Brazilian lawmakers are considering new policies that could provide sharks extra protections, according to Mongabay.
Blue sharks are the last shark species that is legal to catch in Brazilian waters, and they have been a frequent target for the bustling shark fin trade.
A recent review by the government's National Environmental Council resulted in the recommendation to rescind the previous regulation allowing blue shark fishing. The ordinance, which previously dictated blue shark fishing conditions, was already quite limiting, having reduced the number of approved methods from 19 to two. Even these methods were deemed unacceptable due to the sensitivity of shark populations, a lack of oversight of their use, and their indiscriminate nature.
Eliminating the use of one of these methods, wire leaders, could reduce threatened species bycatch in protected areas by up to 40%.
This move comes on the heels of recent revelations that the Brazilian government itself had been buying shark meat in bulk to supply school cafeterias.
"This directly impacts our international commitments, which we have been undertaking in the areas of marine biodiversity and even climate, given the proven importance of top predators in maintaining the ocean's carbon cycle," said motion author José Truda Palazzo Junior, per Mongabay.
Sharks, along with other large sea animals, play a vital role in the ocean's carbon cycle. They store significant amounts of it in their bodies over the course of long lifetimes, then keep it sequestered when sinking to the bottom of the seabed after death. New legal protections could ensure this natural storage continues. As apex predators, sharks are also key in keeping prey species in check.
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Besides ecological benefits, eliminating shark fishing from Brazilian coasts has public health benefits, too, as the animals bioaccumulate a wide range of toxins. Removing the option from human food sources means keeping those toxins out of people as well.
For now, the National Environmental Council's recommendation on blue sharks is non-binding. Brazil's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources will need to vote on the issue to bring more restrictions on blue shark fishing into legal force.
Ongoing Brazilian shark protections are already yielding fruit. The rare shortfin mako was spotted off the coast of Rio de Janeiro recently, for example.
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