Shark Depredation and Unwanted Bycatch in Pelagic Longline Fisheries- Industry Practices and Attitudes, and Shark Avoidance Strategies

This study shows that fishers possess the knowledge to modify their
fishing gear and methods to maximize shark catch. Sharks are
particularly vulnerable to overexploitation and slow to recover from
large population declines. The expanding exploitation of sharks, for
their fins as well as meat, warrants concern for the health of shark
populations as well as ecosystem-level effects from population
declines. This is compounded by the absence of effective management
frameworks in most fisheries, in combination with the lack of both
reliable fishery-dependent data and fundamental biological
information for most shark species. Of the 12 fisheries included in this
study, only two are subject to shark retention trip limits, while five have
no measures to manage shark interactions. Thus, to prepare for a possible
increase in demand for shark meat, in areas where sharks are target
species or could become targets, fishery management authorities are
encouraged to begin effective data collection, monitoring and
precautionary shark management measures to ensure that shark
fishing mortality levels are sustainable.