Fact Sheets

• FAQ: What is a Regional Fishery Management Organization?

  • Feb 23, 2012, 15:25 EST
  • Global Campaign to End Illegal Fishing, Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation, Protecting the Deep Sea

  An RFMO—short for regional fisheries management organization—is an international body made up of countries that share a practical and/or financial interest in managing and conserving fish stocks in a particular region.More

   

• Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

  • Feb 07, 2012, 10:25 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) were once extremely common and ranked as one of the three most abundant species of both oceanic sharks and large marine animals. However, due to intensive fishing the species is now listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.More

   

• Whale Sharks

  • Feb 07, 2012, 09:20 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are highly vulnerable to fishing pressure because they are found in low abundance, are highly migratory, and are thought to reach reproductive maturity late in life.More

   

• Shortfin Mako Sharks

  • Nov 03, 2011, 16:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Globally, the shortfin mako is assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas ecological risk assessment of pelagic sharks caught in Atlantic longline fisheries, found shortfin makos, along with bigeye threshers, to be the most vulnerable to overexploitation.More

   

• Silky Sharks

  • Nov 03, 2011, 16:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the silky shark is Near Threatened globally. In a 2008 ecological risk assessment, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas placed silky sharks at the highest risk levels of overexploitation from pelagic longline fisheries.More

   

• Porbeagle Sharks

  • Nov 03, 2011, 15:20 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Low reproductive capacity and high commercial value make porbeagle sharks vulnerable to overexploitation and population depletion. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the porbeagle is Vulnerable globally, Endangered in the Northwest Atlantic, and Critically Endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.More

   

• Banning Wire Leaders: A Practical Solution for Reducing Shark Bycatch in Pelagic Longlines

  • Oct 28, 2011, 10:05 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Longlines are used to target and catch swordfish, tuna, and other valuable fish. But they also catch many other species, including sharks, which are often thrown back in the water dead or dying.More

   

• Shark Species Gains First Regional Protection in Eastern Pacific Ocean

  • Jul 11, 2011, 16:40 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  The Pew Environment Group applauds a decision reached on the final day of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) meeting to protect oceanic whitetips, the first shark species accorded such consideration at the regional level in the eastern Pacific Ocean.More

   

• Shark Conservation at IATTC

  • Jun 29, 2011, 09:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) will hold its 82nd annual meeting in La Jolla, California from July 4-8, 2011. The IATTC is one of five Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) established to manage fishing of tuna and tuna-like species including sharks. Read more about shark conservation at IATTC.More

   

• Shark Conservation Moving Forward in Chile

  • Apr 08, 2011, 10:55 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Shark finning is legal and a serious threat to the estimated 53 species of sharks found in Chilean waters. As recently as 2008, Chile exported 36 tons of shark fins to Hong Kong. Currently, Chile has no laws on the books regarding shark finning but legislation is emerging that could change this.More

   

• Recent Shark Sanctuaries and Other Protections

  • Mar 30, 2011, 15:01 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Over the past two years several nations have enacted new laws and initiatives to help protect sharks, including shark sanctuaries and finning bans.More

   

• Sharks: Key to Healthy Oceans

  • Feb 18, 2011, 17:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Globally, sharks are in trouble. But the waters around The Bahamas present a rare situation where shark populations still thrive.More

   

• The Bahamas: Shark Diving Capital of the World

  • Feb 18, 2011, 16:55 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Sharks are in trouble globally, and there are few locations where healthy shark populations still exist. The Bahamas is one of these rare exceptions.More

   

• Shark Bycatch in Tuna Fisheries

  • Jun 16, 2010, 12:20 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Bycatch is one of the most vexing issues confronting the global fishing industry. It poses significant ecological, social and economic challenges.More

   

• BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Maps

  • May 21, 2010, 12:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation, Offshore Energy Reform, Gulf Surface Longline Campaign

  The Gulf of Mexico is home to many species that are currently at risk due to the oil spill. The following maps overlay the oil slick with the habitats of several of these sensitive marine species.More

   

• Historical Oil Spill Fact Sheets

  • May 21, 2010, 12:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Offshore Energy Reform, Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Click on the links below (PDF) to view fact sheets providing data on the impact of significant oil spills of the past.More

   

• Pew Environment Group at CITES

  • Feb 01, 2010, 11:40 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation

  The 15th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) concluded in March 2010 in Doha, Qatar. Pew attended the international wildlife conference alongside government representatives, conservation organizations and members of industry to advocate for CITES protection for the Atlantic bluefin tuna and eight shark species–including the distinctive hammerhead sharks.  More

   

