Quantifying longline bycatch mortality for pelagic sharks in western Pacific shark sanctuaries.

ABSTRACT: Marine protected areas are increasingly touted for their role in conserving large marine predators such as sharks, but their efficacy is debated. Seventeen "shark sanctuaries" have been established globally, but longline fishing continues within many such jurisdictions, leading to unknown levels of bycatch mortality levels. Using public data from Global Fishing Watch and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, we quantified longline fishing within eight shark sanctuaries and estimated pelagic shark catch and mortality for seven pelagic shark species. Sanctuary mortality ranged from 600 individuals (Samoa) to 36,256 individuals (Federated States of Micronesia), equivalent to ~5% of hypothesized sustainable levels for blue sharks to ~40% for silky sharks, with high mortality levels in t

SUBMITTER: Shea BD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10431710 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature