Shark conservation

Shark conservation is the protection and management of shark species and the ecosystems they inhabit. It addresses threats such as overfishing, habitat loss, and bycatch.

Shark finning: The practice of removing a shark’s fins, often discarding the rest of its body at sea. Finning drives targeted mortality and is addressed by bans and landing rules.
Shark fin trade: The commercial exchange of shark fins, chiefly for food products such as shark-fin soup. Trade controls target a major market linked to shark mortality.
Shark depletion: A decline in shark abundance caused by pressures such as fishing and habitat degradation. Population declines are the central problem conservation measures seek to reverse.
Fishing quota: A legally or administratively set limit on the amount of a species that may be caught. Quotas regulate allowable catch, unlike sanctuaries that restrict fishing by location.
Bycatch: The unintended capture of non-target species during fishing operations. Sharks caught incidentally can die even where targeted shark fishing is restricted.
Shark bycatch mitigation: Fishing practices and gear changes designed to reduce unintended shark capture or mortality. These measures address sharks harmed by fisheries targeting other species.
Trophic cascade: An ecological chain reaction in which changes at one trophic level affect others. Removing predators can alter prey abundance and reverberate through food webs.
Fishing moratorium: A temporary or indefinite suspension of fishing for a species or in an area. A moratorium halts specified fishing, while broader management may allow controlled harvest.
Shark sanctuaries: Marine areas where national or regional rules prohibit or restrict shark fishing. Sanctuaries protect sharks by limiting fishing across designated waters.
Shark ecotourism: Tourism centered on observing sharks in their natural habitats. Well-managed tourism can create local incentives to protect living sharks.

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