National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks on the High Seas.

The National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks on the High Seas is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The overall purpose of this policy is to ensure the conservation and management of sharks and their sustainable use on the high seas and in the Exclusive Economic Zone under the responsibility of the Belize Fisheries Department. The main objectives of this policy are: (I) sustainable shark catches from directed and non-directed fisheries, (II) special attention to vulnerable shark stocks, (III) minimization of waste and discards from shark catches, (IV) optimal use of dead sharks, (V) the documentation/categorization and reporting of species-specific catch and landing data and monitoring of shark catches through bilateral cooperation between States, (VI) strengthened cooperation with regional and sub-regional fisheries organizations with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of shark stocks, (VII) strengthened cooperation with other States to strive to ensure effective conservation and management of transboundary, straddling, highly migratory and high seas stocks of sharks and data sharing, (VIII) collaboration in research, training and the production of information and educational material through FAO and the major RFMOs and other international arrangements, and (IX) implementation of measures, such as national inspection programs and observer coverage for vessels that target shark exclusively so as to ensure proper monitoring, data collection and recording.