Protect the Thresher Shark Briefing #PHSayYes #WorldSayYes

PROTECTING PREDATORSby AA Yaptinchay

Marine Wildlife Watch of the PhilippinesMarine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines

2 September 2016 at BSpot Eton Cyberpod

I. PHILIPPINE SHARKS



FISH OR MAMMAL?

Fishes Marine Mammals

Difference between

• Warm-blooded

• Breathes through blowholes

or nostrils

• Swim by moving tail up and

down

• Live birth and nurtured with

milk

• Primarily cold-blooded

• Breathes through gills

• Swim by moving tail side by

side

• Primarily egg-laying

2 September 2016 at BSpot Eton Cyberpod 4

Chondrichthyes

Bony fishes

Osteichthyes

Difference between

• Bony skeleton

• Covered gills (operculum)

• Scales

• Teeth attach to bone

• Has gas bladder

• External fertilization (usually)

• Cartilaginous skeleton

• 5-7 slits of uncovered gills

• Denticles instead of scales

• Teeth attach to gum

• No gas bladder

• Internal fertilization (Male: claspers)


Shark skin

Fish scalesShark denticles


Most elasmobranchs have rough, abrasive skin.

Some may even have tiny spikes called denticles.

SharksBatoid Fishes

(skates & rays)

Elasmobranchs

• cylindrical in shape

• 5 external gill openings

• Pectoral fins never attached to

head in front of gill openings

• Mostly flattened

• 5 ventrally-located external gill

openings

• Pectoral fins attached to the head

in front of the gill openings


Skeletal system

Cartilage instead of skeleton. 82 September 2016 at BSpot Eton Cyberpod

Anatomy

Males have a pair of claspers attached near the pelvic fins


Diet

Most sharks have sharp teeth for holding and cutting prey (fish, squid, octopus, marine mammals & birds).

Filter feeders have teeth but they don’t use them for eating. They use

gill rakers to filter zooplankton.


Photo by JAT Utzurrum Photo by Steve de Neef

Ecology


Ecology


Philippine Sharks

The Philippines is among

the TOP 5 countries in the world with high shark

diversity.diversity.


Download the PDF for free

www.mwwphilippines.org

70

Philippine Shark Species

Sharks

50Batoids

70In year 2000, 120 species were listed in the

Checklist of Philippine Chondrichthyes


Sharks

50Batoids

94


Sharks

66Batoids

In year 2005, 160 species were listed in the Checklist of Philippine Chondrichthyes


Sharks Batoids

• 59% confirmed present

• 41% unconfirmed, but with likelihood for occurrence based on

distributional information

• At least 23% are new records or still undescribed

• 16% are possible endemic species or unique only to the Philippines

200+


Sharks Batoids

200+


Sharks Batoids


Photo from SU-IEMS Photo Catalogue.Use with permission.

Elasmobranchs are found throughout

the Philippine Seas

Places of interest:

• Donsol, Sorsogon

– Whale shark feeding aggregation

Philippine Seas

• Manta Bowl, Ticao Pass

– Manta ray cleaning station

• Cagayan de Oro

– Highest concentration of Megamouth

shark strandings

• Malapascua Island, Cebu

– Thresher shark cleaning station


II. THRESHER FIN FACTS


Thresher Sharks

VULNERABLE


Pelagic Thresher Shark

Alopias pelagicus


Big-eye Thresher Shark

Alopias superciliosus


The big-eye thresher shark can be distinguished by its very large eyes

and indented forehead

Common Thresher Shark

Alopias vulpinus


The common thresher shark can be distinguished by their white

mottled abdomen and relatively small eyes.

Thresher Shark Dive Encounter

The Philippines is the

only place in the world

where you can dive

with thresher sharks!


with thresher sharks!




