Can shark resources be harvested sustainably? A question revisited with a review of shark fisheries

1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence I. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Shark Species ◽  
Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽  
Common Assumption ◽  
Sphyrna Tiburo ◽  
Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Modelling Techniques ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Galeorhinus Galeus ◽  
Slow Growing

Sharks and other chondrichthyans are often described as long lived, slow growing and producing few offspring. These biological characteristics, together with the common assumption that recruitment is directly related to stock, and pessimistic stock prognoses obtained from application of demographic analysis, have led to doubts that sharks can be harvested sustainably. Developed over the past 40 or so years from studies of only a few shark species, these doubts have been reinforced by declining catch rates in industrial, artisanal and recreational fisheries and in fishing programmes designed to reduce the risk of sharks attacking humans at bathing beaches. However, more recent studies and application of modelling techniques allowing for density-dependent responses to the effects of stock reduction indicate that shark stocks can be harvested sustainably and, if carefully managed, can provide very stable fisheries. It is now understood that some species (such as Galeorhinus galeus, Carcharhinus plumbeus, Carcharodon carcharias and several species of dogfish) have low productivity, whereas other species (such as Mustelus antarcticus, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, Sphyrna tiburo and Prionace glauca) have higher productivity. This paper reviews the use of shark products, the effects of fishing on shark populations of the world, and recent developments in assessment of shark fishery stocks.

scholarly journals Patterns in abundance and size of sharks in northwestern Australia: cause for optimism

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-82
Author(s):  
Matias Braccini ◽  
Brett Molony ◽  
Nick Blay
Keyword(s):  
Life Histories ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
Sandbar Shark ◽  
Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Scalloped Hammerhead ◽  
Carcharhinus Obscurus ◽  
Northwestern Australia ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Catch Rates

Abstract Reliable information for population assessments is rare for sharks. We quantified patterns in catch rates and mean size for numerous tropical and subtropical species from 15 years of fishery-independent surveys (2002–2017) in northwestern Australia. This study region represents an area of ~0.8 million km2 which was closed to commercial shark fishing from 1993 or 2005 onward due to the very high State-wide catches of sandbar (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus) sharks. A total of 43 shark and ray species were sampled, with sandbar shark being the most commonly caught species, followed by milk (Rhizoprionodon acutus), spot-tail (Carcharhinus sorrah), tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier), blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus and Carcharhinus tilstoni), dusky and sliteye (Loxodon macrorhinus) sharks, and scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini). For sandbar shark, catch rates increased between 2008 and 2017 whereas for other taxa catch rates were mostly stable (albeit fluctuating). Mean size at capture fluctuated across years with no particular trends. Unlike for other parts of the world, catch rates and mean size of northwestern Australian sharks have been stable or increased in recent years. Though most shark species have conservative life histories, when science, management and enforcement work synergistically, sustainable resource use, recovery and conservation outcomes can all be achieved.

scholarly journals NUEVOS REGISTROS DE COPÉPODOS PARÁSITOS (COPEPODA: PANDARIDAE, EUDACTYLINIDAE, CALIGIDAE) EN CINCO ESPECIES DE TIBURONES (PISCES: ELASMOBRANCHIA) EN EL GOLFO DE MÉXICO

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Amparo Rodríguez-Santiago ◽  
Samuel Gómez ◽  
Mayra I. Grano-Maldonado
Keyword(s):  
Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽  
Carcharhinus Limbatus ◽  
Sphyrna Tiburo ◽  
Carcharhinus Leucas ◽  
Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae ◽  
Distribución Geográfica

El presente estudio es parte de una investigación en curso de los copépodos parásitos de peces de las aguas costeras en el Estado de Campeche (sur del Golfo de México). El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir las especies de copépodos parásitos que se encontraron en cinco especies de tiburones: Carcharhinus leucas (Müller & Henle, 1839), Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller & Henle, 1839), Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827), Rhizoprionodon terraenovae (Richardson, 1836), y Sphyrna tiburo (Linnaeus, 1758). Aexcepción de R. terraenovae, todas las especies de tiburones estuvieron infectados al menos con una especie de copépodo. Un total de ocho especies de copépodos fueron encontrados: Nesippus orientalis Heller, 1865, Nemesis sp. y Paralebion elongatusWilson C.B., 1911 en C. leucas (n = 6); Tuxophorus caligodesWilson C.B., 1908, Lepeophtheirus longispinosus Wilson C.B., 1908 y Pandarus sinuatus Say, 1818 en C. limbatus (n = 9); Pandarus sp. en C. plumbeus (n = 4); y Eudactylina longispina Bere, 1936 en S. tiburo (n = 24). La ocurrencia de estas especies de copépodos en estos tiburones del Golfo de México constituye nuevos registros de hospedero y extienden su distribución geográfica conocida, y contribuye al conocimiento de la biodiversidad de los copépodos parásitos en México.

