An article published by the BBC and authored by Christopher Clark and Shaun Swingler highlights the unseen effects of the world economies on shark populations. Reporting from Congo-Brazzaville, they highlight how global factors, like oil prices, civil war, overfishing, and the COVID-19 pandemic have forced artisanal fisherman and communities to rely on shark meat as a source of protein.
A new online tool to aid researchers, marine managers and lay people to identify shark species is now available. Elasmo Key allows the user to input physical characteristics, geographical and type of habitat, protected status, and scientific names. It will then produce an illustrated list of shark species that have these characteristics.
A paper authored by researchers at the the University of Hong Kong and published in the journal Marine Policy has found that only 12% of shark fisheries can be considered sustainable. This means that 25,000 tons of shark fin on the market is obtained from unsustainable sources.
he journal Science Direct has posted a paper that attempts to catalog the positive economic effects of shark conservation to the Bahamas. Around US$ 113.8 million is generated annually by the shark diving industry for the local economy.