Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks

MacNeil, M. Aaron, Chapman, Demian D., Heupel, Michelle, Simpfendorfer, Colin A., Heithaus, Michael, Meekan, Mark, Harvey, Euan, Goetze, Jordan, Kiszka, Jeremy, Bond, Mark E., Currey-Randall, Leanne M., Speed, Conrad W., Sherman, C. Samantha, Rees, Matthew J., Udyawer, Vinay, Flowers, Kathryn I., Clementi, Gina, Valentin-Albanese, Jasmine, Gorham, Taylor, Adam, M. Shiham, Ali, Khadeeja, Pina-Amargós, Fabián, Angulo-Valdés, Jorge A., Asher, Jacob, Barcia, Laura García, Beaufort, Océane, Benjamin, Cecilie, Bernard, Anthony T.F, Berumen, Michael L., Bierwagen, Stacy, Bonnema, Erika, Bown, Rosalind M.K., Bradley, Darcy, Brooks, Edd, Brown, J. Jed, Buddo, Dayne, Burke, Patrick, Cáceres, Camila, Cardeñosa, Diego, Carrier, Jeffrey C., Caselle, Jennifer E., Charloo, Venkatesh, Claverie, Thomas, Clua, Eric, Cochran, Jesse E.M., Cook, Neil, Cramp, Jessica, D'Alberto, Brooke, de Graaf, Martin, Dornhege, Mareike, Estep, Andy, Fanovich, Lanya, Farabough, Naomi F., Fernando, Daniel, Flam, Anna L., Floros, Camilla, Fourqurean, Virginia, Garla, Ricardo, Gastrich, Kirk, George, Lachlan, Graham, Rory, Guttridge, Tristan, Hardenstine, Royale S., Heck, Stephen, Henderson, Aaron C., Hertler, Heidi, Hueter, Robert, Johnson, Mohini, Jupiter, Stacy, Kasana, Devanshi, Kessel, Steven T., Kiilu, Benedict, Kirata, Taratu, Kuguru, Baraka, Kyne, Fabian, Langlois, Tim, Lédée, Elodie J.I., Lindfield, Steve, Luna-Acosta, Andrea, Maggs, Jade, Manjaji-Matsumoto, B. Mabel, Marshall, Andrea, Matich, Philip, McCombs, Erin, McLean, Dianne, Meggs, Llewelyn, Moore, Stephen, Mukherji, Sushmita, Murray, Ryan, Kaimuddin, Muslimin, Newman, Stephen J., Nogués, Josep, Obota, Clay, O'Shea, Owen, Osuka, Kennedy, Papastamatiou, Yannis P., Perera, Nishan, Peterson, Bradley, Ponzo, Alessandro, Prasetyo, Andhika, Quamar, L.M. Sjamsul, Quinlan, Jessica, Ruiz-Abierno, Alexei, Sala, Enric, Samoilys, Melita, Schärer-Umpierre, Michelle, Schlaff, Audrey, Simpson, Nikola, Smith, Adam N.H., Sparks, Lauren, Tanna, Akshay, Torres, Rubén, Travers, Michael J., van Zinnicq Bergmann, Maurits, Vigliola, Laurent, Ward, Juney, Watts, Alexandra M., Wen, Colin, Whitman, Elizabeth, Wirsing, Aaron J., Wothke, Aljoscha, Zarza-Gonzâlez, Esteban, and Cinner, Joshua E. (2020) Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks. Nature, 583. pp. 801-803.

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Abstract

Decades of overexploitation have devastated shark populations, leaving considerable doubt as to their ecological status. Yet much of what is known about sharks has been inferred from catch records in industrial fisheries, whereas far less information is available about sharks that live in coastal habitats. Here we address this knowledge gap using data from more than 15,000 standardized baited remote underwater video stations that were deployed on 371 reefs in 58 nations to estimate the conservation status of reef sharks globally. Our results reveal the profound impact that fishing has had on reef shark populations: we observed no sharks on almost 20% of the surveyed reefs. Reef sharks were almost completely absent from reefs in several nations, and shark depletion was strongly related to socio-economic conditions such as the size and proximity of the nearest market, poor governance and the density of the human population. However, opportunities for the conservation of reef sharks remain: shark sanctuaries, closed areas, catch limits and an absence of gillnets and longlines were associated with a substantially higher relative abundance of reef sharks. These results reveal several policy pathways for the restoration and management of reef shark populations, from direct top-down management of fishing to indirect improvement of governance conditions. Reef shark populations will only have a high chance of recovery by engaging key socio-economic aspects of tropical fisheries.

Item ID: 64001
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1476-4687
Copyright Information: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2020
Funders: Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Projects and Grants: NSERC Canada Research Chairs Program
Date Deposited: 05 Aug 2020 07:46
FoR Codes: 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 100%
SEO Codes: 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180201 Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems @ 100%
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