bodies and occasionally uni-
versities were brought in to contribute to
the process.
As well as helping to achieve the adop-
tion of the National Plans of Action, the
SRPOA-Shark s Project contr ibuted to
changes in legislation on shark fishing in
the SRFC zone (see Table VI).
However, it is important to note that
specific sustainable management rules
adopted at the state level still suffer from
a lack of standardisation and coher-
ence at the regional level, and do not
therefore benefit from mutual support
between states. For example, Shark fish-
ing licences are much cheaper in Sierra
Leone than Guinea, which leads Shark
fishermen working in Guinea to go and
fish for Sharks in Sierra Leone at a lower
cost. In addition, Shark fishery manage-
ment plans are often at an early stage of
implementation and do not translate yet
into strengthened management measures.
Regulations for shark fisheries are not very
strict, whereas the situation calls for firmer
measures. Finally, only limited technical
and financial resources are allocated to
monitoring and managing shark fisheries.
2.b. Promotion of a multi-disciplinary
and participative approach
In implementing the reg ional sharks
action plan, the project used a multi-dis-
ciplinary and participative approach by
linking various stakeholders (adminis-
trators, researchers, students and profes-
sionals), specifically the professional at the
ground level and the decision makers. The
Table VI. Shark management legislation in the SRFC zone
Country Regulations
Mauritania Minimum landing size of 60 centimetres for houndsharks (Mustelus mustelus and Leptocharias
smithi ).
Ban on Shark fishing in the Banc d’Arguin National Park (PNBA) in 2003 (except houndsharks:
Mustelus mustelus and Leptocharias smithi).
As part of the IRM-EU agreement, ban on tuna seiners and longline surface boats fishing for:
basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus); great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias); sand tiger shark
(Carcharias taurus), and tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus).
Official adoption of NPOA-Sharks in 2007.
Cape-Verde Ban on finning in all territorial waters since 2005.
Development and management measures published in the official legal journal.
Integration of NPOA-Sharks objectives in the fisheries management plan since 2006.
Guinea Introduction of a shark fishing licence: increase from 1,000,000 GNF to 5,000,000 GNF (around
7,000 euros today compared to 1,000 euros in 2005).
Ban on finning in all territorial waters since 2009.
Ban on fishing the seven species of rays and sharks critically threatened with extinction.
Official adoption of its NPOA-Sharks in 2006.
Gambia Ban on finning in all territorial waters since 2004.
Measures adopted making it mandatory to land sharks caught in Gambian waters on Gambian
soil.
Management measures drafted for the 2008 fishing regulation law and the decree specifying how
the law should be enforced.
NPOA-Sharks not yet officially adopted.
Guinea-Bissau Ban on Shark fishing in the Marine Protected Areas.
General fisheries law protecting Sharks.
Official adoption of NPOA-Sharks in 2008.
Sierra Leone Introduction of special Shark licences.
Introduction of a Shark fishing licence.
Ban on finning.
Ban on taking children on fishing boats.
Creation of an export tax for Shark products.
Increased size of mesh in Shark fishing nets (300 millimetres stretched mesh)
Official adoption of NPOA-Sharks in 2008.
Senegal Three species of sawfish placed on the list of protected species.
Proposal to set a size limit for the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini): male 140 cm
and female 165 cm, and for the blackchin guitarfish (Rhinobatos cemiculus): male 106 cm and
female 100 cm
Official adoption of NPOA-Sharks in 2006.
Source: repor t on the achievements of the SRPOA-Sharks Project
in terms of the different countries’ legislation up to 2009.
managing fisheries resources, which is a
form of official adoption.
In addition, Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea
Bissau, and Sierra Leone adopted vari-
ous management measures: (1) halting
Shark fishing in a Marine Protected Area
in Mauritania (PNBA) (2) introduction
of a Shark fishing licence in Guinea and
Sierra Leone, and (3) dismantling all Shark
fishing camps in the Bijagós Archipelago,
and banning of shark fishing in Guinea
Bissau’s Marine Protected Areas. Gambia
and Cape-Verde have also banned finning
(removing shark fins and discarding the
carcass).