scholarly journals Recent Developments in the Modelling of Transformer Windings

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2798
Author(s):  
Konstanty M. Gawrylczyk ◽  
Szymon Banaszak
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Frequency Response ◽  
Input Data ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Modelling Techniques ◽  
Lumped Parameters ◽  
Wave Phenomena ◽  
Modelling Methods ◽  
Direct Calculations

The paper provides a review of the modelling techniques used to simulate the frequency response of transformer windings. The aim of the research and development of modelling methods was to analyze the influence of deformations and faults in the windings on the changes in the frequency response. All described methods are given with examples of the modelling results performed by the authors of this paper and from literature sources. The research is prefaced with a thorough literature review. There are described models based on lumped parameters with input data coming from direct calculations based on the winding geometry and obtained from FEM modelling software and models considering the wave phenomena in the windings. The analysis was also performed for practical problems in winding modelling: the influence of windings other than the modelled one and the influence of parallel wires in a winding.

scholarly journals Population genetics of the school shark (Galeorhinus galeus) in New Zealand, Australian and Chilean waters

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sebastián Ignacio Hernández Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Dna Markers ◽  
Microsatellite Dna ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
Microsatellite Dna Markers ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Galeorhinus Galeus ◽  
Shark Fisheries

<p>The school shark (Galeorhinus galeus) is a coastal bentho-pelagic species that is highly migratory and has a widespread distribution in temperate waters. This species matures late, has a relatively low fecundity and is slow growing, which makes it vulnerable to overfishing. They are commercially fished throughout their distribution, and some global stocks have been under pressure because of poor management. In Australia, longline and gillnet fisheries targeted pregnant females and juveniles around Victorian and Tasmanian nursery grounds, resulting in loss of historical inshore nursery habitat. School shark tagging programmes have reported migration between Australian and New Zealand stocks, but preliminary genetic studies have suggested that there are slight genetic differences between the stocks. Currently, the Australian and New Zealand school shark fisheries are assessed and managed as separate stocks. However, the question of whether this species is comprised of a single population or multiple sub-populations in the South Pacific remains unresolved. Given the commercial importance of the school shark fisheries and the concern about stock levels on the regional and trans-Tasman scales, knowledge of stock structure is essential for effective management. The aim of this thesis research was to determine the levels of genetic diversity and population structure of G. galeus in New Zealand and Australia, and compare these to a population in Chile, using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing and microsatellite DNA markers.  The DNA sequence of an 893 base pair region of the mtDNA control region (CR) was determined using 475 school shark samples and nine microsatellite DNA loci were genotyped in 239 individuals. Analyses of the data revealed strong evidence of genetic differentiation between G. galeus populations in Australasia and Chile, suggesting restricted gene flow among populations in the western and eastern areas of the Pacific Ocean. The FST values ranged from 0.188 to 0.300 for CR mtDNA, and 0.195 to 0.247 for microsatellite DNA in G. galeus. However, there was no evidence of stock differentiation among New Zealand/Australian sample sites for either mtDNA or microsatellite DNA data. These results support the model of a single panmictic stock across the Tasman Sea. The similarity of the results obtained from the maternally inherited mtDNA and biparental inherited microsatellite loci did not support the suggestion of sex-biased dispersal of G. galeus in the New Zealand/Australia region and it was concluded that females and males had similar patterns of dispersal.  Sharks can be either monogamous or polygamous, which is important when considering stock assessments and harvesting models. Multiple paternity has been reported in several shark species, however, the number of sires per litter varies considerably among species. An investigation of multiple paternity (MP) was conducted in G. galeus by assessing the levels of relatedness within progeny arrays using six polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers. Five “families” (mother and litters) were sampled from the North Island of New Zealand and a parentage analysis was conducted. The minimum number of males contributing to each progeny array was estimated by identifying the putative paternal alleles by allele counting and reconstructing multilocus genotypes method. The analysis showed the occurrence of genetic polyandry in G. galeus; two of five litters showing multiple sires involved in the progeny arrays (40%). The minimum number of sires per litter ranged from one to four. Although MP was only detected in two litters, this finding is consistent with the known reproductive characteristics of G. galeus. It can potentially store sperm for long periods of time and has a specific mating season when males and females typically mix on the edge of the continental shelf. Detecting MP within a litter has highlighted the importance of the post-copulatory selective processes in the G. galeus mating system, and this has implications for the management and conservation of genetic diversity.</p>

