News

Scientists have linked warming waters in the North Pacific to the increased presence of juvenile White Sharks in Monterey Bay, California. Representing a 600km northward shift in their usual range. These findings have implications for other marine life residing in the area. Namely the population of Southern Sea Otter’s that call Monterey Bay home.

Another positive step for the world’s fastest shark! Portugal have issued a ban on landing Shortfin Mako caught in North Atlantic high-seas fisheries. Where the majority of Portugal’s mako catch comes from. The latest announcements from Spain and Portugal about Shortfin Mako have the potential to turn the tide on the depleted North Atlantic population.

Scientist’s in Florida have developed a novel and minimally invasive way of determining what a shark has had for lunch. Using a trusty cotton swab, researchers collect faeces samples from a shark’s cloaca. We did say minimally invasive! Scientists can identify exactly what the shark has eaten by carrying out DNA analysis on the sample.

Another study, this time focusing on coastal sharks in The Bahamas, reinforces concerns over heavy metal accumulation in sharks. Large-bodied coastal sharks were documented to have concentrations of heavy metals deemed toxic for human consumption. Whilst sharks have legal protection in The Bahamas, these findings have broader implications for human health in nations where shark meat is consumed as an important source of protein.

Following on from the latest findings from the Global Shark Trends Project, shark scientists in Australia further emphasize the need for science-based management across a species range to protect highly mobile sharks. But, with the appropriate management in place and the necessary enforcement there is hope for vulnerable species.

Welcome news from Spain, as domestic fishing fleets are prohibited from retaining North Atlantic Shortfin Mako in 2021. A positive move from the Spanish Environment Ministry as they enforce the position taken by the EU’s CITES Scientific Review Group in 2020.

Disturbing news from the Global Shark Trends Project (GSTP) published in Nature. Oceanic sharks and rays have faced a decline of 71% in global abundance over the past 50 years. The main cause of this decline is a result of overfishing. This ground-breaking study reinforces the need for urgent science-based action for sharks and rays found in the high-seas.

New research into the Critically Endangered Shorttail Nurse Shark shows they have a much larger range than previously thought. Latest findings have identified this shark, which is endemic to southern Africa, in the waters off Mozambique. This represents a range extension of more than 2,000 km!

Marine scientists at the University of Exeter have discovered microplastics in four seabed dwelling sharks in the UK. They have found a total of 379 particles in the guts of 46 sharks. Highlighting the "pervasive nature of plastic pollution".