There are about 110 shark species found in China’s seas of which 27 are found in the Yellow and Bohai Seas, 80 in the East China Sea and 94 in the South China Sea. The shark resources of the East and South China seas appear to be relatively abundant in view of the landings and the number of important species.
Detailed records or reports on the overall situation of shark stocks in Chinese territorial waters have not been found and, due to small landings, the government of China does not list shark production in their statistics. However, experts estimate that the China’s annual shark catch is between 10 and 15 000 tonnes. Large-scale shark fisheries have not been set up in China, probably because of the limited shark resources. The most common catching operations in shark fishery include longline, “brother” angling, trawling, gillnet and drift net. About 20% of the catch comes from directed shark fisheries and the remainder from bycatch. Shark fishing is equally common in the Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi areas. Shark landings in Guangdong and Fujian provinces represent 80% of the national shark production (40% each), and the remaining 20% are from the Guangxi, Zhejiang, Hainan and Shanghai areas. According to local governmental statistics, there are about 30 important shark fishing species found in the Fujian sea area, of which 21 are caught by longline, and the landings of all these species represent 80-85% of provincial landings. The important fishing species are Carcharhinus menisorrah, Carcharhinus sorrah, Carcharias latistomus, Scoliodon sorrakowa, Hypoprion macloti, Aprionodon brevipinna, hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp), Cetorhinus maximus and Chiloscyllium plagiosum. In 1996, 4 608 tonnes of shark were caught in Fujian province, 100 tonnes of Chiloscyllium plagiosum, 40 tonnes of Carcharhinus sorrah and 76 tonnes of Carcharhinus melanopterus. In Guangdong province shark catches are steady at 3-5 000 tonnes per year. 80% of provincial shark landings are obtained from longline and trawling bycatch. The major fishing operations concentrate on waters near Yangjiang, Huizhou and Shanwei cities. Yangjiang is the traditional shark fishing ground, harvesting one to 2 000 tonnes annually. The important fishing species are Carcharhinus sorrah, Carcharhinus gangeticus, Hypoprion atripinna, Carcharhinus microphthalmus, Sphyrna lewini and Carcharodon carcharias.
Table 2 Shark resources in China
|
SPECIES |
COMMON NAME |
Catch recorded in: |
Resource assessment |
|||
|
North China sea area* |
East China Sea |
Taiwan Strait |
South China Sea |
|||
|
HEXANCHIFORMES |
||||||
|
Hexanchidae |
||||||
|
Hexanchus griseus |
Bluntnose sixgill shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Notorhynchus platycephalus |
Broadnose sevengill shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Heptranchias perlo |
Sharpsnout sevengill shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Heptranchias dakini |
Dakin’s sevengill shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
HETERODONTIFORMES |
||||||
|
Heterodontidae |
||||||
|
Heterodontus japonicus |
Japanese bullhead shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Sighted |
|
Heterodontus zebra |
Zebra bullhead shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
LAMNIFORMES |
||||||
|
Odontaspididae |
||||||
|
Carcharias owstoni |
Owston’s sand shark |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Sighted |
|
Carcharias arenarias |
Sand shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Lamnidae |
||||||
|
Isurus glaucus |
Mackerel shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Carcharodon carcharias |
Man-eater/great white shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Cetorhinidae |
||||||
|
Cetorhinus maximus |
Basking shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Alopiidae |
||||||
|
Alopias pelagicus |
Pelagic thresher shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Alopias vulpinus |
Thresher shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
ORECTOLOBIFORMES |
||||||
|
Orectolobidae |
||||||
|
Orectolobus japonicus |
Japanese carpet shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Orectolobus maculatus |
Spotted carpet shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Stegostomatidae |
||||||
|
Stegostoma fasciatum |
Zebra shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Hemiscylliidae |
||||||
|
Chiloscyllium plagiosum |
Whitespotted bambooshark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Chiloscyllium griseum |
Grey bambooshark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Chiloscyllium punctatum |
Brownbanded bambooshark |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Chiloscyllium colax |
Ridge back catshark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Ginglymostomatidae |
||||||
|
Ginglymostoma ferrugineum |
Rusty shark |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Nebrius macrurus |
Tawny shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Parascylliidae |
||||||
|
Cirrhoscyllium expolitum |
Barbelthroat carpetshark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Rhincodontidae |
||||||
|
Rhincodon typus |
Whale shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
CARCHARHINIFORMES |
||||||
|
Scyliorhinidae |
||||||
|
Figaro melanobranchius |
Blackgill filetail shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Galeus eastmani |
Eastman’s filetail shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Galeus nipponensis |
Japanese filetail shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Galeus sauteri |
Blacktip sawtail catshark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Cephaloscyllium fasciatum |
Reticulated swellshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Cephaloscyllium. umbratile |
Marbled swellshark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Scyliorhinus torazame |
Cloudy catshark |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Sighted |
|
Halaelurus buergeri |
Blackspotted catshark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Apristurus microps |
Smalleye catshark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus platyrhynchus |
Spatulasnout catshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus verweyi |
Borneo catshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus longicephalus |
Longhead catshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus. sinensis |
South China catshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus macrorhynchus |
Flathead catshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus japonicus |
Japanese catshark |
|
Yes |
|
|
Unclear |
|
Apristurus. internatus |
|
|
Yes |
|
|
Unclear |
