SCTB16 Working Paper

BBRG–2

The Shark Longline Fishery in Papua New Guinea

(A paper prepared for the Billfish and By-catch Research Group, at the 176th Meeting
of the Standing Committee on Tuna and Billfish,
Mooloolaba, Australia, 9th – 16th July 2003)

Ludwig Kumoru

Papua New Guinea National Fisheries Authority,

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

June 2003
Introduction
Shark fishing has a long history in Papua New Guinea, and in certain areas of the
country, sharks have considerable cultural significance. Artisanal and community
fishers have contributed to the trade in dried shark fins, whilst various larger scale
fisheries for shark have operated in the more recent past. A drift net fishery for shark
and other species operated in the Gulf of Papua during the early 1980s, but ceased
as catch rates declined and international sanctions on drift net fishing were applied; a
trial fishery for liver oil from deep water sharks was carried out in the early 1990s.
The present shark longline fishery developed in the mid 1990s and comprises freezer
longline vessels that were initially licensed as tuna longline vessels at the time the
domestic tuna longline fishery was developing. These vessels, attracted by higher
prices for shark products, especially fins, and a readily available market for shark
meat, increasingly targetted sharks. This change in operations was regarded as
unregulated fishing and in response, the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) in 2001,
took steps towards introducing a Shark Longline Management Plan, which now
governs the operation of the shark fishery in PNG. It is considered that a small well
regulated shark fishery targeting primarily pelagic carcharhinid species is sustainable
in the extensive EEZ of PNG.
The shark fishery is now the fifth most valuable export fishery, after tuna, prawns,
beche-de-mer and lobster, and is worth about K8 million (U$2 million) annually.

The Fishery

The fleet
In past, up to 21 vessels (year 2000) have targetted shark, after initially operating in
the tuna longline fishery. In 2002, the shark longline fishery, involving freezer
vessels, was recognized as a separate fishery subject to a Management Plan. The
fishery currently has nine freezer longline vessels, which were initially licensed as
tuna vessels. They are mostly 20m to 30m LOA, and between 60 to 170 GRT (Table
1). All, except one, have fibreglass hulls and generally use between10 to 20 crew,
mostly Papua New Guinean. Participation in the fishery is restricted to citizen
companies

Table 1 Vessels currently licensed to fish sharks in PNG

Source:NFA records
Vessel Name LOA (m) GRT No. Crew Hull Material
Neptune 38 22 62.87 14 Fibreglass
Neptune 68 22.6 75.88 14 Fibreglass
Hung Hua No. 11 33.7 158.88 21 Fibreglass
Weng Sheng No.1 29.66 172.00 19 Fibreglass
Feng Jung Chin No.1 26.6 99.41 15 Fibreglass
Chin Li No. 118 20.3 98.46 8 Fibreglass
Wan Feng 20.2 96.79 10 Fibreglass
Yu Fu No. 11 23.81 144.92 12 Steel
Feng Jung No. 20 17.83 72.65 6 Fibreglass

Fishing Operations
Gear used
The longline gear is set nearer the surface than is the case with tuna longline
vessels, employing this and other techniques to more effectively target the various
shark species.
Two types of gear are deployed by various vessels in the fleet. The first is typical
monofilament (400lb), with four hooks between baskets, a float line length of 15m,
10m branch lines and 60m between branch lines (1&2=60, 2&3=80 3&4=40). The

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branch line comprises 1m 3 strand polypropylene, 1m monofilament (200lb), and 1m
trace wire with hook. The second gear is the traditional tarred Kuralon (7mm), with a
float line length of 40m, branch line length of 5m and distance between branch lines
of 15 meters. The branch line material is 3 strand polypropylene (3mm) with similar
terminal gear.
Under the Management Plan, a maximum of 1,200 hooks per set, or 10,800 per day
for the nine vessels, is permitted
Based on observer data collected from 34 sets during 2002, an average hook depth
of 72.3m (range 35-108m) was measured.
Bait used in most instances is skipjack or kawakawa, purchased from Taiwan and
delivered by the reefers that export the shark catch. Damaged tuna in the catch may
also be used.

