Such activity became legal at the end of July. And while the law still dictates that shark takes can only occur when creatures are caught accidentally as 'by-catch', it is widely expected that fishermen will exploit this loophole to go after sharks on a major scale.
The Galapagos Islands, famous as Charles Darwin's research ground and still rich in its diversity of marine and terrestrial species, are expected particularly to suffer.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Galapagos are one part of Ecuadorian waters where a total ban on shark take remains. But the move to otherwise allow by-catch of sharks, and their legal landing and sale, is expected in reality to place a great burden on the Galapagos where, historically, large numbers of sharks have been caught.
'We are concerned that this repeal will open the flood gates for illegal shark fishing,' the UK-based Galapagos Conservation Trust has said. 'The authorities that will be responsible for monitoring shark by-catch are under-staffed, under-trained, and will be overwhelmed as this repeal takes hold. The implementation of these regulations will be extremely problematic and open to interference.'
Sea Shepherd, the US-based conservation group which has been heavily involved in Galapagos operations and campaigning, has condemned the latest move. And from the world of diving, Peter Hughes, one of a small number of liveaboard charter companies licensed to run operations in the Galapagos, has said that the latest decree 'will prove absolutely devastating to the sharks and marine population of the Galapagos'.
'If you have visited the Galapagos, you have already experienced the thriving populations of hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, whale sharks and multiple species of rays,' it said. 'Galapagos is where the sharks are. And that's where the fishermen are going to go to get them.'
It would be 'virtually impossible' for the country's 'relatively small navy and a very limited government fisheries department' to assess exactly where shark catches had been taken from the sea, which would be 'extremely bad news for the Galapagos'.
The company is joining other groups in attempting to persuade President Rafael Correa to reinstitute the original ban decree and, if anything, strengthen enforcement of law banning fishing for sharks in all of the country's territorial waters.
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