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Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

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, …
Nature, Vol.572, pp.461-466
2019
url
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1444-4View
Published Version

Abstract

commercial species conservation management fishery fishing effort global perspective longlining migratory species pelagic fish risk assessment shark spatial analysis
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.

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