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In recent years, ICCAT has developed a variety of recommendations and resolutions related to the conservation of sharks within ICCAT's Convention Area. Although the RFMO is to manage highly-migratory fish species, sharks are known to be caught as bycatch in many targeted fisheries such as swordfish and tuna. As a Contracting Party, Canada fully complies with and supports ICCAT's management measures for the conservation of sharks, whether they are targeted in a fishery or caught incidentally. Canada also continues to work with other States in other RFMOs, such as NAFO, to implement measures to enhance data collection on sharks, to encourage other States to develop national plans of action for sharks and to allow for better stock assessments to be completed within the regulatory area. For example, Article 12 of the NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures, "Conservation and Management of Sharks", requires Contracting Parties to report all catches of sharks, bans discards of any part of the shark retained on board aside from the head, guts or skin, and includes requirements for the release of live sharks. At its 2011 annual meeting, NAFO members also agreed to revise Article 25, "Monitoring of Catch", to specify that all shark species shall be reported at the species level. As a member of WCPFC and IATTC, Canada also complies with their respective shark conservation and management measures despite having no directed shark fishery or known interactions with sharks in their respective regulatory areas.
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