A global overview of shark sanctuary regulations and their impact on shark fisheries

Ward-Paige, Christine A.

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2017.05.004

Cited by 92 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Marine protected areas (MPAs), areas where extractive activities are restricted or prohibited, have become an important tool to help resource managers conserve and protect marine ecosystems and resources. While the ability of MPAs to protect marine species will depend on many factors, including the location of the MPAs, the spatial ecology of species of interest, and the level of enforcement, MPAs have the potential to provide protection to many marine taxa, including mobile species such as sharks (Edgar et al, 2014;Ward-Paige, 2017;White et al, 2017;Speed et al, 2018). Due to their known and perceived conservation benefits, the number of MPAs has increased dramatically over the past five decades (Worm, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Space Use of Mobile Fishes in a Large Marine Protected Area With Methodological Considerations in Acoustic Array Design

et al. 2019

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Space Use of Mobile Fishes in a Large Marine Protected Area With Methodological Considerations in Acoustic Array Design

et al. 2019

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“…These issues are pertinent to the establishment of management strategies such as marine protected areas (MPAs) (Bond et al 2012;White et al 2017) and shark sanctuaries (Ward-Paige et al 2012) that have been promoted as a means of ensuring the conservation and recovery of shark populations. They add to other unanswered questions about this approach to management and its efficacy (Davidson 2012), such as the optimal size and placement of MPAs, whether they are useful for all components of a shark fauna including wide-ranging apex predators (Ward-Paige et al 2012) and mesopredators (White et al 2017), and the level of enforcement that is required to have desired effects for shark populations (Ward-Paige 2017). It is generally agreed that strict enforcement is paramount to the success of an MPA Dulvy 2006;Edgar et al 2014;Gill et al 2017), although even well-managed parks such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park have seen declines in common species of reef sharks due to illegal fishing in no-take zones ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for rapid recovery of shark populations within a coral reef marine protected area

Speed

Cappo

Meekan

2018

Biological Conservation

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There is limited evidence on the rate at which the shark populations of coral reefs can rebound from over-exploitation, the baselines that might signify when recovery has occurred and the role of no-take Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in aiding this process. We surveyed shark assemblages at Ashmore Reef in Western Australia using baited remote underwater video Stations in 2004 prior to enforcement of MPA status and then again in 2016 after eight years of strict enforcement. We found an increase in the relative mean abundance of Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos from 0.16 ± 0.06 individuals/hr -1 in 2004 to 0.74 ± 0.11 individuals/hr -1 in 2016, a change that was also accompanied by a shift in the assemblage of sharks to greater proportions of apex species (from 7.1% to 11.9%) and reef sharks (from 28.6% to 57.6%), and a decrease in the proportional abundance of lower trophic level species (from 64.3% to 30.5%). Abundances and trophic assemblage of sharks at Ashmore Reef in 2004 resembled those of the Scott Reefs, where targeted fishing for sharks still occurs, whereas in 2016, abundances and trophic structures had recovered to resemble those of the Rowley Shoals, a reef system that has been a strictly enforced MPA for over 25 years. The shift in abundance and community structure coincident with strict enforcement of the MPA at Ashmore Reef has occurred at a rate greater than predicted by demographic models, implying the action of compensatory processes in recovery. Our study shows that shark communities can recover rapidly after exploitation in a well-managed no-take MPA.

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“…Further, we continue to see declines in shark populations within some large MPAs (Graham, Spalding, & Sheppard, ; White, Myers, Flemming, & Baum, ). In the face of the recent and rapidly increasing trend of large MPAs and Shark Sanctuaries, and notwithstanding recent assessments of Shark Sanctuaries and their regulations (Ward‐Paige, ; Ward‐Paige & Worm, ), there is a need to take a step back and evaluate (a) whether shark and ray‐focused MPAs are perceived to be achieving their desired outcomes, and (b) what the people driving the establishment of MPAs perceive as desired outcomes, including the means for achieving them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sharks, rays and marine protected areas: A critical evaluation of current perspectives

2018

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Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly advocated for the conservation and management of sharks and rays. However, substantial uncertainty remains regarding which species can benefit from MPAs. Meanwhile, area‐focused protection targets have spurred recent and rapid gains in the creation of large MPAs, many of which carry vague objectives set by a diverse group of stakeholders with potentially different notions of “success.” Here, we capture and critically evaluate current views on the use of MPAs for shark and ray conservation. Through interviews with scientists, MPA managers, fisheries experts, conservation practitioners, advocates and policy experts (n = 53), we demonstrate a variety of perspectives regarding: (a) the effectiveness of MPAs as a tool for shark and ray conservation; (b) which factors influence the success of MPAs for sharks and rays; and (c) the desired outcomes of these MPAs. While MPAs created specifically for sharks and rays were viewed to be slightly more effective than regular MPAs as a tool for shark and ray conservation, both were generally considered insufficient in isolation. Despite greater emphasis on social success factors (e.g., local support) over biophysical success factors (e.g., size), biological outcomes (e.g., increased abundance) were prioritized over social outcomes (e.g., livelihood benefits). We argue that a stronger focus on achieving social outcomes can enhance the potential for MPAs to benefit sharks and rays. In revealing current thinking regarding the drivers and indicators of MPA success for sharks and rays, the results of this study can inform efforts to conserve and manage these species.

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A global overview of shark sanctuary regulations and their impact on shark fisheries

Cited by 92 publications

References 28 publications

Estimating Space Use of Mobile Fishes in a Large Marine Protected Area With Methodological Considerations in Acoustic Array Design

Estimating Space Use of Mobile Fishes in a Large Marine Protected Area With Methodological Considerations in Acoustic Array Design

Evidence for rapid recovery of shark populations within a coral reef marine protected area

Sharks, rays and marine protected areas: A critical evaluation of current perspectives

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