The Inaugural meeting of the Shark Alliance
Brussels, 17th, 18th & 19th April 2007

Following its acceptance of membership to the recently formed Shark Alliance, Save Our Sharks (SOS) a UK based sea angler shark conservation group attended the first anniversary and inaugural meeting of the Shark Alliance member groups in Brussels.  The Shark Alliance is an amalgamation of like-minded non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) with a specific interest in sharks and shark conservation, although many groups clearly have a much wider ranging remit that covers Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, marine temporal and tropical habitats, and marine fish and fisheries.  The assembled group consisted of mainly European NGO’s, although this is likely as a result of the European venue, other groups from as far as the United States, South Africa and Australia which also hold membership of the Shark Alliance were deterred due to the cost and travelling distance involved.  Nevertheless, around 11 member groups from approximately from 6 countries, including the U.K, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands attended in addition to lead personnel from the Pew Charitable Trust.

Save Our Sharks were represented by Nigel Proctor (on behalf of the SOS committee) who met up at Brussels airport with the Sea Anglers Conservation Network (Scotland) representative, Denis Kelly. 

With some in trepidation and a feeling of the unknown, we checked into our hotel and then made our way to the informal reception held to facilitate a group welcome and familiarisation.  However, we need not have concerned ourselves as a warm welcome was received from all, the evening was spent in a relaxing atmosphere, which afforded an opportunity to promote ourselves (SOS & SACN) and learn more about our new colleagues, their groups and their interests. We spoke at length with both Uta Bellion and Chuck Fox of the Pew Trust, and amongst others Oceana, the Shark Trust, representatives from the European Elasmobranch Association, Coral Reef Care and a Dutch Scuba shark conservation group.  Once the informal icebreaker session had abated, a few of us retired to a local hostelry (SOS, North Sea Foundation/Coral reef Care, Oceana and Chuck Fox from Pew) for further discussion on each other’s views, principals and positions/aims.

The following morning, Elaine Lawrence, the meeting facilitator, introduced Uta Bellion and other steering group members, and commenced the morning’s procedures at 09:30am.  Subsequently all members introduced themselves, their groups and provided a brief outline of their area of interest. 

Following the introductions, the steering group members gave more detailed presentations on their work, aims and where they see the Shark Alliance progressing in the future.  From these presentations and ensuing dialogue, group members were able to see more clearly, the path that the steering group is aiming to pursue.  One of the biggest issues facing the Alliance is that of the current finning regulations, clearly there is a significant degree of ambiguity within the current regulation and large-scale malpractice with regard to how the regulations are interpreted.  Clearly the Spanish, Portuguese and to a lesser extent France, are the largest harvesters within this fishery, although the UK is relatively high on the European list (predominantly through flagged ships ��" Spanish).  The fin ��" carcass ratio varies significantly between method of processing, where processed (at sea or ashore), region and by country, there is little joined up thinking on this issue, although the SA was highly successful in lobbying the EU parliament to discard the Spanish proposed increase.  During the discussions on the fin ��" carcass ratio, experienced steering group members gave a brief overview of the Lenfest finning workshop, sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trust, which brought together many of the lead scientists on shark fisheries.  Whilst the report is as yet unavailable for public consumption, a clear outcome, amongst many, was that finning should cease, and that fins and carcasses should be landed whole, i.e. a ‘Fins On’ policy was the preferred option.  It is this option that the SA is to follow and lobby for within EU member states and the EU parliament in general.

There was further discussion on how to achieve the CITES designation for the proffered species and Ali Hood of the Shark Trust announced during her presentation that they intended to hold a ‘Shark Week’, which whilst initially a UK notion, there are however, real benefits to extending this to other member states, to encourage each member group in the individual countries to organise their own ‘shark week’ taking projects both into the local community (aquaria, schools, youth clubs and local museums) and on a national scale, if possible.  The principal driver to this would be to raise public awareness on the plight of shark species, population declines and other issues such as finning.

