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Shark conservation and blanket bans in the eastern Pacific Ocean

  • Gustavo A. Castellanos‐Galindo
  • Pilar Herrón
  • Andrés F. Navia
  • Hollie Booth

Departments

Coastal resources

Abstract

Sharks are one of the most threatened marine animals, with fishing identified as the prime human activity responsible for population declines. The tropical eastern Pacific, a biogeographic region spanning the coastal areas from Mexico to Peru including the Colombian Pacific coast and the Galapagos archipelago, forms critical habitat and migratory routes for sharks and other marine megafauna. The Colombian government recently announced a total (blanket) ban on all forms of shark fishing in the country, including artisanal and industrial. Prohibiting shark fisheries in Colombia could drive fishing and trade under-ground, fueling criminality, and marginalization. This will not only undermine recent efforts of local communities and researchers to manage small-scale fisheries, but will criminalize a key source of income for a historically marginalized part of Colombian society. To be effective and ethical, this government decision needs to be rethought incorporating a more holistic management strategy consented among different stakeholder groups.

Cite this activity

Castellanos‐Galindo G.A., Herrón P., Navia A.F. and Booth H. (2021) Shark conservation and blanket bans in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Conservation Science and Practice 3(7). 10.1111/csp2.428

Details

Research topics
Date 09.04.2021
Journal Conservation Science and Practice
Issue 7
Volume 3
Open Access Open Access (open)
Open Access Status Open Access (open)
Eprints_link https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/4977
Peer-Reviewed

Research Spectrum

Environmental Science

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