Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries
Photo credit: © Neil-Hammerschlag
Nuno Queiroz, Nicolas E. Humphries, Ana Couto, Marisa Vedor, Ivo da Costa, Ana M. M. Sequeira, Gonzalo Mucientes, António M. Santos Francisco J. Abascal, Debra L. Abercrombie, Katya Abrantes, David Acuña- Marrero, André S. Afonso, Pedro Afonso, Darrell Anders, Gonzalo Araujo, Randall Arauz, Pascal Bach, Adam Barnett, Diego Bernal, Michael L. Berumen, Sandra Bessudo Lion, Natalia P. A. Bezerra, Antonin V. Blaison, Barbara A. Block, Mark E. Bond, Ramón Bonfil, Russell W. Bradford, Camrin D. Braun, Edward J. Brooks, Annabelle Brooks, Judith Brown, Barry D. Bruce, Michael E. Byrne, Steven E. Campana, Aaron B. Carlisle, Demian D. Chapman, Taylor K. Chapple, John Chisholm, Christopher R. Clarke, Eric G. Clua, Jesse E. M. Cochran, Estelle C. Crochelet, Laurent Dagorn, Ryan Daly, Daniel Devia Cortés, Thomas K. Doyle, Michael Drew, Clinton A. J. Duffy, Thor Erikson, Eduardo Espinoza, Luciana C. Ferreira, Francesco Ferretti, John D. Filmalter, G. Chris Fischer, Richard Fitzpatrick, Jorge Fontes, Fabien Forget, Mark Fowler, Malcolm P. Francis, Austin J. Gallagher, Enrico Gennari, Simon D. Goldsworthy, Matthew J. Gollock, Jonathan R. Green, Johan A. Gustafson, Tristan L. Guttridge, Hector M. Guzman, Neil Hammerschlag, Luke Harman, Fábio H. V. Hazin, Matthew Heard, Alex R. Hearn, John C. Holdsworth, Bonnie J. Holmes, Lucy A. Howey, Mauricio Hoyos, Robert E. Hueter, Nigel E. Hussey, Charlie Huveneers, Dylan T. Irion, David M. P. Jacoby, Oliver J. D. Jewell, Ryan Johnson, Lance K. B. Jordan, Salvador J. Jorgensen, Warren Joyce, Clare A. Keating Daly, James T. Ketchum, A. Peter Klimley, Alison A. Kock, Pieter Koen, Felipe Ladino, Fernanda O. Lana, James S. E. Lea, Fiona Llewellyn, Warrick S. Lyon, Anna MacDonnell, Bruno C. L. Macena, Heather Marshall, Jaime D. McAllister, Rory McAuley, Michael A. Meÿer, John J. Morris, Emily R. Nelson, Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Toby A. Patterson, Cesar Peñaherrera-Palma, Julian G. Pepperell, Simon J. Pierce, Francois Poisson, Lina Maria Quintero, Andrew J. Richardson, Paul J. Rogers, Christoph A. Rohner, David R. L. Rowat, Melita Samoilys, Jayson M. Semmens, Marcus Sheaves, George Shillinger, Mahmood Shivji, Sarika Singh, Gregory B. Skomal, Malcolm J. Smale, Laurenne B. Snyders, German Soler, Marc Soria, Kilian M. Stehfest, John D. Stevens, Simon R. Thorrold, Mariana T. Tolotti, Alison Towner, Paulo Travassos, John P. Tyminski, Frederic Vandeperre, Jeremy J. Vaudo, Yuuki Y. Watanabe, Sam B. Weber, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Timothy D. White, Sean Williams, Patricia M. Zárate, Robert Harcourt, Graeme C. Hays, Mark G. Meekan, Michele Thums, Xabier Irigoien, Victor M. Eguiluz, Carlos M. Duarte, Lara L. Sousa, Samantha J. Simpson, Emily J. Southall & David W. Sims.
Nature 572, 461–466 (2019)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1444-4
Abstract
Effective ocean management and the conservation of highly migratory species depend on resolving the overlap between animal movements and distributions, and fishing effort. However, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach that combines satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries. Space-use hotspots of commercially valuable sharks and of internationally protected species had the highest overlap with longlines (up to 76% and 64%, respectively), and were also associated with significant increases in fishing effort. We conclude that pelagic sharks have limited spatial refuge from current levels of fishing effort in marine areas beyond national jurisdictions (the high seas). Our results demonstrate an urgent need for conservation and management measures at high-seas hotspots of shark space use, and highlight the potential of simultaneous satellite surveillance of megafauna and fishers as a tool for near-real-time, dynamic management.
Keywords: Sharks, conservation, migrations, fisheries