It is worth noting that these focal points
maintained close partnerships with the
SRPOA-Sharks Project team and benefited
Dialogue with fishermen in the course of amonitoring
visit to Cape Verde. (M. Diop & J. Dossa)

- 30 - - 31 -
NPOA-Sharks review process provided
an opportunity for sustained consulta-
tion because each stakeholder contributed
to the discussions and implementation of
NPOA-Sharks. Applied research institu-
tions (technicians and researchers in all
fields) and universities (students) were
involved in the tasks of collecting and ana-
lysing biological and ecological data. Fish-
ing professionals (fishermen, ship owners,
wholesale fish merchants, and processors)
also assisted the scientists by agreeing, in
most cases, to supply relevant information
(landing surveys, socio-economic surveys,
empirical knowledge, and historical data).
The results obtained from analysing the
vast array of data collected were used to
convince the administration of the need to
make NPOA-Sharks official, representing
a major political commitment. This close
collaboration served not only to charac-
terise the fisheries, but also to document
the development of shark fisheries within
both the country and the SRFC sub region.
2.c. Raising public awareness
and reassigning stakeholders
This project featured an in-depth consul-
tation process in the sub-region with those
involved at grassroot levels, about the need
to reassig n fishermen and women fish
processors to other forms of employment.
Several consultation meetings were held in
Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Maurita-
nia, Sierra Leone, Cape-Verde and Senegal.
The SRPOA-Sharks committee and NPOA-
Sharks administrators organised exercises
to consult with and raise awareness among
directly-concerned individuals: fishermen
in Senegal, Guinea, Gambia and Sierra
Leone, and processors and wholesale fish
merchants in Mauritania, Guinea Bissau
and Cap Verde. These exercises addressed
the need to replace shark fishing with
alternative activities, and reassign those
involved to other sectors (fishing, eco-
tourism, trade, etc.). The film produced by
the SRPOA-Sharks Project (“What future
lies ahead for Sharks?”) was shown during
these consultations. As a result, many of
those involved are now aware of the need
to avoid overfishing, and are asking for
reassignment support. With their help,
an estimate of their reassignment cost
has been calculated, and a programme for
implementing and monitoring their reas-
signment has been prepared.
It is in this framework that some funds,
albeit limited, were mobilised in 2008 and
2009 for the reassignment of women shark
processors in the Senegalese villages of
M’bour and Joal. A workshop was organ-
ised to expose the participants to new
processing technologies (braised smoked
fishes).
2.d. Improving knowledge and more
effective awareness raising
The vast amount of work completed
throughout this program has provided us
with a better understanding of the prob-
lem and more precise knowledge of devel-
opments, markets, stakeholders, and their
mindsets and strategies, together with the
state of the fisheries and status of the vari-
ous species encountered.
Furthermore, the status of Shark popu-
lations and the efforts made within the
framework of this project have been cited
at international colloquia (in Canada, Aus-
tralia, England, France and Spain) and at
various events (PRCM Forums, Confer-
ences of the SRFC Ministers, etc.) organ-
ised in the sub-region.
2.e. Contribution to international Shark
conservation
Two outcomes of the SR POA-Sh ark s
Project represent a real contribution to
international Shark conservation activi-
ties.
The updating of the IUCN Red List for
West Africa in 2006.
As mentioned above, knowledge of the
status of 17 species has improved, partly,
Dialogue with women processing Shark meat in Guinea,
for identification of alternative activities. (J. Dossa)

- 32 -
Training of women Shark meat processors to hygene and smoking
techniquesfor small pelagic fish. (M.Diop)
because of the results achieved by the
SRPOA-Sharks Project.
To accomplish this work, in 2006 the
SRPOA-Sharks Project and the IUCN organ-
ised a workgroup to update the IUCN Red
List for West Africa. This group analysed:
– information contained in the relevant
FIAS databases (Vernet, 2007);
– results of surveys at the landing points
made within the framework of the SRPOA-
Sharks Project;
– results of surveys concerning empirical
knowledge on sawfish (see the reports by
Robillard and Candice, 2005, and Balo-
uard, 2007);
– empirical knowledge on Shark fisher-
men.
The listing of sawfish species under CITES
Appendices I and II.
Few species found in the SRFC zone were
listed under the CITES appendices before
the implementation of the SRPOA-Sharks
Project. Only the following species have
been listed in Appendix II of the CITES
since 2003: the basking shark (Cetorhi-
nus maximus), the whale shark (Rhincodon
typus) and the great white shark (Carcharo-
don carcharias).