Shooting and Hauling process

Sets start normally in the afternoons and hauling in the early mornings. Setting takes
about 4-5 hours and retrieval about 7-8 hours. Soak time is normally about 8-10 hrs.
Shooting is done without line thrower, with manual retrieval of the branch lines.

Catch handling & processing on board

The sharks are electrocuted before hauling on deck. The fishermen use a grappling
pole attached to a 110 volt wiring system to electrocute the sharks. Electrocution
takes 25 to 30 seconds depending on the condition of shark. Once immobilized, the
sharks are gaffed aboard. They are then headed, gutted, tailed and finned, and the
carcass trimmed, typically leaving 60% of the original whole weight. The processed
sharks are then blast frozen for 24 to 36 hours in the contact freezers before storage
in the fish holds. Fins are removed for freezing, and make up around 6% of the whole
weight. Tunas and billfish are similarly headed and gutted, then frozen.

Catch details

Catch data
Prior to 2002, logsheet coverage of the fishery was poor (<30%), partly because the
available tuna longline logsheet made little allowance for accurate recording of the
shark catch. Logsheets for the shark longline fishery were introduced in 2002, and
coverage has improved but remains incomplete, with species composition not yet
accurately recorded on the new catch forms.
Observer data remains the best source of information on fishing operations and
species composition of the catch.

Total catch
Estimates of the shark longline catch for 2002, based on available logsheet data for 3
vessels and landings data for six vessels indicate a total catch of 1,965t, of which
shark (dressed weight) made up 1,530t, tunas 119t and billfish 251t.
This compares with recorded exports (shark meat) during 2002 of 1,328t as at June
2003, with increasing quantities of shark known to have been processed in PNG for
local consumption during 2002.
Based on the available export data, possibly incomplete, catches prior to 2002 were
larger than this, peaking in 2000, when 21 vessels operated full or part time in the
fishery and 1,747 of shark meat was recorded as being exported. The fishery has
taken over 2,000t whole weight of shark since 1999, based on the export data.

Catch Composition
Shark makes up more than 80% of the catch by weight, with tuna and billfish
comprising the balance of the catch, along with a range of other fish species (Table
2). The tuna catch is mostly yellowfin tuna, whilst swordfish, blue marlin and sailfish

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dominate the billfish catch. Barracuda and deep bottom snappers are most common
of the range of other species taken. Most of the catch of all species groups is
retained.

Table 2: Species composition and fate of the main group of fishes in the PNG
shark longline fishery (Source: SPC observer data for trips before 2002; fate % may
not total 100% since data not recorded for some captures)

SPECIES COMPOSITION FATE

SPECIES No.% Wt.% CPUE Ret % Disc %
SHARKS 78.0 80.7 34.87 83 11
TUNA 5.5 5.9 2.47 83 10
BILLFISH 6.5 8.4 2.90 86 10
OTHERS 9.8 4.8 4.41 81 13
MARINE TURTLES … … … 0 100
MARINE MAMMALS … … … 0 100
*Total observed HOOKs for period prior to (01 Jan 2002) 374,659 hooks
*Total observed SETS for period prior to (01 Jan 2002) 355 sets
*CPUE Number per 1,000 hooks
* … Greater than zero (0), but less than resolution allows

The main shark species taken are oceanic in habitat (Table 3), although the fishery
operates close to seamounts and non-emergent reefs which are not defined in the
Management Plan. Based on observer data, silky sharks (C.falciformis) and oceanic
white tip (C.longimanus) dominate the shark catch by weight (58%), but some more
coastal species, such as grey reef sharks (C.amblyrhynchos) and silvertip
(C.albimarginatus), are also taken in significant numbers, along with a range of other
species such as blacktip, hammerhead, blue, thresher, mako, tiger, and crocodile
sharks plus some pelagic rays. The fins and meat of most species are marketable,
but the meat of some species is of low value e.g. blue shark and may not be
retained.