• Atlantic Sharks Fact Sheet - ICCAT

  • Nov 06, 2009, 12:05 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation

  Sharks caught in high-seas fisheries are among the oceans’ most vulnerable animals. Their low reproductive rates make them particularly susceptible to overfishing in the face of increased demand for shark products.More

   

Reports

• The Socio-Economic Value of the Shark-Diving Industry in Fiji

  • Apr 18, 2012, 18:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  A study by the Australian Institute of Marine Science concludes that sharks are worth far more alive and swimming. In Fiji, shark-diving contributes US$42.2 million to the economy.More

   

• Identifying Shark Fins: Oceanic Whitetip, Porbeagle, and Hammerheads

  • Feb 16, 2012, 16:40 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Pew’s global shark conservation campaign developed this guide to help users rapidly identify dried shark fins found in fishing ports, sold by seafood dealers, or traded across international boundaries.More

   

• Fisheries Bycatch of Sharks: Options for Mitigation

  • Nov 15, 2011, 09:35 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Ocean Science Division

  • In Spanish

  Bycatch is one of the most significant issues in the management and conservation of global fisheries and has been identified as one of the leading causes of shark population declines. This review discusses current scientific research on shark bycatch and available management options and technical measures aimed at reducing it.More

   

• Sharks in Trouble: Hunters Become the Hunted

  • Jun 06, 2011, 10:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Up to 73 million sharks are killed every year, primarily for their fins, which end in shark-fin soup, an Asian delicacy. Shark finning—in which the fins are sliced off and the body is often discarded at sea—makes it possible for vast quantities of fins to be brought to port in one fishing trip. This practice has decimated shark populations in many parts of the world.More

   

• Million-Dollar Reef Sharks

  • May 02, 2011, 00:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  A new study by the Australian Institute of Marine Science concludes that sharks are worth far more alive and swimming. In Palau, the Pacific Island nation that declared its waters a sanctuary free of shark fishing, sharks provide a lynchpin for the tourism industry.More

   

• The Future of Sharks: A Review of Action and Inaction

  • Jan 27, 2011, 13:55 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  A decade after members of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) approved an international plan to conserve sharks, a new analysis finds that it has yet to be fully implemented. With 30 percent of all shark species now threatened or near threatened with extinction, there is little evidence that the plan has contributed significantly to improved conservation and management of these animals.More

   

• Ocean Science Series: Sharks - The State of the Science

  • May 26, 2010, 12:55 EST
  • European Marine Programme, Global Shark Conservation, Ocean Science Division

  Declines in population sizes of sharks, as much as 70–80 percent, have been reported globally. This review of the current scientific literature documents the number of sharks killed per year, the causes of this mortality and the impact on ecosystems after large predators are removed.More

   

• You Can Swim But You Can’t Hide: The Global Status and Conservation of Oceanic Pelagic Sharks and Rays

  • May 22, 2008, 12:10 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Fishing spans all oceans and the impact on ocean predators such as sharks and rays is largely unknown. A lack of data and complicated jurisdictional issues present particular challenges for assessing and conserving high seas biodiversity. It is clear, however, that pelagic sharks and rays of the open ocean are subject to high and often unrestricted levels of mortality from bycatch and targeted fisheries for their meat and valuable fins.More

   

Other Resources

• Infographic: Sharks Count!

  • Apr 26, 2012, 11:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Sharks have roamed our oceans since before the time of dinosaurs, but today, they are in trouble. View our infographic to learn more about why we must protect these magnificent species.More

   

• Phone Briefing: Shark-Dive Tourism Worth Millions in Fiji

  • Apr 17, 2012, 09:20 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  On Thursday, April 19, the Pew Environment Group, Australian Institute of Marine Science, the University of Western Australia and the Coral Reef Alliance will host a media phone briefing about a new report that points to shark-dive tourism as a multi-million dollar industry and major economic driver in Fiji.More

   

• Talks at Meeting for World's Largest Tuna Fishery Collapse

  • Apr 02, 2012, 10:20 EST
  • Global Campaign to End Illegal Fishing, Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation

  The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), a regional fisheries management organization that brings together Pacific island, Asian, U.S., European Union, and other foreign fishers, ended March 30 in Guam with a failure to end overfishing of a major tuna species.More

   

• Sanctuary: The Last Stand for Sharks

  • Mar 14, 2012, 16:20 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  On Saturday, March 17, the 20th Washington Environmental Film Festival will host a screening of Sanctuary: The Last Stand for Sharks, a new documentary that portrays the underwater world of these top predators and paints a global picture of the threats they face today.More

   

• Guide to Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RMFOs)

  • Feb 23, 2012, 15:55 EST
  • Global Campaign to End Illegal Fishing, Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation, Protecting the Deep Sea

   Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) are international bodies made up of countries that share a practical and/or financial interest in managing and conserving fish stocks in a particular region. More

   

• Measure Up For Sustainability

  • Feb 06, 2012, 12:25 EST
  • Global Campaign to End Illegal Fishing, Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation

  The WCPFC aims to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fish stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO), an area covering 20 percent of the Earth’s surface and containing the world’s largest tuna fishery.More

   

• Sharks Win Big in 2011

  • Dec 22, 2011, 11:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  2011 was a banner year for shark conservation. In just 12 months, leaders from various nations banded together to make protection of these essential creatures a priority.More

   

• Protect the Sharks of Fiji

  • Dec 01, 2011, 14:55 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  While Fiji is home to a high diversity of sharks, many of these species are threatened with extinction globally. As key predators, sharks help maintain the balance of marine life in the ocean. Sharks help control the number and variety of the species below them in the food chain. They also help maintain healthy habitats, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds. Sharks need permanent protection before it is too late. The health of our oceans depends on it.More

   

• Video: Shark Hope

  • Oct 27, 2011, 14:45 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

   As part of our community-based conservation efforts in Fiji, CORAL's field staff and shark sanctuary campaign partners worked with a local production company to produce "Shark Hope."  More

   

• Make the Push to Protect Europe's Sharks

  • Oct 14, 2011, 13:00 EST
  • European Marine Programme, Global Shark Conservation

  With a week of activities around Europe, the Shark Alliance and European citizens call on EU fisheries ministers to protect sharks from overexploitation and finning.  More

   

• Video: The Push to Stop Shark Hunting

  • Oct 05, 2011, 15:05 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  (CNN) In a new interview, special environmental correspondent Philippe Cousteau discusses the growing movement to protect sharks around the globe.  More

   

• The Latest News From 'Sherman's Lagoon'

  • Sep 20, 2011, 13:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  In Jim Toomey’s nationally syndicated comic strip, Sherman’s Lagoon, a shark named Sherman and his coral reef friends battle try to keep civilization from taking over their paradise, and, on many occasions, talk about the humans that they often must face close-up.More

   

• Testimony for the Marshall Islands Public Hearing on Shark Protections

  • Sep 07, 2011, 11:45 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Matt Rand, director of the Pew Environment Group's Global Shark Conservation campaign, provided testimony for a public hearing on sharks protection led by the Marshall Islands Senate Committee on Resources and Development.More

   

• Chile Ends Shark Finning

  • Aug 08, 2011, 16:55 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Chile's expansive Pacific coastline became the newest no-shark-finning zone today as the global trend toward saving the ocean's top predators advances.More

   

• The Truth About Sharks

  • Aug 02, 2011, 15:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Sharks are once again mesmerizing millions of viewers as part of Shark Week. But in reality, the tables are turned, and it's sharks that are struggling to survive.More

   

• Honduras Declares Shark Sanctuary

  • Jul 14, 2011, 13:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  On June 24, the Global Shark Conservation campaign was in Honduras to witness history being made as President Porfirio Lobo Sosa announced the creation of the first permanent shark sanctuary in the Americas.More

   

• Press Briefing Audio Recording: Bahamas Announces Shark Sanctuary

  • Jul 05, 2011, 09:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Listen to a recording of the July 5 press briefing on The Bahamas' announcement that all commercial shark fishing in the approximately 630,000 square kilometers (243,244 square miles) of the country’s waters is now prohibited.More

   

• Integrating Science and Policy: How Scientists Can Help CITES Advance Marine Conservation

  • May 13, 2011, 15:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation

  Sue Lieberman, Pew's director of international policy, shares how CITES works and how it could help ocean conservation efforts.  More

   

• The True Cost of a Cup of Soup: Shark Populations on the Brink

  • Jan 25, 2011, 12:10 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Up to 73 million sharks are killed each year, many for an Asian delicacy, shark fin soup.  More

   

• Press Briefing: ICCAT 2009

  • Nov 06, 2009, 13:35 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation

  Listen to a press briefing about what to expect from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meetings November 6 – 15 in Recife, Brazil. Background information is provided on the state of tuna and sharks from Pew Environment Group’s Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of International Policy, and Matt Rand, Director of Global Shark Conservation.More

   

• Global Shark Conservation Timeline

  • Nov 14, 2007, 15:30 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Global Shark Conservation TimelineMore

   

Compilations

• Shark Conservation in Fiji

  • Oct 21, 2011, 15:15 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  At least 75 shark and ray species inhabit the waters of the Fiji islands. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, 66 percent of these species are globally threatened or near threatened. Pew is working with the Coral Reef Alliance and other stakeholders to establish a shark sanctuary here.More