Shark Nursery Grounds of the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast Waters of the United States

2007 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽  
Nursery Areas ◽  
Pesticide Metabolites

<em>Abstract.</em>—Because of their tendency to accumulate in estuaries and coastal regions, organochlorine (OC) contaminants such as pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) represent potential threats to the quality of essential fish habitat for many shark species. These compounds pose special risks to immature sharks in particular because of their ability to impair growth and sexual maturation in juvenile fish at environmentally relevant levels of exposure. In order to assess the extent of these risks in shark populations on the East Coast of the United States, the present study examined concentrations of 30 OC pesticides/pesticide metabolites and total PCBs in juvenile sandbar <em>Carcharhinus plumbeus </em>and blacktip <em>C. limbatus </em>sharks from seven major nursery areas in the western Atlantic Ocean and eastern Gulf of Mexico. Quantifiable levels of PCBs and 13 OC pesticides/ pesticide metabolites were detected via gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in liver of 25 young-of-the-year blacktip sharks from the southeastern U.S. Atlantic coast and three regions on Florida’s gulf coast: Cedar Key, Tampa Bay, and Charlotte Harbor. Similarly, quantifiable levels of PCBs and 14 OC pesticides/metabolites were detected in 23 juvenile <em>C. plumbeus </em>from three sites on the northeastern U.S. coast: middle Delaware Bay, lower Chesapeake Bay, and Virginia’s eastern shore. Liver OC concentrations in Atlantic sandbar and blacktip sharks were higher than expected and, in some cases, comparable with elevated levels observed in deep-sea and pelagic sharks. Although significantly lower than those observed in Atlantic sharks, pesticide and PCB levels in Florida blacktip sharks were similar to, if not greater than, OC concentrations reported in adults of other coastal shark species. Based on these data, OC contamination appears to pose significant threats to habitat quality in sandbar and blacktip shark nursery areas on the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Shark Nursery Grounds of the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast Waters of the United States

2007 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Fork Length ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nursery Habitat ◽  
Tiger Shark ◽  
Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽  
Species Area ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Mustelus Canis

<em>Abstract.</em>—To identify and characterize shark nursery habitat in the coastal waters of Massachusetts, longline and shark angler surveys were conducted from 1989 to 2002 in the neritic waters of Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts. Additional samples and information were opportunistically collected from recreational and commercial fishermen, as well as published sources. A total of 123 longline sets of 5,591 hooks caught 372 sharks consisting of 344 (92.5%) smooth dogfish <em>Mustelus canis</em>, 23 (6.2%) sandbar sharks <em>Carcharhinus plumbeus</em>, and 5 (1.3%) dusky sharks <em>C. obscurus</em>. The sharks were taken during the period of 16 June–24 September in water temperature and depth ranges of 16.0–27.2°C and 1.2–27.1 m, respectively. Longline catch rates (number of sharks per longline set) were stratified by species, area, month, year, water temperature, and depth. Angler surveys reported the capture of 294 sharks, including sandbar sharks (72%) and smooth dogfish (28%). Data from 540 neonatal and adult smooth dogfish ranging 27.5–121.0 cm fork length (FL) support the conclusion that the neritic waters of southern Massachusetts serve as primary nursery habitat for this species. Size and sex data from 235 juvenile sandbar sharks ranging 61.0–157.0 cm FL indicate that this region provides secondary nursery habitat for this species. Opportunistic samples of juvenile sand tiger <em>Carcharias taurus</em>, white shark <em>Carcharodon carcharias</em>, basking shark <em>Cetorhinus maximus</em>, and tiger shark <em>Galeocerdo cuvier </em>provide evidence that these species utilize Massachusetts coastal waters for secondary nursery habitat.

