WWF

20 May, 2013: Fishermen in the Sonmiani Bay have successfully released a juvenile whale shark trapped in their fishing nets. A tuna gillnet operating along the Balochistan coast caught the 3.5 metre whale shark accidentally. The captain of the vessel, Muhammad Ismail, a fisherman trained by WWF-Pakistan to release endangered animals trapped in nets, took great care to ensure the whale shark was freed. It took more than an hour to get this struggling animal free without harming it. In the past local fishermen killed whale sharks for their liver oil which was smeared on the hull of fishing boats. Whale sharks are occasionally reported from the area but the status of their population is not known in Pakistan. They can be seen along coastal offshore waters of the country which is their feeding, breeding and basking ground. Mr. Rab Nawaz, Director WWF-Pakistan stressed the need for protection of this species in Pakistan because of their dwindling population. There is no known natural predator of this large fish but they often die by entanglement in fishing gear. In order to protect the whale shark, WWF-Pakistan is lobbying for provincial wildlife departments of Sindh and Balochistan to include whale sharks in Appendix-I  of the respective wildlife acts so that these gentle giants may be given the status of a protected animal. In recent years WWF-Pakistan has involved all major stakeholders in creating awareness among fishermen to not kill or harm these and other endangered species. It is due to these efforts that rescue and release activities are being reported more frequently.

Brussels, Belgium: After pulling yet another all-nighter, fisheries ministers unfortunately remained predictable with little effort being made to meet the European Parliament half way on their ambitious proposal to save fisheries in Europe. "The devil is in the detail as they say, but in this case it's the lack of detail, as fisheries ministers decided on a legally neutral text with few binding timelines and concrete measures.

Gland, Switzerland: WWF welcomes the adoption of key conservation measures for oceanic white-tip sharks, whale sharks and cetaceans following the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting last week in Mauritius. IOTC member states agreed on important measures for the management of tuna fisheries and other vulnerable species such as white-tip sharks, which are not to be retained and need to be released unharmed if possible, while purse seiners can no longer ...

Brussels, Belgium: New scientific analysis from environmental organisation WWF reveals recovery of European fish stocks will take more than 100 years under current proposals by EU Fisheries Ministers. "No law can end overfishing in one fell swoop but Ministers appear to be actively sidelining stock recovery", says Roberto Ferrigno, WWF's Common Fisheries Policy project coordinator.

Mindoro Occidental, Philippines: The movements of four mighty swimmers named Amihan, Badjao, Hagibis, and Buhawi, can now be followed as they go about their business in the Coral Triangle. These four adult yellowfin tuna have satellite tags attached that are providing some interesting information about their movements through the ocean.

Pakistan: A leatherback turtle, one of the rarest living reptiles, was recently caught and safely released back into the sea by a group of fishermen near Surbandar village, Gwadar, Balochistan province in Pakistan. WWF-Pakistan staff helped in the rescue and release of this turtle. This rescue, along with the recent location of a large population of olive Ridley turtles from offshore waters previously thought to be extinct from the area, is a ...

Vienna, Austria: Governments meeting at the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice this week in Vienna agreed to a proposal from Norway, to address crimes at sea that impact upon the environment, including fisheries crimes. Illegal fishing undermines efforts by governments and responsible fishers to sustainably manage fisheries.

Cape Town, South Africa: WWF-South Africa (WWF-SA) is elated over Minister Edna Molewa's recent formal announcement of the declaration of the Prince Edward Islands as a marine protected area (MPA) – Africa`s first offshore MPA. Dr Morné du Plessis, WWF-SA's Chief Executive says, "This is a historic day for marine conservation in South Africa.

After a year's delay, the United Nations body tasked with developing polar shipping regulations has recommended provisions to address the environmental impacts of Arctic shipping – but they don't go far enough, says conservation organization WWF. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) met last week to shape the Polar Code, a legally binding set of rules for shipping in polar regions.

The Indus Delta, where the Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea, is a 600,000 ha large area with 17 creeks, swamps and extensive mudflats. It is part of a complex creek system inhabited by small, local fishing communities. Historically, agriculture made the delta flourish until large-scale irrigation works caused serious intrusion and erosion of the soil.

Dr. Carlos Drews, head of WWF's CITES delegation, issued the following statement in reaction to today's historic vote to regulate trade of several species of sharks and manta rays: "This is a historic moment, where science has prevailed over politics, as sharks and manta rays are being obliterated from our oceans.

Bangkok, Thailand - A critical wildlife trade meeting closed Thursday with decisions from world governments to regulate the international trade in several species of sharks and timber, and to start taking action against countries doing little or nothing to stop the illegal ivory and rhino horn trades.

The humphead wrasse, a tropical reef fish, is still suffering from illegal and unreported international trade despite being listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Discussions held by governments meeting in Bangkok, Thailand outlined a number of ways to help curb this problem and maintain protection of this threatened fish.

Carlos Drews, head of WWF's delegation at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) issued the following statement today in response to decisions from world governments to offer better protection for five species of sharks: "This is a landmark moment showing that the world's governments support sustainable fisheries and are concerned about the reckless over-exploitation of sharks for commercial use.

Forty years ago the international community decided to combat the critical issue of trading endangered species globally. In Washington the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) was born with the objective to protect wild plants and animals from the risk of extinction.

Strasbourg, France: After a committee vote in December that was praised by WWF as a milestone vote for sustainable fisheries, today all members of the European Parliament voted 502 to 137 in favour again of the draft report by Ulrike Rodust (S&D, DE) on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Basic Regulation, the cornerstone of the CFP reform package.

Dear Members of the European Parliament, Seventy five per cent of European fish stocks are overexploited and almost one third of fishing jobs in Europe have been lost in the last decade alone – the result of thirty years of mismanagement by fisheries ministers under Europe's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Citizens, fishermen, industry leaders and WWF urge Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to end 30 years of ocean mismanagement and overfishing and endorse ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). For the first time MEPs have a say in CFP reform. In December last year the Parliament's Fisheries Committee voted 13 to 10 in favour of a draft report on the CFP Basic Regulation, the cornerstone of the reform package, ...

Sydney, Australia - As part of their joint Fight for the Reef campaign, WWF-Australia and the Australian Marine Conservation Society today released a scorecard assessing the performance of both the Queensland and Australian Governments' management of the Great Barrier Reef. Last year, UNESCO gave Australia a deadline to outline how it would better manage the Reef, noting that a failure to make 'substantial progress' would jeopardise its world heritage status.

Washington, DC -- On January 17, a US Navy minesweeping vessel became grounded on Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best protected Marine Protected Areas in the world. Tubbataha plays host to about 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, 14 species of sharks, 12 species of dolphins and whales plus nesting populations of seabirds and marine turtles.

Gland, Switzerland: In a groundbreaking statement issued at this week's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, WWF has joined private and public sector leaders in calling for a new global seafood traceability system to give consumers, businesses, and governments full access to information about marine fishing practices.