|
A. abbreviatus |
|
|
Yes |
|
|
Unclear |
|
Apristurus pinguis |
|
|
|
|
|
Unclear |
|
Apristurus canutus |
Hoary catshark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus herklotsi |
Longfin catshark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Apristurus nasutus |
Largenose catshark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Atelomycterus marmoratus |
Coral catshark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Proscylliidae |
||||||
|
Proscyllium habereri |
Haberer’s catshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Eridacnis radcliffei |
Pygmy ribbontail catshark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Triakidae |
||||||
|
Triakis venusta |
Spotted smooth dogfish |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Triakis scyllium |
Banded houndshark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Galeorhinus hyugaensis |
Blackfin soupfin shark |
|
Yes |
|
|
Unclear |
|
Galeorhinus japonicus |
Japanese soupfin shark |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Mustelus manazo |
Starspotted smooth-hound |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Important for fishing |
|
Mustelus griseus |
Spotless smooth-hound |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Mustelus kanekonis |
Japan smooth hound |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Hemigaleidae |
||||||
|
Negogaleus microstoma |
Weasel shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Negogaleus brachygnathus |
Shortnose shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Negogaleus balfouri |
Balfour’s shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Negogaleus macrostoma |
Bigmouth shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Paragaleus acutiventralis |
Sharp-ventral shark |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Carcharhinidae |
||||||
|
Triaenodon obesus |
Whitetip reef shark |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Galeocerdo cuvier |
Tiger shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Scoliodon sorrakowah |
Sharp head dog shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Scoliodon walbeehmi |
Walbeehm’s dog shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Scoliodon. palasorrah |
Short-fin dog shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Scoliodon. dumerili |
Dumeril’s dog shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Negaprion queenslandicus |
Queensland lemon shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Aprionodon brevipinna |
Spinner shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Hypoprion macloti |
Maclot’s shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Hypoprion atripinna |
Dusky-fin shark |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharhinus gangeticus |
Ganges shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharhinus albimarginatus |
Silvertip shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Carcharhinus microphthalmus |
Small eye shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharhinus pleurotaenia |
Crossband shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharias latistomus |
Bigmouth shark |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharhinus menisorrah |
Blackblotch shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharhinus dussumieri |
Whitecheek shark |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Carcharhinus melanopterus |
Blacktip reef shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharhinus longimanus |
Oceanic whitetip shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Carcharhinus obscurella |
Dusky shark |
|
Yes |
|
|
Sighted |
|
Carcharhinus sorrah |
Spottail shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Carcharhinus atrodorsus |
Blackback shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Carcharhinus. remotoides |
Copper shark |
|
Yes |
|
|
Unclear |
|
Physodon muelleri |
Muller’s shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Prionace glauca |
Blue shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Sphyrnidae |
||||||
|
Sphyrna zygaena |
Smooth hammerhead |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Sphyrna. lewini |
Scalloped hammer head |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Important for fishing |
|
Sphyrna. mokarran |
Great hammer head |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Sphyrna blochii |
Bloch’s hammer head |
|
|
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
SQUALIFORMES |
||||||
|
Squalidae |
||||||
|
Squalus acanthias |
Piked dogfish |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Frequently sighted |
|
Squalus mitsukurii |
Shortspine spurdog |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Squalus. brevirostris |
Shortnose dogfish |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Scymnodon niger |
Velvet dogfish |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Scymnodon squamulosus |
Velvet dogfish |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Pseudocentrophorus isodon |
|
|
|
|
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Deania aciculata |
Arrow head dogfish |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
Unclear |
|
Centrophorus acus |
Needle dogfish |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Centrophorus granulosus |
Gulper shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Centrophorus squamosus |
Leafscale gulper shark |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Centrophorus tesselatus |
Mosaic gulper shark |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Centrophorus robustus |
Gulper shark |
|
Yes |
|
|
Unclear |
|
Centrophorus squamulosus |
Velvet dogfish |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Centroscyllium kamoharai |
Bareskin dogfish |
|
Yes |
|
|
Unclear |
|
Centroscyllium fabricii |
Black dogfish |
|
|
|
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Centroscyllium nigrum |
Combtooth dogfish |
|
|
|
Yes |
Unclear |
|
Centroscymnus owstoni |
Roughskin dogfish |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
Etmopterus lucifer |
Lucifer shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Frequently sighted |
|
Etmopterus pusillus |
Smooth lanternshark |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
SQUATINIFORMES |
||||||
|
Squatinidae |
||||||
|
Squatina japonica |
Japanese angel shark |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Sighted |
|
Squatina nebulosa |
Clouded angel shark |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Sighted |
|
PRISTIOPHORIFORMES |
||||||
|
Pristiophoridae |
||||||
|
Pristiophorus japonicus |
Japanese saw shark |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Sighted |
*North China sea area = Yellow and Bohai Sea