In 2005, FIBA, the NGO Noé-Conserva-
tion, and the SRFC carried out surveys on
the empirical knowledge of sawfish in six
SRFC countries, where this species had
been seen in recent years. These surveys
were performed in 2006 in Sierra Leone
and Guinea-Bissau, the countries in which
the probability of finding sawfish was the
highest. This campaign demonstrated that
these species were not available through-
out the sub-region, with Guinea Bis-
sau representing the only location where
individuals have been confirmed in a few
isolated cases (Candice et al., 2005 and
Balouard, 2006).
Drawing on these findings and the results
of the workgroup to update the IUCN’s
Red List, the SRFC prepared a report for
the Presidency of the SRFC, asking for it
to intercede w ith CITES in the name of
all SRFC countries and support the pro-
posal to list sawfish in the CITES appen-
dices.
Thus, in 2007, thanks in part to the stud-
ies carried out in the SRFC zone in col-
laboration with Noé Conservation, CITES
listed the sawfish species Pristis pectinata,
Pristis pristis under Appendix I, and Pristis
microdon under Appendix II.

DEVELOPMENT OF SHARK FISHERIES
IN THE SUB-REGION
1. Participants of the shark fishing
industry in the sub-region
Studi es of t he sh ark fish ing in dustry,
completed within the framework of
the SRPOA-Sharks Project, showed
that Sharks are caught, processed and
sold by relatively specialised economic
agents. In the SRFC zone, except in some
rare cases, this means fishing boat owners,
fishermen, fish processors, middlemen
who assemble the products (particularly
shark fins), and the exporter-brokers of
finished products.
In the sub-region, Sharks are targeted by
artisanal fishermen. Shark fishing is prac-
ticed by several communities of fishermen
(Guet-Ndariens, Lébous and Nyominkas
in Senegal, the Imragens in Mauritania,
and Ghanaians in other countries) using
more than twenty fishing techniques and
strategies that vary according to the sea-
sons and biological and socio-economic
factors. It is the Ghanaian community that
greatly contributed to the development of
selachian fisheries in the SRFC countries,
first for the consumption of Shark meat in
West Africa, then for the consumption of
shark fins in Asia.
Part Two.
Synthesis and preliminary
analysis of the studies carried out
in the framework of the SRPOA-sharks
project

- 36 - - 37 -
In all, there are nearly 1300 artisanal fish-
ing boats specialising in Shark fishing in
the SRFC zone. If all of the other artisanal
fishing boats that occasionally land Sharks
are taken into account, the fishing effort
for selachians represents some 2500 ves-
sels.
In terms of processing, the number of
people involved is much higher. In Mau-
ritania, 400 fish processors have been
identified. In Guinea, nearly 100 people
are linked to the artisanal processing of
fish products: the Ghanaians specialise in
salting and drying, whereas the Guineans
are the only community that smoke the
fish. More than 3,000 people are employed
in the various fish processing jobs in Sen-
egal. In Sierra Leone, more than 200 peo-
ple are involved in shark processing, sales
and pirogue building.
In some countries, the number of people
involved in the Shark fishing business is
quite limited. In Cape-Verde, for instance,
Shark fishing only began in 1978 and its
coastal activities are not very developed.
Diop (2005) estimated that there were 18
jobs linked to this activity: from witch 14
Cape Verdians (6 fishermen, 3 proces-
sors, 3 retailers, and 2 maintenance men)
whose boat is operated by a Senegalese
boat owner.
It is also worth mentioning that
the Ghanaians are present in
large numbers in every sector
of the Shark fishing business
in all countries (from fishing to
sales and also the collecting and
processing of shark products).
