Sharks International 2014 Keynote: Colin Simpfendorfer

This past June shark researchers gathered in Durban, South Africa for the second annual Sharks International conference. Colin Simpfendorfer, Director of the Center for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture at James Cook University, presented as one of the keynote speakers on Sharks, Fisheries and the Future. Below you will find the recording of his presentation and a summary of his key points.

25% of sharks and rays are threatened with an elevated risk of extinction. However, while fishing is the biggest threat to these species, shark finning is not the biggest issue. In fact, more ray species are considered threatened, than shark species.

All shark populations have the potential to be fished in a sustainable fashion, it's just a matter of finding out what level of fishing mortality is allowable while maintaining healthy populations. A major obstacle currently preventing sustainable fishing of sharks and rays, is the knowledge crisis. Most species are data deficient, which means we don't have accurate knowledge of the species abundance, life history, or ecology to implement proper management.

Sharks and ray species that are fast growing, and have a higher reproductive rate are more likely to succeed under sustainable fishing practices. In addition, sustainable fishing is more likely to work in developed countries where resources are higher. This is because, in order to run a sustainable fishery scientists must be hired to conduct research and take stock of the species being captured, and run assessments in order to recommend management and regulations. Once management has been put in place enforcement of these regulations must take place requiring even more resources.

While the idea of sustainable fishing of sharks and rays is a simple idea it's difficult to execute because it requires research, lots of resources, and commitment. Fisheries are multispecies, which complicates matters, as every species requires different management plans. In addition, bycatch creates more problems, and requires more resources to understand, regulate, and promote preventive measures.

Unfortunately, we cannot just stop fishing for sharks and rays. Many communities rely on these species for food, and the growing human population is going to increase demand. Instead we need to focus on improving our understanding of shark and ray species to take us out of our knowledge crisis so we can improve management. We also need to improve political will, as this is what provides much needed resources and funding for data collection, assessments, and regulation enforcement.