ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced Pakistan’s inaugural 10-year national plan of action for shark conservation and management on Tuesday, aiming to promote sustainable fisheries management.
According to Press Information Department, the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks Pakistan 2025-2035) will unfold in three phases over the next decade under the leadership of the Marine Fisheries Department, with oversight by a multi-stakeholder National Advisory Committee. An estimated $3.8 million to $5 million will be needed for the first five years, sourced from government allocations, international donors, and private-sector contributions.
The plan seeks to restore shark populations, eliminate illegal finning, reduce bycatch mortality, protect critical habitats, improve coastal livelihoods, and promote sustainable shark fisheries management by 2035. It lays out a framework for enhancing data collection and research, strengthening fisheries management and enforcement, and introducing measures such as mandatory fins-naturally-attached policies and species-specific protections.
Additional provisions include habitat protection through shark sanctuaries and mangrove restoration, measures to reduce bycatch across fisheries, and engagement with fishing communities through livelihood support. International cooperation, including with the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, is also a component of the framework.
The plan’s progress will be measured through annual performance indicators, such as landing-site monitoring coverage, completion of stock assessments, deployment of vessel monitoring systems, and reductions in bycatch mortality, with formal reviews every three years.
According to the minister, the plan aligns with Pakistan’s ecological, institutional, and socioeconomic conditions, reflecting the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s International Plan of Action for Sharks and other international best practices. It covers all chondrichthyan species in Pakistani waters, focusing on shark species targeted by fisheries or facing significant bycatch mortality. While the primary focus is on sharks, the management frameworks will also benefit other elasmobranch species.
The development of the national action plan fulfills Pakistan’s obligations as a shark-fishing nation under international fisheries law, as encouraged by the FAO International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks. The minister emphasized the importance of responsible marine resource management, highlighting stronger measures to protect vulnerable shark species as both a national responsibility and part of Pakistan’s international environmental obligations.