In some countries, those involved
in the Shark industry are well
organised. For instance, in Sen-
egal they are organised into eco-
nomic interest groupings, or EIGs
(as defined by law 85-84, dated
29 July 1985). These organisa-
tions have helped gain access to
bank loans and an inflow of capi-
tal, enabling a significant increase
in the production capacity of
those involved. Some EIGs have taken
on the task of getting the finished prod-
ucts to market, which has increased their
negotiating power. This is the case in par-
ticular of the EIG ‘Seutou Ndiaré de Yoff’,
which manages an important semi-indus-
trial Shark salting and drying processing
unit. In Mauritania, the Ghanaians work-
ing in Nouadhibou have joined forces for
Shark processing, negotiating, and setting
the price of the salting and drying, while
the Nigerians have worked together for the
export of their products, which has signifi-
cantly reduced the transport costs. These
examples demonstrate that there is a form
of ‘national solidarity’ in the Shark fishing
business.
In the other countries, the organisation
forms are in their early stages of develop-
ment and have not yet had any impact on
the industry’s general orientation.
2. Developmental phases
in Shark fisheries
Shark fisheries in West Africa have a long
history. They first appeared on the Mauri-
tanian and Senegalese coasts. In Maurita-
nia, a shark fishery operated by Spanish,
Each country has its own specialised play-
ers in the different parts of this food indus-
try.
In Sierra Leone, the fishing activities are
dominated by local fishermen and the fin-
ished products are sold by various com-
munities (Ghanaians, Senegalese, and
Gambians).
In Mauritania, artisanal shark fishing is
the work of Mauritanians and Senegalese,
but various communities are involved in
processing and sales activities. The Mal-
ians living in Nouadhibou and the Gha-
naians in Nouakchott buy the fish from
fishermen and process them before sell-
ing them to Ghanaian wholesale fish mer-
chants, who export the finished products
to their country. The Imraguen community
has become significantly involved in the
shark fishing industry by processing a large
amount of their catch. Their shark fish-
ing activities began with the recruitment
by Nouadhibou-Nouakchott fishing boat
owners of Senegalese captains and fisher-
men, who were more accustomed to this
type of fishing. After a few years, Maurita-
nian fishermen became skilled in this type
of fishing, and a progressive ‘Mauritanisa-
tion’ of selachian fishing was observed. In
response to the intensification of the shark
fishing activities, the wholesale fish trading
business developed very rapidly along the
Mauritanian coast, and many retailers in
different Imraguen villages invested mas-
sively in the selachian business. Likewise,
to target Sharks and have exclusive rights to
purchase shark fins, they financed the fish-
ermen’s acquisition of fishing equipment,
the construction of their housing, and
provided them with food and water. The
unprecedented rush towards this profita-
ble activity is at the origin of the operators’
commitment to this fishery, which has gen-
erated significant profits. Numerous whole-
sale fish merchants scour the coast looking
for Sharks, in Nouadhibou, Nouakchott,
and especially the Banc d'Arguin.
In Senegal, fishing is mainly carried out
by the Senegalese themselves, whereas
the fish processing is also done by Gha-
naians. The Senegalese Shark fishing
business started in the 1940s. Senegalese
fishermen, particularly the Guet-Ndariens
(originating from Saint-Louis), put a great
deal of effort into developing Shark fish-
ing (with specific boating equipment) and
became ‘brokers’ in their own right, devel-
oping direct relations with Asia. The fish-
ing boats are organised into two groups:
some are based in Saint-Louis and have
operations all the way to Sierra Leone; the
others are based between Casamance and
Guinea Bissau and tend to make perma-
nent settlements. In the current situation,
in which Sharks are becoming rarer, the
Guet-Ndarian fishermen would like to be
able to move their fishing efforts to Cape-
Verde.
In Guinea, the fishermen are mainly Sen-
egalese and Ghanaian. The fish is salted
and dried by Ghanaians, and smoked by
Guinean professionals.
In Gambia, the fishing activities are
mainly performed by the Senegalese and
Ghanaians. The fish is salted and dried by
Ghanaians, and sold by Ghanaians, Sen-
egalese, Guineans, and Gambians.
In Cape-Verde and Guinea-Bissau this
business has not yet developed.
In some countries, Ghanaians dominate
every stage in the process; this is particu-
larly true in Senegal and Gambia.
In terms of fleets, Mauritania has 500 fish-
ing boats targeting selachians that employ
1800 people, whereas in Guinea there are
120 boats and 1250 fishermen. In Gambia,
60 pirogues were identified in the village
of Brufut, employing between 600 and
900 Ghanaian fishermen. Approximately
100 fishing boats are involved in the ray
and shark fisheries in Senegal, employing
more than 600 fishermen. In Guinea-Bis-
sau, Sharks are mainly fished by foreign-
ers (Senegalese and Ghanaians,) who have
set up an unknown number of camps in
the Bijagos islands. Finally, 500 boats have
been identified in Sierra Leone, employing
3000 fishermen.

