Saving our sharks

Pakistan has announced its first national action plan for shark conservation, marking a long-overdue effort to protect its declining marine biodiversity. The 10-year initiative, unveiled by Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, seeks to restore the shark declining populations. With an estimated funding requirement of $3.8 million to $5 million during its first five years, the plan offers a framework for addressing a problem that has received insufficient attention despite its ecological and economic consequences. According to a 2021 assessment by WWF-Pakistan, shark landings in the country fell by more than 85% over five decades. Although falling catches do not necessarily reflect the precise extent of population loss, they point to a deeply troubling deterioration in Pakistan's marine resources. Sharks play an important role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, and their disappearance can disrupt food webs and threaten the health of other marine species. Their conservation is essential to safeguarding the long-term productivity of fisheries that support thousands of coastal households. Yet destructive fishing practices and the commercial demand for shark fins continue to place vulnerable species under pressure. Equally important is the involvement of coastal fishing communities, whose livelihoods cannot be ignored in the pursuit of conservation. The government's proposed measures are necessary steps towards addressing these threats. However, enforcement must extend beyond regulatory announcements to fishing harbours and commercial operations, where illegal catches and the trade in protected species must be effectively monitored. Federal and provincial authorities will need to coordinate their efforts, while scientific research must inform fishing restrictions and habitat protection. The proposed National Advisory Committee must be empowered to oversee implementation, while annual performance assessments should be made public to ensure accountability.