From August 12–21, 2025, the Kingdom of Tonga hosted the 21st annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Scientific Committee (SC21). For those unfamiliar, the Scientific Committee is the technical engine room of the WCPFC. It’s where scientists present stock assessments, analyze fisheries data, and make recommendations that feed directly into Commission decisions on conservation and management. Without sound science, management measures are little more than guesswork, and for species under pressure like sharks, guesswork is a recipe for collapse.
That’s why NGO observers like Sharks Pacific participate in this process. Our role is to bring independent perspectives, highlight blind spots, and ensure transparency and accountability. We help connect the science to the real-world operational practices that determine whether conservation measures succeed or fail. If data gaps, weak practices, or poor compliance are undermining shark protections, we say so, plainly and directly.
At SC21, there were some encouraging steps forward for sharks and rays:
- Improved observer data collection: The Committee recognized the urgent need for better observer data to track shark abundance and post-release survival. This work will directly inform the review of key shark conservation measures.
- Addressing data gaps: SC21 recommended that the Inter-sessional Working Group on the Regional Observer Programme (IWG-ROP) identify gaps in shark data, particularly around species identification and length measurements. This is critical, given troubling discrepancies such as observers recording fewer oceanic whitetip sharks than were recorded in logbooks in some regions.
- New projects for 2026: The Committee endorsed three shark-focused projects:
- A general characterization of data-poor shark stocks;
- Epigenetic and stock structure analysis of Southwest Pacific mako sharks; and
- Post-release survival studies of oceanic whitetip sharks.
- Observer coverage and bycatch estimates: SC21 once again noted the lack of sufficient data to provide reliable bycatch estimates in longline fisheries. With limited observer coverage, scientists are flying blind. The Committee urged the Commission to expand human and electronic monitoring to improve accuracy.
- Biological sampling regime: There was agreement to improve shark biological sampling, which constitutes an important building block for better stock assessments.
- Mobulid mortality: SC21 stressed the importance of further research into post-release mortality of manta and devil rays, which remain especially vulnerable to fisheries interactions.
- Integrating survival data: The Committee asked scientists to advise how post-release survival data for sharks can be incorporated into bycatch impact assessments and used to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures.
- Learning from others: SC21 took note of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission’s (IATTC) process for developing best handling and release practice (BHRP) guidelines for sharks. The Committee agreed these guidelines will be a valuable reference when WCPFC next reviews its own shark conservation measure.
This is where our interventions mattered. We pressed the Committee to address operational practices that undercut both science and conservation. For example, we fought hard to get the strongest language to date in support of increasing observer coverage. We also emphasised the requirement for longline crews to pull sharks within view of observers or electronic monitoring cameras to ensure accurate species identification as well as enforcing the use of extendable line cutters and removing trailing gear as close to the hook as possible, reducinges post-release mortality dramatically. These are science-based, practical solutions required under existing regulations and proven to be highly effective in places like French Polynesia.
Likewise, we strongly supported adopting shark Best Handling and Release Practices. The evidence is clear: how sharks are handled makes the difference between survival and death. Cutting gear short, minimizing handling, and keeping sharks in the water during release can double survival rates. Prohibited practices like dragging sharks or lifting them by their gills are not just bad science, but they’re cruel and unnecessary.
The bottom line from SC21: we still face huge gaps in shark data and conservation, but the building blocks exist. Now it’s up to the Commission to act on the science. Sharks and rays don’t need more lip service, rather they need operational, enforceable measures that translate commitments into tangible shark conservation.