Development of Sharks fisheries in the SRFC AREA
FREIN
(1979-
1983)
Shark fishery
with Portuguese
reported in
Mauritania
Lethargic phase
followed by a period
of expension
Relaunching phase
followed by a period
of expansion
Phase of rapid
development
and expansion
of the Shark
industry in the
sub-region
Increase in the
fishing effort and
the numbers of
people involved
Phase
of declin
Signifiant and
regular drop in
the catches
and over-
exploitation of
several stocks
Exploratory phase
A Conti’s prospecting
endeavours
1940
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20101930
1958 19931970 2003
was accompanied by industr ial fishing
increased capacity, which was responsible
for a significant amount of Shark bycatch.
Driven by the Ghanaians living in Gam-
bia, Shark exploitation became a sub-
regional affair. The Ghanaian fisheries in
Gambia became a regional centre in which
shark by-products were traded.
Originally numbering about sixty fisher-
men, the community rapidly expanded to
develop into an organised industry, which
exported the salted and dried meat to
Ghana, where shark meat is traditionally
consumed.
Taking par t in the fishing activities,
with techniques developed in the home-
lands, the Ghanaians managed to become
involved in all sectors of this industry,
working on shark processing, purchasing
fresh products, and selling the salted and
dried meat to the Ghanaian market.
The Ghanai a n s a lso star ted buy i ng
Sharks caught by Senegalese fishermen,
who were targeting mainly barracuda and
operating in the Saloum delta and along
the Gambian coast. The purchasing of
ray and shark carcasses from common
fisheries also developed throughout the
sub-region: Ghanaian purchasers could
be found from Mauritania to Guinea.
Some Ghanaian merchants even provided
informal loans to entice the networks of
fish wholesalers and fisher ies to target
selachians.
The 1980s and 1990s correspond to a
period of development for the world-
wide shark fin market in response to
the demand from South East Asia. This
Text box 4. Prospecting by Anita Conti and the first Shark fishing activities
In her book Géants des mers chaudes (Giants of the warm seas), the oceanographer Anita
Conti describes the experimental fishing activities that took place in the 1940s to evaluate
the fish resources of the West African coast. The aim of these scientific missions was to study
the extent to which fishing activities could be developed in order to feed the populations liv-
ing on the coast. Anita Conti’s work focused on Sharks, which were very abundant at that
time. She describes scenes in which sawfish weighing more than 1 tonne were caught, and big
hammerhead sharks 6 metres long, unlikely to be found today. She draws attention to a sig-
nificant biomass of Sharks, which represented a resource that could be exploited to provide
meat to the local markets.
On the basis of Conti’s recommendations, Shark fisheries developed. For instance, six fisher-
ies were created on the Petite Côte in Senegal at the beginning of the 1940s, producing shark
meat and liver oil. Despite the initial high biomass levels, the Shark stocks dwindled because
of this targeted fishing. The average annual catch during that period was estimated to be
2,500 tons (Blanc, 1958).
In 1952, only one of these fisheries was still operating, using motorised pirogues and exploit-
ing the most remote fishing zones. All the other fisheries had disappeared, due to the fact that
the yields had plummeted in less than ten years.
Overexploitation and the need to establish management rules were already important issues
(the closing of Lévrier Bay, in Mauritania, for example, to limit the decreasing yields in mea-
gre); however, in general the biology of the species was not taken into account as a means for
measuring the possible levels of exploitation.
Géants des mers chaudes, by Anita Conti, Hoëbeke, Paris, 1993.
Portuguese, British, Dutch and French
trawlermen is known to have existed at the
beginning of the 20th century. However, in
both Mauritania and Senegal, significant
Shark fishing only really began in the 1940s.
There have been five phases in the develop-
ment of Shark fishing in the sub-region.
