The world’s reef shark population has plummeted with the five dominant species in far more trouble than previously thought.
Australian researchers have led a landmark study that points to overfishing and poor regulation as the culprits.
Australia seems to be doing relatively well at managing its reef sharks, in contrast to the broad trend with global stocks of grey, blacktip, whitetip, nurse and Caribbean reef sharks plunging by an average of 63 percent.
James Cook University professor Colin Simpfendorfer, who is the lead author of the five-year study, says the depletion estimates are among the best ever produced.
That’s because so many reefs were sampled across so many countries, including 22,000 hours of footage taken at baited video stations on 391 reefs in 67 nations and territories….