They have an important role in marine life
Sharks play an important role in maintaining the food web and marine balance in our ocean’s ecosystem – they are one of the top predators of the seas.
But many shark species have been over exploited because their fins are highly valued for shark fin soup. Some sharks are captured in fisheries and also as by-catch in other non-directed fisheries.
There are also biological factors that leave many species of sharks vulnerable to overfishing. Sharks are characterised by relatively slow growth, late sexual maturity, and a small number of young per brood.
Compounding the situation is the general lack of data reporting on the catch of sharks but as demand for shark products continue to rise, some shark species are already considered as endangered.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international organisation working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, there are 465 shark species in the world.
They are grouped into four categories, in order of vulnerability: near threatened, vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered.
Eleven species, including Ganges shark and Angel sharks, are considered ‘critically endangered’; 15 species are in the ‘endangered’ list, including great hammerhead and broadfin shark.
Categorised as ‘vulnerable’ are 48 species such as whale shark, great white shark and basking shark; while near threatened are 67 species that include bull shark and tiger shark.
There is also a fifth category that falls under the classification as “data deficient” which means the IUCN lacks sufficient data to make a determination. This is equivalent to 45 per cent of the shark species assessed, which requires the need for further study and research.
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