Editing Shark (section)

==Conservation==
{{Further|List of threatened sharks|Shark sanctuary}}

In 1991, [[South Africa]] was the first country in the world to declare Great White sharks a legally protected species<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greatwhiteshark.co.za/pages/conservation.html |title=White Shark Trust - Conservation |publisher=Greatwhiteshark.co.za |access-date=2012-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306173155/http://www.greatwhiteshark.co.za/pages/conservation.html |archive-date=2012-03-06 |url-status=live }}</ref> (however, the [[KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board]] is allowed to kill great white sharks in its "[[shark culling|shark control]]" program in eastern South Africa).<ref name="sharkangels"/>

Intending to ban the practice of shark finning while at sea, the United States Congress passed the [[Shark Finning Prohibition Act]] in 2000.<ref name="HR5461">{{cite web|title=Bill Summary & Status, 106th Congress (1999 - 2000), H.R.5461: Major Congressional Actions|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR05461:@@@R|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|work=[[THOMAS]]|access-date=March 27, 2012|date=2000-12-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904042516/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR05461:@@@R|archive-date=September 4, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Two years later the Act saw its first legal challenge in ''[[United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins]]''. In 2008 a [[Federal Appeals Court]] ruled that a [[loophole]] in the law allowed non-fishing vessels to ''purchase'' shark fins from [[fishing vessels]] while on the high seas.<ref name="Appeals court decision 979">''[https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10574858809426807872 United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016065930/http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10574858809426807872 |date=2015-10-16 }}'', 520 F.3d 976, ([[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit|9th Cir.]], 2008).</ref> Seeking to close the loophole, the [[Shark Conservation Act]] was passed by Congress in December 2010, and it was signed into law in January 2011.<ref name="HR81">{{cite web|title=Bill Summary & Status, 111th Congress (2009 - 2010), H.R.81: Major Congressional Actions|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR00081:@@@R|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|work=[[THOMAS]]|access-date=March 27, 2012|date=2011-01-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904042516/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR00081:@@@R|archive-date=September 4, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/federal_legislation/wildlife/shark_conservation_act_of.html Shark Conservation Act of 2009 | The Humane Society of the United States]. Hsus.org. Retrieved on 2010-09-16. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114110808/http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/federal_legislation/wildlife/shark_conservation_act_of.html |date=November 14, 2010 }}</ref>

In 2003, the European Union introduced a general shark finning ban for all vessels of all nationalities in Union waters and for all vessels flying a flag of one of its member states.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:167:0001:0003:EN:PDF|title = COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1185/2003 of 26 June 2003 on the removal of fins of sharks on board vessels|date = 26 June 2003|access-date = 25 September 2014|publisher = European Union|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150904042517/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:167:0001:0003:EN:PDF|archive-date = 4 September 2015|url-status = live}}</ref> This prohibition was amended in June 2013 to close remaining loopholes.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:181:0001:0003:EN:PDF|title = REGULATION (EU) No 605/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL|date = 12 June 2013|access-date = 25 September 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150904042517/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:181:0001:0003:EN:PDF|archive-date = 4 September 2015|url-status = live}}</ref>

