From September 23rd to 25th, the 19th Annual Meeting of the Technical-Scientific Committee of the Regional Action Plan for Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras in the Southeast Pacific Region (CTC-PAR-Sharks) was held in Lima, Peru. This meeting was organized by the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific (CPPS). Scientists from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru participated. The Chilean delegation, composed of researchers Francisco Concha from the University of Valparaíso and Patricio Barría from the Fisheries Development Institute, attended the meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was to learn about the progress made by member countries in implementing the PAR-Sharks Regional Action Plan in the region across different lines of action. The strategic lines analyzed were: Research for management and conservation; Fisheries management, conservation and/or protection of species and ecosystems; Control and surveillance; Social and economic aspects; Training, communication, outreach, and strategic alliances. All countries presented their progress and advancements, and new methodologies were introduced to achieve and optimize results.
In addition, the progress of the work plan for the memorandum of understanding between the CPPS and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) was analyzed. In this regard, significant progress has been made in the work plans this year. The Chilean delegation presented a summary of the research activities carried out with countries in the region related to the blue shark fishery and the agenda of the “Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) Data and Scientific Research Workshop.” This activity was prepared with the scientific teams of the CPPS and the IATTC to begin with the conceptual model for the macro-scale stock assessment of the blue shark in the South Pacific. This joint research will last three years. This agenda was accepted and approved at the meeting by the CTC-PAR-Shark and includes the participation of multidisciplinary teams of researchers and technicians from all countries in the CPPS region and the participation of IATTC scientists, including countries with distant-water fleets.
During the meeting, the consultancy to update the Regional Action Plan (RAP) for sharks, rays, and chimaeras in the Southeast Pacific region was approved. This work will be carried out during 2025 and 2026.
Finally, all delegates of the Scientific Technical Committee recognized the significant progress made by the Shark RAP and its impact on public policies for the conservation and management of sharks, rays, and chimaeras, and their habitats in the region.
The CTC-PAR-Sharks also expressed concern about the status of chondrichthyans in the area of the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific, noting that States need to improve their landing statistics, identification, and scientific research on these species, and urging them to maintain and strengthen scientific observer programs to obtain data and information for fisheries management and the conservation of these species and their ecosystems.
