Group items tagged

Fisheries bycatch is known as the major threat to Threatened shark species (herein, sharks, skates, and rays) in Bangladesh. But bycatch is not appropriately addressed under the existing wildlife and fisheries conservation management regime. This policy brief evaluates the current scenario of shark conservation and identifies priorities for future interventions. The literature review finds 71 shark species and only four peer-reviewed publications from Bangladesh suggesting the species already known have not yet been studied. In addition, inconsistencies in legal frameworks have limited the capacities and mandates of responsible government agencies. We recommend actionable changes in policy to regulate shark trade, reduce bycatch of Threatened species, improve fisheries data reporting system, and bring consistency between institutional mandate and the capacity of conservation and management agencies.

SHARK Bay and the coastline off Karratha and Perth may be popular eateries for whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), satellite tracking has revealed.

SHARK Bay and the coastline off Karratha and Perth may be popular eateries for whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), satellite tracking has revealed.

Shark Bay: A World Heritage Site at catastrophic risk.

The extreme Western Australia 2011 marine heatwave had a lasting effect on the marine ecosystem and after 7 years, only parts of the ecosystem have showed good signs of recovery. After the heatwave, scallop fisheries in the Abrolhos Is. and Shark Bay were closed for 3-5 years, while the Shark Bay crab fishery was closed for 18 months; these fisheries at the center of the heatwave have shown some improvement due to better protection of spawning stock and improved environmental conditions. Also at the center of the heatwave, Roe's abalone suffered a catastrophic mortality and has not recovered as spawning stock remains very low. The Perth abalone stock which was outside the peak heatwave area had a major stock reduction but remained opened with reduced catches. The heatwave had a marked indirect effect on brown tiger prawns in Exmouth Gulf due to loss of seagrass habitat. The heatwave also resulted in a decline in western king prawn recruitment in Exmouth Gulf, to the north of heatwave center, but an improved recruitment in the cooler waters of Shark Bay. Western rock lobsters near the heatwave peak also appear to have been indirectly affected and have not recovered. Factors influencing the recovery rate from the heatwave appeared to be: species near their upper temperature range and/or sensitive to warming temperatures; spatial overlap between the warming event and species distribution; whether spawning stock was affected to the point of recruitment impairment; life-cycle duration of invertebrate (or habitat) species affected; and management intervention. This study provides a framework for managing the consequences of heatwaves on fisheries by highlighting the value of early identification of the event and its effect on fisheries and having flexible harvest strategies for early management intervention. This is particularly important as long-term increases in water temperatures will increase the frequency of marine heatwave events and the fisheries stocks would hav

REEF sharks at Ningaloo are largely home bodies but female blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus), might be swimming long distances to give birth in food-rich waters, research suggests.

REEF sharks at Ningaloo are largely home bodies but female blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus), might be swimming long distances to give birth in food-rich waters, research suggests.

LOOK at the world-renowned stromatolites protruding from saline seas at Hamelin Pool in Shark Bay and you could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.

LOOK at the world-renowned stromatolites protruding from saline seas at Hamelin Pool in Shark Bay and you could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.

A third shark attack happened in the Bay of Inhambane in southern Mozambique for the past two months, resulting in a fisherman losing both arms, local news agency reported on Monday.

A third shark attack happened in the Bay of Inhambane in southern Mozambique for the past two months, resulting in a fisherman losing both arms, local news agency reported on Monday.

An innovative new assessment process shows the iconic Shark Bay World Heritage property in Western Australia is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Driven by a very strong La Niña event and a record strength Leeuwin Current, the 2011 Western Australian marine heatwave (MHW) raised sea surface temperatures (SSTs) along the Western Australian coastline by up to 5°C between November 2010 and March 2011. This single thermal perturbation led to several mortality events and recruitment impairment of commercially important species including Australia's single highest producing blue swimmer crab (Portunus armatus) fishery in Shark Bay. Monthly catch landings dramatically declined from 166 t in April 2011 to 24°C, and detrimental when they exceed 26°C as was the case during the 2011 MHW when SSTs reached 29°C inside Shark Bay. Partial recovery of the crab stock 18 months after the MHW was strongly associated with mean summer temperatures returning below 24°C. Together with a change in management to a quota system, the fishery returned to full recovery status in 2018 with sustainable catch levels of up to 550 t. Long term productivity of this fishery is now at high risk from climate change impacts with shifts in winter water temperatures being cooler by 2°C and occurring earlier by few months inside the Bay. This cooling trend appears to be impacting the spawning period with the timing of peak recruitment also occurring earlier, shifting from February to November. The impacts of the 2011 MHW highlighted the risk to stock sustainability through external drivers such as climate change that was previously poorly understood. The south-west region of Western Australia is considered a climate change hotspot with water temperatures rising at rates above global trends and at inc

Tiger shark surprises scientists with epic trip around Australia.

Tiger shark surprises scientists with epic trip around Australia.

Tracking the Scars of Dolphin-Shark Battles.

Massive seagrass beds in Western Australia's Shark Bay - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - haven't recovered much from the devastating heat wave of 2011, according to a new study demonstrating how certain vital ecosystems may change drastically in a warming climate.

Dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, cooperate to herd females in ways that anthropologist Barbara J. KING says are unusually complex. Related research may shed light on the evolution of our own brains.

Dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, cooperate to herd females in ways that anthropologist Barbara J. KING says are unusually complex. Related research may shed light on the evolution of our own brains.

An unprecedented marine heatwave had long-lasting negative impacts on both survival and birth rates on the iconic dolphin population in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Researchers at UZH have now documented that climate change may have more far-reaching consequences for the conservation of marine mammals than previously thought.

A study by an international team of marine researchers, including The University of Western Australia, has found dolphin survival and reproductive rates suffered a significant decline following a 2011 marine heatwave affecting around 1,000km of Western Australia's coastline.

Shark Bay seagrass carbon storage hotspot suffers alarming losses after a devastating marine heat wave, according to a study led by ICTA-UAB researchers. The loss of seagrass would have released up to nine million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

Large numbers of dugongs, sea snakes and other marine animals disappeared from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Shark Bay, Western Australia, after a heat wave devastated seagrass meadows, according to recently released research.

Western Australia shark attack: surfer loses both arms.

Hunt on for killer shark in Australia.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia and Flinders University have located what is believed to be the largest plant in the world - an ancient and incredibly resilient seagrass stretching across 180km that is estimated to be at least 4,500 years old.