Apart from Monad Shoal in Malapascua,

SCUBA divers have also encountered

thresher sharks around:

• Apo Reef, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro


• Apo Reef, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro

• Burias Pass

• Tubbataha Reef

• Moalboal, Cebu

• Apo Island, Dauin, Negros Oriental

Monad Shoal: Cleaning station

Pelagic thresher sharks regularly visit Monad Shoal to get

cleaned of parasites by cleaner and moon wrasses.


Monad Shoal: Pupping ground


Aside from being a cleaning station, Monad Shoal

shows evidence of being a pupping ground as well.

Pescador Island: Feeding ground

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Thresher sharks use their tails as whips, which effectively kills or stuns their prey.Unique Fins2 September 2016 at BSpot Eton Cyberpod

III. PROTECTING SHARKS


Why protect sharks?


ENDANGERED

Threats

Photo by JAT Utzurrum


Life History Characteristics

• Slow-growing

• Long-lived

• Low natural mortality


• Late sexual maturity

• Low Fecundity

= LOW REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL

= LOW CAPACITY FOR POPULATION INCREASE

Shark Protection in the PhilippinesDomestic Policies

I. Republic Act 8550, The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998

a. Section 97. Fishing or Taking of Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species

“It shall be unlawful to take rare, threatened or endangered species as listed

in the CITES and as determined by the Department (DA-BFAR).”

II. Republic Act 10654, An Act to Prevent, Deter and II. Republic Act 10654, An Act to Prevent, Deter and

Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

a. Section 102. Fishing or Taking of Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species

III. Fisheries Administrative Order No. 193, S. 1998

Ban on the taking, catching, selling, purchasing and possessing, transporting

and exporting of Whale Sharks of Manta Rays (Manta birostris)



Relevant Laws and Policies

• Fisheries Administrative Orders

– FAO 193 (1998) Whale Sharks and Manta Ray

– FAO 208 (2001) Rare, threatened and endangered species

– FAO 233 (2010) Aquatic wildlife conservation– FAO 233 (2010) Aquatic wildlife conservation

– FAO 233-1 (2011) Export, import and re-export of aquatic wildlife

– FAO 233-2 (2012) Amended for fees

• Tourism Local Ordinances

– Donsol: Whale Shark Sanctuary and interaction guidelines

– Oslob: Whale Shark tourism

– Southern Leyte: Whale Shark tourism



IV. Local Ordinances

a. City of Batangas

• Ordinance No. 9 s. 2008 – “An Ordinance for the Protection of

Threatened Marine and their Critical Habitats within the Jurisdiction

of Batangas City ”

• Marine species known to be present: whales, dolphins, thresher

sharks, whale shark, marine turtles, some species of sea snake,

humphead wrasse, mouse grouper, corals, mangroves, giant clams,

chambered nautilus, and other shell species

b. Province of Cebu

• Cebu Provincial Board Ordinance No. 2014-15, penalizing the

catching, possession, and trading of all shark and ray species in Cebu.



c. Municipality of Daanbantayan, Cebu

• Executive Order 16-2015, designated Monad Shoal and Gato Island

as a shark and ray sanctuary, prohibiting catching and trading of all

shark and ray species

• Rare species such as thresher sharks, whitetip sharks, manta rays and

devil rays can be found in these areasdevil rays can be found in these areas

d. Municipality of Panglao

• Panglao Municipal Ordinance No. 02, Series of 2015

• Includes: thresher sharks, oceanic whitetip, hammerhead sharks,

bamboo shark, blacktip shark, reef and giant manta rays, stingray

Myliobatoidei, spotted eagle ray, ribbontail stingray



e. Palawan Province – Palawan Council for Sustainable

Development (PCSD)

• PCSD Resolution No. 15-521, s. 2015, which approves the updated

list of threatened terrestrial and marine wildlife in Palawan and their

categories, pursuant to RA 9147 or the Wildlife Act

• Sharks and rays listed are sawfishes, hammerhead sharks, pelagic • Sharks and rays listed are sawfishes, hammerhead sharks, pelagic

thresher shark, oceanic white tip, reticulate whip ray, porcupine ray,

tawny nurse shark, bull0head shark, manta ray, reef manta ray, whale

shark, bow mouth guitarfish, white-spotted guitarfish, smooth

hammerhead and the leopard/zebra shark.