• Exploratory phase: 1940 to 1958
Certain Shark species were targeted on the
West African coast as of the 1940s, with a
few experiments carried out on the Petite
Côte in Senegal by European industries
looking for a source of vitamin A. These
experiments did not succeed. The first
period of shark fishing, subsequent to the
prospecting carried out by the oceanogra-
pher Anita Conti (see text box 4), occurred
between the 1940s and 1950s.
Following the decline of European com-
panies, people of different nationalities
started to work in this industry (Gha-
naians, Burkinabés, and Fulanis from
Guinea) and they begun to explore new
methods (salting and smoking). The Gha-
naians helped bring about the develop-
ment of selachian fisheries in the other
coastal countries in the sub-region.
• An idle phase: 1958 to 1970, followed
by a period of expansion
The production of shark liver oil on the
West African coast decreased because of
low yields, competition from the Ivory
Coast where stocks were more abundant,
and the production of synthetic Vitamin A.
Nonetheless, during the 1960s and 1970s,
new Shark fisheries developed in Gambia,
with the arrival of a Ghanaian group of
fishermen. Aware that there was a demand
for salted and dried selachian meat in their
country and that the resource was not
being exploited in the sub-region, these
fishermen developed targeted fishing and
established a network for purchasing the
Sharks accidentally caught by the other
fishermen, in particular the Nyominkas
(Sine Saloum).
• A growth phase: 1970 to 1993, fol-
lowed by a period in which the shark fin
market developed, then a consequential
drop in yields
Exploitation of sharks developed rapidly in
the sub-region from the 1970s, and most of
the Sharks were targeted by artisanal fish-
eries (Ducrocq et al., 2005), not only for
their liver oil, but also for their meat (espe-
cially their fins), which became the main
reason for their exploitation. There was
also an increase in landings made by arti-
sanal fishermen, and a rapid and regular
increase in the fishing effort (more boats,
with more efficient fishing equipment). It
should also be pointed out that the devel-
opment of specialised artisanal fishing
- 38 - - 39 -

- 40 - - 41 -
fishing canoes and seasonal fishing camps
in Gambia and Casamance (southern part
of Senegal). Djogué, in Casamance, was
the largest selachian fishing camp until
the end of the 1990s. However, in 1997,
because of the war that took place in Casa-
mance, fishermen, processors, wholesalers
and retailers resettled to Elinkine, another
place in Casamance where the Senegalese
army was building a military base. From
there fishermen started venturing further
out to Guinea Bissau, specifically in the
waters of the Bijagos archipelago, and sold
the salted meat from their Shark catch to
Ghanaians.
• Phase of decline: 2003 to the present
This period has been characterised by
a significant and ongoing drop in the
number of Shark landings. Further details
are included in this chapter on catch
trends in the sub-region.
3. Development of new tools and
techniques
To meet the needs of increasing and more
broad-based demand, new fishing tech-
niques were developed, which revitalised
the expansion of the Shark industry on the
West African coasts. Line fishing, which
had been the main technique until the
beginning of the 1970s, was progressively
replaced by the use of specially designed
nets to catch Sharks. These technologi-
cal innovations, introduced by Ghanaian
fishermen, quickly spread throughout the
SRFC zone, especially among Senegalese8
fishermen. For example. in Mauritania,
they used Rhinobatos (guitarfish) nets and
the houndshark net9 and lines (see Text
8. In particular, the Guet-Ndariens and Nyo-
minkas, whose social and technological capital
were enriched thanks to their collaboration with
Ghanaian fisher men.
9. Particularly used along the Mauritanian coast to
catch small Sharks.
Box 5), equivalents of which can be found
throughout the sub-region.
The 1980s and 1990s were pivotal peri-
ods in the introduction and expansion of
new technologies, through the utilisation
of larger fishing canoes (18 - 23 metres),
with more powerful engines (40 - 55 HP).
On the Mauritanian coast, 10-ton Spanish
capacity canoes were introduced between
Mamghar (Banc d’Arguin) and Noua-
dhibou (port city and economic capital),
together with fibreglass boats provided by
Japanese cooperation. This cooperation
supported the development of small-scale
fisheries.
The mechanisms put in place by the insti-
tutional sponsors and within the frame-
work of bi- or multi-lateral cooperation
to encourage the boat owners to buy new
boats and fishing equipment contrib-
uted greatly to the development of Shark
exploitation. These innovations drastically
modified how the fisheries were organised,
which now had the production capacity to
run several activities at once and employ a
considerable workforce. A well-structured
industry emerged around fishing activi-
ties, fish processing, various services, and
the sale of Shark products.
