Establishing Science-Based Shark Catch Limits

Scientists estimate that shark populations around the world continue to decline. Because there is little information about the numbers and species of sharks caught by fisheries, they have had trouble assessing the status of populations and estimating sustainable catch levels. Therefore, there is a clear need to develop a methodology to assist in setting sustainable management targets (e.g. catch limits) for sharks in the absence of information.

To address these issues, the Lenfest Ocean Program convened a workshop of international shark experts to develop a suite of tools for setting management targets for shark populations. Because these tools are applicable in data poor situations and useful in multijurisdictional situations, they can provide scientists and resource managers with the information they need to develop sustainable shark management measures.