Sharks harvesting constitutes less than two per cent of the total fish landings in the country. The Exclusive Economic Zone has a harvestable potential of 1.68 lakh tonnes of elasmobranch (sharks, skates and rays) and the catch averaged only 61,591 tonnes between 1987 and 1999, according to a Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute report `Status of exploitation of pelagic sharks in EEZ of India'. The report assumes significance following the ban notification on shark, ray and other species by the Environment Ministry on July 11, incorporating the amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.