   

• International Policy: Kobe III

  • Jul 08, 2011, 12:00 EST
  • Global Campaign to End Illegal Fishing, Global Shark Conservation, Global Tuna Conservation

  From July 12 – 14 in La Jolla, California, all five tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) will gather to discuss coordinated management efforts for fishing of tuna, tuna-like species and other species affected by tuna fishing.More

   

• Honduras: The First Shark Sanctuary in the Americas

  • Jun 24, 2011, 15:20 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  On June 24, 2011, Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa declared the creation of a permanent shark sanctuary encompassing all of the country's Pacific and Caribbean waters. This meant that 240,000 square kilometers (92,665 miles) of water were placed off limits to commercial shark fishing.More

   

• Sharks Thrive in the Bahamas

  • Feb 23, 2011, 11:53 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  In the Bahamas a 20-year-old ban on longline fishing has left Bahamian waters as one of the few places in the world where sharks are still thriving. The Bahamas are now one of the premier shark-watching destinations for divers. According to the Bahamas Diving Association, shark related tourism has contributed more than US$800 million dollars to the Bahamian economy over the past 20 years.More

   

Videos

• 

  Chile Bans Shark Finning

  • Aug 08, 2011, 15:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  This new law requires that fishermen who catch sharks, intentionally or as by-catch, must land them with their fins naturally attached. Up to 73 million sharks are killed every year around the globe primarily for their fins, which are most often consumed in Asia in shark fin soup. This unsustainable trade is fueled by shark finning, the wasteful act of slicing off the fins and discarding the body at sea.More

   
• 

  Million-Dollar Reef Sharks

  • May 02, 2011, 17:15 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  A new study by the Australian Institute of Marine Science concludes that sharks are worth far more alive and swimming. In Palau, the Pacific Island nation that declared its waters a sanctuary free of shark fishing, sharks provide a lynchpin for the tourism industry.More

   
• 

  Shark Populations Enrich Ecosystem, Economy in The Bahamas

  • Apr 14, 2011, 16:30 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  These PSAs were produced by The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), in collaboration with Pew Environment Group, in support of a grassroots petition to protect sharks in Bahamian waters.More

   
• 

  “Protect Our Sharks,” Say Bahamas’ Children

  • Apr 14, 2011, 16:25 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  These PSAs were produced by The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), in collaboration with Pew Environment Group, in support of a grassroots petition to protect sharks in Bahamian waters.More

   
• 

  Children Urge Greater Shark Protections in The Bahamas

  • Apr 14, 2011, 16:10 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  These PSAs were produced by The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), in collaboration with Pew Environment Group, in support of a grassroots petition to protect sharks in Bahamian waters.More

   
• 

  Sharks Get New Protection Under U.S. Law

  • Dec 22, 2010, 11:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  The Shark Conservation Act of 2010 strengthens shark protections by requiring all vessels that catch sharks to bring them to land intact, which will greatly simplify enforcement efforts.More

   
• 

  Shark Week: Craig Ferguson on Shark Finning

  • Aug 02, 2010, 11:25 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  In conjunction with its Shark Week, the Discovery Channel is airing a public service announcement from Pew—featuring host Craig Fergusion—that raises awareness of the practice of shark “finning.”More

   
• 

  Shark Fin Genetics with Demian Chapman

  • Mar 12, 2010, 17:10 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  This video on efforts to use genetic testing to study the problem of the practice of shark finning features Demian D.F. Chapman, Ph. D., Assistant Director of Science for the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science.More

   
• 

  Wild Chronicles: Sharks

  • Feb 02, 2009, 15:15 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  The Pew Environment Group worked in collaboration with National Geographic Television to tell this story.More

   

Image Galleries

• Leaders Launch New Shark Conservation Effort Gallery

  • Sep 23, 2011, 11:25 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Leaders from eight countries launched an initiative today to prevent the extinction of sharks, symbolizing the latest development in the growing movement to safeguard the ocean’s top predator. Members of the coalition committed to a declaration supporting the development of sanctuaries that end commercial shark fishing in their national waters.More

   

• Shark Conservation in Action

  • Jul 14, 2011, 13:50 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  The Global Shark Conservation campaign team helped to organize a bill signing event in Honduras to commemorate the importance of shark protection.More

   

• Innocent Bystanders: Bycatch

  • May 04, 2011, 14:05 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Gulf Surface Longline Campaign

  A gallery of images showing bycatch caught by longline fishing, nets and other fishing equipment.More

   

• Shark Conservation

  • Jan 26, 2011, 13:12 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation

  Sharks are being hunted to extinction; a 70-80% decline in populations of some species have been reported globally.More