Before the break, and during the mornings procedures, the facilitator had drafted a set of aims for which the group may strive to achieve in the forthcoming period, briefly at the end of the session everyone contributed to finalising these aims and the definitions involved.

After the morning break, the groups were split up into smaller working groups to try and determine how these aims may be best achieved, what is required?  How do we carry this out?  The groups were separated into 4 groups consisting 5 to 8 delegates and following approximately 35 minutes of discussion, each group reported back with its findings.  There appeared to be general consensus that in order to be effective the Shark Alliance had to, amongst other things;

strive to raise public awareness of shark related issues,
create adequate publicity and maintain the pressure,
educate journalists away from ‘sensationalism’ without portraying sharks as an animal they clearly are not, they are apex predators, not cuddly, loveable ‘toys’,
pre-influence the journalist way of thinking prior to ‘shark week’ and Ocean Day,
feed the media with facts and data to ‘force’ the attention on sharks prior to EU discussions on shark management,
similarly with CITES,
important to maintain ‘shark friendly’ states and get them to lobby less friendly countries,
lobby the UK to dispense with its ‘special permits’,
ensure that the Shark Alliance has a high profile at the release and showing of the new shark film,
don’t alienate the fishing industry,
work with fishermen, more is likely to be achieved at a faster rate,

There were many other issues and points made, however, these are the principal ones

After Lunch, we (Myself, Denis Kelly, Sonja Fordham, Ali Hood(set off to see the fisheries attaché at the UK European office.  Unfortunately, upon our arrival we were informed he had been taken ill that morning, however, a colleague of his, Nigel Barclay, an attaché of similar status would meet with us.  Having found our way ‘up into the gods’ of the UK office we sat and discussed the issues of shark conservation and management.  This was led by Ali Hood and Sonja Fordham in an extremely efficient and encouraging manner, both Denis and I did have an opportunity to make a few limited points, but the lead was taken by Ali and Sonja. 

Despite the length of the meeting, there was very little in the way of an outcome, other than to confirm that the Brussels office takes it lead from Whitehall and as a consequence it is Whitehall that should be lobbied appropriately in order to force policy in the EU.

We returned back to the meeting room and following a coffee break each group provided a summary of their meeting.  Following an hours break and evening buffet, the steering group members facilitated a discussion on policy and effective lobbying.  The evening finished with a ‘free bar’ and strangely the same group from the previous evening were left propping the bar up until the wee hours, however, the perception of anglers and sea angler led conservation has had its profile raised significantly.  An additional upshot of our liaison with the Pew Charitable Trust was that they have in recent times been lobbying John Prescott,
The following morning Denis had to leave to catch an early flight, and I was able to stay as my flight was not until late afternoon.  The morning was taken up entirely by presentations that could not be fitted into the member group day.  There was however, one last opportunity to make a couple of points; Ali gave another presentation on the Sharks Trusts work and made reference to the association with the angling fraternity.  At the end I reiterated the high level importance UK anglers attached to sharks, and skates and rays, making the point that the bad old days of trophy fish were long gone.  I finished off by indicating our commitment and referencing the prohibition on the landing of tope along the English east coast (c 200 miles of coastline) which to the best of my knowledge is the first full protection, and or prohibition on the landing of any shark species in European waters.  This brought about a warm and consensual round of applause, which probably indicates that we are not outcasts any more, but highly regarded and welcome members of an important Shark Alliance.
On a personal note; I have very little to add to that view expressed by Denis, other than to confirm that we were made extremely welcome and are clearly treated as being amongst equals, if but a little less experienced in the ways of policy and lobbying.  We have made significant moves along the pathway of shark conservation and have little to fear in the future, in terms of acceptability, we have a lot to offer and should not be afraid to push forward with our objectives, we can gain a great deal from liaison with the other member groups of the Shark Alliance, however, we also have a great deal to offer as well.

Nigel Proctor
Save Our Sharks Co-ordinator for the Shark Alliance