Protecting our Remaining Shark Populations

This is why Shark Savers is working to establish Shark Sanctuaries: marine areas where sharks are fully protected by strong laws and enforcement and with the support and cooperation of local communities. Our program addresses both economic and environmental considerations, creating Shark Sanctuaries that are viable because they will produce a tangible economic benefit to local populations and provide sustainably financed enforcement of fishing regulations.

Why Do We Need Shark Sanctuaries?

Sharks are valuable

Sharks are much more valuable alive: to the ocean ecosystem, for greater bio-diversity and biomass, and to attract sustainable tourism income to local communities. Conserving sharks is good for sharks, good for the oceans and good for the communities that depend on the oceans.

Elimination of sharks can have disastrous effects further down the food chain. Studies show the impact may include the collapse of commercial fisheries and the degradation of coral reefs. Other studies demonstrate that ecosystems with healthy shark populations actually have higher numbers of other fish.

Still other research indicates that sharks are the #1 attraction on a dive trip. Shark ecotourism destinations around the world report the economic value of living sharks to be hundreds to even thousands of times greater than the one-time economic gain of killing a shark.

Sharks are disappearing

Sharks are being overfished throughout the world and are more vulnerable than other types of fish as they are slow to reach sexual maturity and produce few offspring. Up to 73 million sharks are killed annually, a third of open-ocean shark species are threatened with extinction, and some populations have plummeted 90% in recent decades.

Current management plans are not working to protect sharks. Fisheries managers, even countries committed to sustainable fishing, such as the US, Canada, and the EU, continue to allow industrial harvest of sharks despite the severely depleted state of their shark populations. International bodies such as the United Nations and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) have so far failed to protect sharks. Indeed, the 2010 CITES conference's inability to protect seven species of sharks in danger of extinction despite international support, clearly demonstrates why we cannot wait for these institutions to protect sharks. Governments move too slowly while sharks are being killed too quickly.

We need Shark Sanctuaries to protect the last remaining areas where sharks can still thrive.

The following is one of our recent films depicting one shark processing plant in Asia. It clearly demonstrates how sharks are being overfished at an unsustainable rate.

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Where are the Shark Sanctuaries?

Very few Shark Sanctuaries exist today. The island nations of Palau and The Maldives have established nation-wide Shark Sanctuaries only recently. Honduras declared a moratorium on shark fishing and is poised to enter the family of Shark Sanctuaries. General Marine Protected Areas, such as Cocos and Galapagos, also protect significant shark populations.

Shark Savers is now working to identify additional areas to protect sharks and aims to establish several new Shark Sanctuaries in coming years. Meanwhile we are working with our partners on the passage of legislation to ban the shark fin trade following the example set by Hawaii.

What will make Shark Sanctuaries successful?

In addition to strong laws, funded enforcement, community education and alternative livelihood options for shark fishermen, are essential elements to the long-term success of Shark Sanctuaries.

In each area, a unique plan will be developed to provide for the greatest degree of financial self-sufficiency and community commitment possible. Since diving will not always be the best or only means to support the Sanctuaries, we are partnering with other organizations to offer a range of sustainable employment alternatives to local communities.

One of the best ways to achieve this result is through underwater eco-tourism. We are creating a mechanism for the dive community and industry to directly engage in the establishment and funding of the enforcement and maintenance of Shark Sanctuaries, bringing new jobs and income into local communities. Divers appreciate the importance of protected marine environments and healthy shark populations perhaps more than any other group, and we believe many individual divers and dive companies will relish the opportunity to participate in establishing sustainable Shark Sanctuaries.
In addition, a new Shark Sanctuary website will enable every Shark Sanctuary to become a place of remote learning and a vehicle for appreciating the oceans and sharks. School classes and individuals will be able to interact with Sanctuaries, adopt sharks, and become members, while providing additional support and funding for the Sanctuaries.

Shark Sanctuaries will result in increased shark populations, greater biodiversity, and improved economic opportunities for local communities. Dive eco-tourism can create funding and economic incentives for protecting sharks. Thus, the Shark Sanctuaries will provide long-term sustainable employment options to local communities, great enjoyment and educational opportunities to divers and enthusiasts from around the world, and preserve the marine environment upon which we all depend.