The ‘Shark race’ intensified, with exten-
sive travel to more distant fishing zones, a
longer fishing season, and increased pro-
fessionalization in terms of financing and
contracts (product purchase contracts
between the fishermen and wholesale fish
merchants, for example). The fishermen
were now using boats called pirogues de
marée, going out on 2 - 3 week trips, and
were beginning to process the Sharks on
board.
The ‘mercenary’ mindset underlying the
hunt for shark fins has encouraged those
involved to behave irresponsibly, to max-
imise profit. The pirogue's cargo hold is
first filled with shark fins; the carcass,
regardless of size, is discarded during the
first part of the outing, once its fins have
been removed. The rest of the meat is only
kept during the final days of the trip, in
development had significant repercus-
sions in West Africa. The price of shark
fins reached up to 50,000 CFA francs per
kilo (approximately 100 US dollars) and
sale prices on the Asian market as high as
500 dollars per kilo (WWF, 1996). This
made the existing fisheries more profita-
ble, enabling them to increase even more
their fishing effort and attract new par-
ticipants. New fisheries were created, for
example in the PNBA in Mauritania.
• Phase of rapid development and
expansion of the Shark industry in the
sub-region: 1994 to 2002
During this period, Shark catch reached
its maximum levels, wit h a conti n-
ued increase in fishing activities and the
number or people involved.
The devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994
led numerous Senegalese fishermen to
take an interest in Sharks, since shark fins
were exported outside of the franc zone
(Niamadio, 2000). As a consequence of the
increased fishing effort, yields decreased
dramatically and rapidly throughout the
sub-region forcing the fishermen to take
on more debt to further increase their
fishing effort and to move their activities
to more distant zones (Ducrocq, 2000).
For instance, the Ghanaians in Gam-
bia started carrying out six-month fish-
ing trips to Guinea, and the Senegalese
pirogues started scouring Sierra Leo-
nean waters (Ducrocq & Diallo, 2000).
This rapid advance was also linked to
the devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994,
which immediately meant that the prod-
ucts coming from the CFA zone became
more competitive in the international mar-
kets. This resulted in fish product from the
sub region being cheaper for foreign buy-
ers and consequently an upward pres-
sure on fish production. The subsequent
increase in fishing effort forced Shark fish-
ermen to move further south; for instance,
many fishermen from Saint-Louis in Sen-
egal travelled to Sierra Leone. The Shark
fishermen then began to set up a system
of trips involving the utilisation of large
Landing of sharks on landing stage of Missirah in Delta de Saloum, Senegal. (J. Dossa)

- 42 - - 43 -
mentation-salting-washing vats, a ware-
house in which fresh fish is prepared,
and a storage warehouse. In 1990, the
CPM11, began operations in Senegal with
the goal of developing the fishing sec-
tor in the Saloum estuary. The ‘artisanal
fish processing’ activities were significant
(fish drying racks and smoking ovens were
made available). Today, the fish processors
have more space, better equipped work-
shops, and functional, cemented process-
ing areas.
4. Economic factors and analysis
of demand
Today, the increasing market for shark
fins is the main driving force behind the
increasing pressure to target Sharks.
However, as explained in previous sec-
tions, Shark carcasses have become eco-
nomically viable through a new social and
work organisation, which have conferred
value upon some parts of Sharks that used
to be thrown discarded. Shark meat is now
processed in different ways making it pos-
sible to create various marketable by-prod-
ucts.
These products include: salted and dried
fish, métora or smoked fish (saly), a spe-
cialty of Senegal and Guinea; fermented
and dried fish (guedj); Shark liver oil, man-
ufactured in Senegal in small quantities for
local use; frozen products (frozen whole
Sharks are mainly produced by Maurita-
nian industrial fleets); products used in
other industries (perfume, leatherworks,
jewellery).