Shark Protection in the PhilippinesInternational Policies

I. Conservation of Migratory Sharks (CMS)

The Philippines is a signatory to the CMS Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU), which protects the following:

– Shortfin Mako shark, Basking shark, Whale shark, Longfin Mako

shark, Great White shark, Porbeagle shark and Spiny Dogfish

II. Regional Fisheries Management Organizations II. Regional Fisheries Management Organizations

(RFMOs)

RFMO - an international body made up of countries sharing a

practical/financial interest in managing and conserving

fish stocks in a particular region

III. Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)


IV. CITES


Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

• An agreement between governments (known as Parties) • An agreement between governments (known as Parties)

to ensure that wild fauna and flora in international trade

are not exploited unsustainably

• The Philippines signed the Agreement on 18 August 1981

and came into force on 18 November 1981

• Meets every 3 years to approve or disapprove proposals


Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora



Species subject to CITES regulation are divided among three Appendices:

• Appendix I

� Includes species threatened with extinction

� International commercial trade is generally prohibited

• Appendix II• Appendix II

� Includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but trade must be controlled to avoid becoming threatened

� Includes species that resemble those included in Appendix I or II

� International trade is permitted but controlled

• Appendix III

� Includes species for which a country is asking Parties to help with its protection

� International trade is permitted but controlled



Shark and Ray species currently listed under CITES

Species Appendix Philippines

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus II (2003) Yes

Basking Shark, Cetorhinus maximus II (2003) Unconfirmed

Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias II (2005) Yes


Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias II (2005) Yes

Oceanic Whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus II (2013) Yes

Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna lewini II (2013) Yes

Great Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna mokarran II (2013) Yes

Smooth Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna zygaena II (2013) Yes

Porbeagle or Mackerel Shark, Lamna nasus II (2013) No

All Sawfish species, Pristidae spp. I (2007/2013) 3 species

Giant or Oceanic Manta, Manta birostris II (2013) Yes

Reef Manta, Manta alfredi II (2013) Yes



V. #PHsayYES


Treasured Thresher Sharks

The presence of thresher sharks fuels the local dive and tourism industries

in Daanbantayan, which accounts for 80% of the municipal economy.



The presence of thresher sharks ensures the livelihood of locals in

Daanbantayan and neighboring communities.



Walay iho, walay piso.


Treasured Sharks at Risk

There is no national or international law that protects

thresher sharks in the Philippines.50





Thresher Shark Fisheries

53

Thresher Shark Fisheries


CITES Appendix II Listing

Sri Lanka, formerly one of the world’s leading

thresher shark fishers, submitted a proposal to

list all three species of thresher sharks in

Appendix II.Appendix II.

The listing will be voted on during the

CITES 17th Conference of Parties (CoP) from

24 September to 5 October 2016.

SCHEDULED FOR 29 SEPTEMBER.552 September 2016 at BSpot Eton Cyberpod

#PHsayYes


#PHsayYES

Appeal to the Philippine Delegation to the 17th CoP to vote YES

to list all three species of thresher sharks

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#SaveThresherTala

Part of the Shark Stanley Campaign by PEW Charitable Trust in

2013 for elasmobranch CITES listing60

#SaveThresherTala

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Municipal Resolution

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The representatives of the people of Daanbantayan have spoken!#DBsaidYes in a

unanimous vote to ask the Philippine Delegate o #CoP17at #CITES to #PHsayYES in

order to #SaveThreaherTala and to#ProtectTheThreshers.

DRT Megamall 9-11 Sept

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How you can help

• Raise public awareness

• Get government to support the cause

• Get everyone to sign the petition

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• Get everyone to sign the petition

Thresher Sharks help Malapascua Island recover after Typhoon Yolanda

Protect the Thresher Shark Briefing #PHSayYes #WorldSayYes

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