Table 3. Species composition of the shark catch and fate of the main shark
species taken
(Source: SPC observer data for trips before 2002; CPUE as nos. per 1,000 hooks; fate % may not total
100% since data not recorded for some captures)

Trips prior to 01 Jan. 2002

SPECIES COMPOSITION FATE
SPECIES No.% Wt.% CPUE Ret % Disc %
SILKY SHARK 49.3 47.4 17.00 94 4
OCEANIC WHITETIP SHARK 9.1 10.9 3.15 84 8
GREY REEF SHARK 11.2 9.0 3.85 81 6
BLACKTIP SHARK 8.7 3.6 3.03 86 13
SILVERTIP SHARK 6.2 4.8 2.17 88 11
HAMMERHEAD SHARKS 4.8 7.9 1.68 68 26
BLUE SHARK 2.2 2.8 0.8 12 73
OTHER SHARKS 8.5 13.6 4.1 59 39

Area of fishing and species distribution

The fleet operates over most parts of PNG waters, outside 6 miles of land and
associated reefs, as required under the Management Plan. The most important areas
in terms of catch include the coastal waters Gulf of Papua, the Louisiade Archipelago
the Bismark Archipelago, and the Admiralty Islands. Figure 1, the longline catch by
species from observed sets, indicates that the silky shark was the most widely

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distributed species in the catch, with the oceanic whitetip and the grey reef shark
prominent in oceanic and coastal areas respectively, and silvertip sharks common
around the Admiralty Islands.
145E 150E 155E 160E

0
0

5S
5S

Shark Target Catch

540
270
54
10S

10S
Silky
Grey_Reef
Silver_tip
Oceanic_White_tip
Sharks
Yellowfin
Tuna
Billfish
Fish
145E 150E 155E 160E

Figure 1: Longline catch by species from observed sets from the shark target
fishery for 1999 to 2002 by degree of latitude and longitude.
(Catch is recorded by number of fish and the size of the pie chart is proportional to the
magnitude of the total number of fish. The data set includes a total of 219 sets)
(Source :SPC observer data)

Marketing/disposal of catch
Most of the shark catch is exported frozen, both meat and fins, primarily to markets in
Taiwan. During 2002, an increasing amount of the shark catch was processed locally
to supply food bars, but no data are available on the amount involved.
Frozen tuna and billfish are also exported, with landed by-catch generally entering
local markets

Exports
Table lists shark exports by year since 1998. As noted earlier these figures, which
may be incomplete, peaked in 2000. The figures also include small amounts of shark
taken as by-catch in the tuna longline fishery.

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Table 4. Shark exports by year, 1998 –2002, dressed weight and value (USD)
(Source – NFA data; includes some exports from tuna longline vessels; USD export values ($‘000,000)
bracketed)

Frozen shark meat Frozen sharkfin Destination

1998 793 (0.64) 69.6 (1.20) Taiwan

1999 1,320 (0.92) 79.7 (0.97) Taiwan, Singapore
2000 1,747 (0.86) 109.6 (0.98) Taiwan, Hong Kong
2001 1,483 (0.77) 138.4 (1.11) Taiwan, Japan
2002 1,329 (0.51) 111.0 (0.83) Taiwan

Management Plan
The Shark Longline Management Plan was approved by the National Fisheries
Board in December 2002 and will gazetted in June 2003. The Plan recognizes
longline shark fishing, based primarily on oceanic shark species, as a legitimate
sustainable fishery if subject to proper management.

Essential features of the Plan are as follows:

• Participation in the fishery to be licensed, and restricted to citizen companies
• No charter of foreign vessels; most crew PNG citizens except 3 noiminated
positions
• Only nine listed vessels, operating as freezer vessels, to be licensed, on an
annually renewable basis; reduction of vessels from the fishery if necessary
• Maximum aggregate of 10,800 hooks per day
• Fishing prohibited inside 6 nautical miles from land, island or declared reef
• Annual TAC of 2,000t dressed weight from the fishery, including discards
• Logsheet, landings and export data required; 20% observer coverage
• Prohibition on at-sea transhipment
• Establishment of National Advisory Committee, to meet annually and advise
NFA on management of the fishery
• Cooperation in research on the fishery required.