Shark control: experimental fishing with baited drumlines

1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 653 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. F. J. Dudley ◽  
R. C. Haestier ◽  
K. R. Cox ◽  
M. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Control Programme ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
Gill Nets ◽  
Carcharhinus Leucas ◽  
Local Reduction ◽  
Shark Attacks ◽  
By Catch ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Physical Environmental Factors

Protective gill-nets (shark nets) have been successful in reducing the frequency of shark attacks on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, since 1952. This is achieved primarily through a local reduction in numbers of large sharks. Yet the nets are non-selective in terms of shark species caught and take a by-catch of dolphins, sea turtles, batoids and teleosts. Baited lines, or drumlines, as used in the Queensland shark control programme, were tested as possible alternatives to gill-nets. They demonstrated greater species selectivity for sharks and also a reduced by-catch of non-shark animals. The shark catch included the three species responsible for most shark attacks on the KZN coast, Carcharhinus leucas, Galeocerdo cuvier and Carcharodon carcharias. The probability of the bait being scavenged, or a shark being caught, was modelled in relation to a number of physical environmental factors. Although there was insufficient variability in the effort data for a quantitative comparison of catch rates between nets and drumlines, the results suggested that an optimal solution may be to deploy a combination of nets and drumlines.

Demography of the central california population of the Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata)

1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 183 ◽  
Author(s):  
GM Cailliet
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
Sandbar Shark ◽  
Lemon Shark ◽  
Carcharhinus Plumbeus ◽  
Net Reproductive Rate ◽  
Leopard Shark ◽  
Triakis Semifasciata ◽  
Leopard Sharks

Demographic analyses can be quite useful for effectively managing elasmobranch fisheries. However, they require valid estimates of age-specific mortality and natality rates, in addition to information on the distribution, abundance, habits and reproduction of the population, to produce reliable estimates of population growth. Because such detailed ecological information is usually unavailable, complete demographic analyses have been completed for only four shark species: the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias; the soupfin shark, Galeorhinus australis; the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris; and most recently the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus. In California, reliable estimates of age, growth, mortality, age at maturity, and fecundity are available only for the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata. A demographic analysis of this species yielded a net reproductive rate (Ro) of 4.467, a generation time (G) of 22.35 years, and an estimate of the instantaneous population growth coefficient (r) of 0.067. If the mean fishing pressure over 10 years (F= 0.084) is included in the survivorship function, Ro and r are reduced considerably, especially if leopard sharks first enter the fishery at early ages. A size limit of 120 cm TL (estimated age 13 years), especially for female sharks, is tentatively proposed for the leopard shark fishery.

Preliminary results of a study into the incidental mortality of sharks in Gill-nets in two Tasmanian Shark Nursery Areas

1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Williams ◽  
AH Schaap
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
Nursery Areas ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Gill Net ◽  
Galeorhinus Galeus ◽  
Potential Rate ◽  
Incidental Mortality ◽  
Gill Netting

Since the early 1960s, certain sheltered bays and estuaries around Tasmania have been designated shark nursery areas, where the taking of either the school shark (Galeorhinus galeus) or the gummy shark (Mustelus antarcticus) has been prohibited. Recent assessments of Australian stocks of school and gummy sharks indicate that they are close to collapse, and the management of the fishery has come under review. With respect to shark nursery areas, concern has focused on the potential rate of incidental mortality of sharks caused by recreational gill-net fishing and poaching. In 1990, a study was begun in Frederick Henry Bay and Norfolk Bay, the largest proclaimed shark nursery areas in Tasmania, to estimate recreational net-fishing effort and incidental captures of sharks. School sharks were caught in waters deeper than 5 m; gummy sharks and dogfish were caught at all depths. The diversity and relative abundance of shark species increased with depth, whereas the diversity of teleosts decreased with depth. Most captured school and gummy sharks were between 1+ and 3+ years of age. Preliminary estimates of potential incidental mortality demonstrate that gill-netting in depths greater than 5 m may be a significant source of mortality for both species.

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