Contrary to their reputation, sharks are an increasingly threatened group of animals. Sitting at the top of the food chain, many shark species are not used to being the victim of other predators. Over the millions of years they have swum the oceans, sharks have evolved reproductive strategies that suit animals that would naturally only ever die of old age. Most shark species have K selected reproductive strategies, which makes them more akin to marine mammals than other fish. In other words, they reach sexual maturity late in life, produce few young and only after long gestation periods. This means they are not easily able to replenish their numbers when their mortality rate increases and are extremely vulnerable to over-fishing.

Shark over-fishing is a serious global problem, as species struggle to cope with the increasing demands, for example for fish and chips in the west and for shark fin soup in Asian cuisine. Many shark species are suffering population crashes and local extinctions are becoming common.

Critically endangered Grey Nurse Shark with large recreational fishing hook caught in its jaw.
- Image courtesy of Steve Thurston 2001 -

HSI works hard to defend threatened sharks and increase their protection both in Australia and internationally. Our shark campaigning efforts include:

Domestic efforts

• HSI nominations have led to threatened species protection for the Great White and Grey Nurse sharks under NSW, Victorian, Tasmanian and Commonwealth legislation. Both species suffered heavy population losses at the hands of recreational game fishers in the 1970s and 1980s. Even though both species are now protected in most jurisdictions in Australia, they are still caught as incidental bycatch in commercial fisheries and it is suspected that Grey Nurse sharks are often caught by recreational fishermen, both accidentally and intentionally.
  
  
• Thanks to HSI's nomination work the Grey Nurse shark is now protected as 'critically endangered' on the east-coast of Australia, receiving the highest level of protection possible for a species under federal law. It is estimated that there may be fewer than 500 Grey Nurse sharks left on the east-coast, so few that they are thought to be having breeding difficulties. HSI is seriously worried that the Grey Nurse shark may become extinct on the east-coast within a few decades.
  
  
• HSI campaigned for many years for the protection of critical habitat sites for the Grey Nurse Shark. The 2 in Commonwealth jurisdiction – Solitary Islands and Cod Grounds - are now Marine Protected Areas, while there is differing levels of protection afforded to the sites in QLD and NSW waters. HSI continues to support action to improve protection for these areas – particularly those in NSW waters.
  
  
• HSI campaigners are members of the NSW and Federal Recovery Teams for the Grey Nurse and Great White Sharks and advocate the inclusion of strong conservation measures in both governments’ Recovery Plans. We have called for commercial and recreational fishing to be banned in critical habitat sites, the removal of shark control nets which kill rather than exclude sharks from beaches and moratoriums on taking these animals from the wild for aquaria.
  
  
• HSI is also a member of the Federal Government's Shark Advisory Group developing Australia's National Plan of Action for Sharks. HSI is promoting measures in the Plan that will bring an end to unsustainable fishing practices such as over-fishing and the wasteful and often cruel practice of finning sharks and throwing their trunks over-board. We are also calling for the National Plan of Action to ensure suitable threatened species protection for the growing number of shark species that need it.
  
  
• Thanks to nominations by HSI, beach meshing (shark control nets) have been listed as a Key Threatening Process (KTP) under the both the NSW Fisheries Management Act and the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act due to the threat posed to the grey nurse shark, marine turtles, humpback whales and other wildlife. The NSW Government is now required to develop a Threat Abatement Plan which could phase out the nets and investigate humane and less ecologically damaging alternatives. It is incredible that the NSW Government still operates the program despite the recognition in law that it threatens the survival of protected species.
  
  
• HSI is proud that our lobbying and media campaigns have already led to shark finning bans in most state and commonwealth waters in Australia. Prior to a ban on finning, Commonwealth tuna fisheries in Australia were catching and finning an estimated 50,000 sharks a year. We are urging the Australian Government to work with countries like the United States that have also introduced finning bans to promote an international ban on the practice. HSI is also working hard to ensure that there is a requirement in all Commonwealth and State fisheries for all sharks to be landed with their fins attached. 
  
  On the international front
  
  
• HSI lobbying led to Australia pushing for a listing for the Great White Shark at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Great White Shark is highly prized for its jaws, which can fetch tens of thousands of dollars from US and European collectors. The species was listed on Appendix III by Australia at CoP12 and up listed to Appendix II at CoP13.
  
  
• HSI is a member of the Species Survival Network Fish Working Group, which is also campaigning for CITES protection for a number of shark species, threatened by international trade for their meat, oil and fins. The Species Survival Network is a coalition of conservation NGOs from around the world seeking protection for species in international trade.
  
  
• HSI lobbied for international action to protect the Whale Shark and Great White Shark under the Bonn Convention for Migratory Species (CMS). Such highly migratory species will benefit from a Regional Agreement amongst their range states.
  
  
• HSI is currently lobbying for an international agreement under the auspices of the CMS Convention which would provide binding protection for the conservation and management of CMS listed shark species. HSI was an adviser on the Australian Government’s delegation to a meeting to start negotiations for a CMS shark agreement in December 2007.
  
  
• HSI was instrumental in lobbying for new text to be adopted via a resolution under the United Nations General Assembly on shark finning in 2007, requesting specific measures such as limiting catch or fishing effort, requiring that vessels collect and regularly report data on shark catches, discards and landings, undertaking comprehensive stock assessments of sharks and reducing shark by-catch. In an unprecedented move, the resolution also adopted language to encourage that all sharks should be landed with their fins attached to their carcasses.
  
  
• HSI continues to lobby for greater bycatch mitigation efforts for sharks at various meetings of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs).
  
  
  To view our detailed Policy recommendations to the Australian Government, see our Shark Conservation Policy