4.a. Funding and profitability of Shark fishing
activities
Generally speaking, there is an informal
system for funding the artisanal fishing
sector, characterised by prohibitive inter-
11. Centre de pêche de Missirah (Missirah Fishing
Centre)
est rates and very limited investment
capacities. To combat these high interest
rates, certain NGOs created savings and
loan associations (S&Ls) at the beginning
of the 1990s, particularly in the major fish-
ing centres in Senegal. Offering funding
ranging from 2 to 5 million CFA francs,
these S&Ls greatly decreased the depend-
ency of the Shark processors on foreign
merchants.
The profitability of selachian processing
activities varies according to fishing zone
and country. In Guinea, Shark processing
is not particularly profitable. For instance,
average total annual net revenues from
salting and drying operations are approx-
imately 3.7 million Guinean francs (about
8,000 euros), and from smoking 2.3 mil-
lion Guinean francs (about 5,000 euros).
The internal profitability rate (IPR) for these
two types of processing are 9.5% and 6.2%,
and the return time for the capital invested
in these activities exceeds ten years.
A case study in Senegal (Déme et al., 2006)
determined the investment costs, operat-
ing expenses and net revenues generated
for the different types of fishing (see Table
VII).
In Guinea-Bissau, given the price of fuel
and cost of the crew, a minimum catch of
7 to 8 kilograms of shark fins or 400 kilo-
grams of fresh Shark products is required
for a fishing expedition to be profitable.
In Cape-Verde in 2005, a Senegalese boat
owner living in Praia, who managed a
coastal fishing boat, was interviewed. He
declared that his activity was profitable, to
the extent that he could pay for charter-
ing the boat and make substantial earn-
ings from operating it.
Recent research into the Shark fishing
business (Diop et al., in press) describes
the networks through which various Shark
products are sold.
Sales networks
There are two principal networks: 1)
linked to the regional market for Shark
order to minimise the waste at port. Dis-
carding carcasses after shark fins have
been cut off is also practiced in industrial
fishing, and in much more significant pro-
portions.
New smoking techniques have also been
introduced to avoid the constraints char-
acterising artisanal methods and to meet
the high demand for traditionally proc-
essed fish products. These include the
Chorkor ovens (1984) and ‘par paing’
ovens (1986) in Senegal, and prefabri-
cated warehouses in which modern ovens
are installed in Kamsar, Guinea. To mod-
ernise the artisanal fish processing indus-
try in Senegal (particularly products from
the Sharks sector), the national govern-
ment in 1983, with help from the French
cooperation agency, built an experimen-
tal solar fish drier, 100 square meters in
size with a drying capacity of 1 ton every
forty eight hours. During that same period
in Senegal, the ITA’s10 ‘Solar tents’ project
pursued the same development goals for
the sector. Each of the processing cen-
tres has two solar drying units (the tents),
two braising and smoking ovens, four fer-
10. Institut de technolog ie alimentaire (I nstitute of
Food Technology)
Merluza, smooth hound or barbled
houndshark nets
These nets are used with the fixed gill
net technique, and catch several species.
Although only their mesh differs, the name
of these nets changes from one village to
another in Mauritania.
In Blawakh and Nouadhihou, they are called
smooth hound nets; in Mamghar and Tes-
set, merluza nets; in R’guibba and Teichitt,
barbled houndshark or smooth hound nets.
According to fishermen from Mamghar,
the merluza nets were originally designed
and sized to target houndsharks (Muste-
lus mustelus). However, since this species
is not very common in near Mamghar, they
were called merluza nets because with a big-
ger mesh than the original nets, they made
it possible to catch merluza.
The smooth hound, barbled houndshark,
and merluza nets are the same length (50 to
150 metres) and their chute drop is between
25 and 35 meshes. The size of the stretched
mesh differentiates the smooth hound and
barbled houndshark nets (140 to 160 milli-
metres) from the merluza nets (up to 180 or
even 200 millimetres).
Ray nets or tchoker nets
Rays and sharks were historically fished with
lines cast from the beach along the Mauri-
tanian coast. Recently, a group of Senega-
lese fishermen working in the southern zone
introduced nets called ‘tchoker nets’. They
feature large mesh, up to 500 millimetres
long. Their vertical drop is shallow: only 5
to 6 meshes. The length and number of nets
per series varied.
Guitarfish lines
On the beaches between PK 45 and N’diago
in Mauritania, another type of hand line is
used for fishing common rays (Rhinoba-
tos rhinobatos). These lines, locally called
‘tchenrkid