Fishing pressure is the main anthropogenic process threatening shark populations on a global and local scale. According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) landings in the last six decades have nearly tripled, resulting in a worldwide decline of shark populations. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) carried out extensive assessments worldwide on the conservation status of shark species, and recently considerable effort has been placed on local assessments of shark populations in the Indo-Australasian region (Cavanagh et al., 2003, White & Kyne, 2010). At the regional level, approximately 17% of the total number of species is under threat, being listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered
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Species with limited distributions, subjected to high fishing pressure throughout their range and with low rebound potential are under the highest threat of extinction (Field et al., 2009a). Sharks exhibit a variety of life history strategies, and fishing pressure varies greatly among shark species and geographic areas within the region. As a result different taxa are inherently more vulnerable than others, and species that may be under imminent threat of extinction in one region may be of no conservation concern in …show more content…
As a result the vast majority of Lamniformes are currently listed as under threat (Figure 2). Within this order are four families for which 100% of the species are listed as under threat throughout the region: Alopiidae (thresher sharks), Lamnidae (mackerel sharks), Odontaspididae (sand tiger sharks) and the monospecific family of the basking shark (Cetorhinidae). Another family of sharks that is of high conservation concern are the hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae, order Carcharhiniformes). Four species of hammerhead shark occur in the region, two of which are Endangered (Sphyrna lewini and Sphyrna mokarran), one Vulnerable (Sphyrna zygaena) and one Near Threatened (Eusphyra blochii). Hammerhead sharks are under heavy fishing pressure in the region, particularly in Indonesian waters where they are directly targeted (particularly S. lewini) for their fins and meat (White et al., 2008); as a result, they were recently listed on Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Since the stocks of these species are likely shared between Indonesia and neighbouring countries (Ovenden et al., 2009) , the effect of
Species with limited distributions, subjected to high fishing pressure throughout their range and with low rebound potential are under the highest threat of extinction (Field et al., 2009a). Sharks exhibit a variety of life history strategies, and fishing pressure varies greatly among shark species and geographic areas within the region. As a result different taxa are inherently more vulnerable than others, and species that may be under imminent threat of extinction in one region may be of no conservation concern in …show more content…
As a result the vast majority of Lamniformes are currently listed as under threat (Figure 2). Within this order are four families for which 100% of the species are listed as under threat throughout the region: Alopiidae (thresher sharks), Lamnidae (mackerel sharks), Odontaspididae (sand tiger sharks) and the monospecific family of the basking shark (Cetorhinidae). Another family of sharks that is of high conservation concern are the hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae, order Carcharhiniformes). Four species of hammerhead shark occur in the region, two of which are Endangered (Sphyrna lewini and Sphyrna mokarran), one Vulnerable (Sphyrna zygaena) and one Near Threatened (Eusphyra blochii). Hammerhead sharks are under heavy fishing pressure in the region, particularly in Indonesian waters where they are directly targeted (particularly S. lewini) for their fins and meat (White et al., 2008); as a result, they were recently listed on Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Since the stocks of these species are likely shared between Indonesia and neighbouring countries (Ovenden et al., 2009) , the effect of