In 2009, the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]]'s ''[[IUCN Red List]] of Endangered Species'' named 64 species, one-third of all oceanic shark species, as being at risk of extinction due to fishing and shark finning.<ref name="IUCNRedList">{{cite conference |url=http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/ssg_pelagic_report_final.pdf |title=The Conservation Status of Pelagic Sharks and Rays |publisher=IUCN Shark Specialist Group |access-date=April 3, 2012 |editor1=Camhi, M.D. |editor2=Valenti, S.V. |editor3=Fordham, S.V. |editor4=Fowler, S.L. |editor5=Gibson, C. |book-title=Pelagic Shark Red List Workshop |date=February 2007 |location=Oxford, England |isbn=978-0-9561063-1-5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114184614/http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/ssg_pelagic_report_final.pdf |archive-date=January 14, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="GuardianSharks">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/jun/25/sharks-extinction-iucn-red-list|title=Fishing puts a third of all oceanic shark species at risk of extinction|first=Alok|last=Jha|date=2009-06-25|access-date=2009-07-16|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906183719/http://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/jun/25/sharks-extinction-iucn-red-list|archive-date=2013-09-06|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2010, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ([[CITES]]) rejected proposals from the [[United States]] and [[Palau]] that would have required countries to strictly regulate trade in several species of [[scalloped hammerhead]], [[oceanic whitetip shark|oceanic whitetip]] and [[spiny dogfish shark]]s. The majority, but not the required two-thirds of voting delegates, approved the proposal. [[China]], by far the world's largest shark market, and [[Japan]], which battles all attempts to extend the convention to marine species, led the opposition.<ref name=cites>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/science/earth/24shark.html | work=The New York Times | first=David | last=Jolly | title=U.N. Group Rejects Shark Protections | date=2010-03-23 | access-date=2017-02-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701085359/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/science/earth/24shark.html | archive-date=2017-07-01 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/business/Qatar+body+flip+flops+shark+protection/2727330/story.html |title=Qatar. UN body flip-flops on shark protection |publisher=Tawa News, Canwest News Service |date=March 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329153529/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Qatar%2Bbody%2Bflip%2Bflops%2Bshark%2Bprotection/2727330/story.html |archive-date=March 29, 2010 }}</ref> In March 2013, three endangered commercially valuable sharks, the [[hammerhead shark|hammerheads]], the oceanic whitetip and [[porbeagle]] were added to Appendix 2 of [[CITES]], bringing shark fishing and commerce of these species under licensing and regulation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21741648 |title='Historic' day for shark protection |author=MCGrath, Matt |website=BBC News |date=11 March 2013 |access-date=27 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610193508/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21741648 |archive-date=10 June 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2010, Greenpeace International added the [[school shark]], [[shortfin mako shark]], [[mackerel shark]], [[tiger shark]] and [[spiny dogfish]] to its seafood red list, a list of common [[supermarket]] fish that are often sourced from unsustainable fisheries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/seafood/red-list-of-species |title=Greenpeace International Seafood Red list |publisher=Greenpeace.org |date=2003-03-17 |access-date=2010-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820034707/http://www.greenpeace.org/international/seafood/red-list-of-species <!--None--> |archive-date=2010-08-20}}</ref> Advocacy group Shark Trust campaigns to limit shark fishing. Advocacy group [[Seafood Watch]] directs American consumers to not eat sharks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_NationalGuide.pdf |title=Seafod WATCH, National Sustainable Seafood Guide July 2009 |date=July 2009 |access-date=2009-08-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418161105/http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_NationalGuide.pdf |archive-date=2010-04-18 }}</ref>

Under the auspices of the [[Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals]] (CMS), also known as the Bonn Convention, the [[Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks]] was concluded and came into effect in March 2010. It was the first global instrument concluded under CMS and aims at facilitating international coordination for the protection, conservation and management of migratory sharks, through multilateral, intergovernmental discussion and scientific research.

In July 2013, New York state, a major market and entry point for shark fins, banned the shark fin trade joining seven other states of the United States and the three Pacific U.S. territories in providing legal protection to sharks.<ref name="Humane">{{cite web |url=http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2013/07/new-york-ends-shark-fin-trade-072613.html |title=New York Ends Shark Fin Trade - Gov. Cuomo Signs Legislation to Protect Sharks and Oceans |website=The Humane Society of the United States |date=26 July 2013 |access-date=27 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731180844/http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2013/07/new-york-ends-shark-fin-trade-072613.html |archive-date=31 July 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the [[United States]], and as of January 16, 2019, 12 states including ([[Massachusetts]], [[Maryland]], [[Delaware]], [[California]], [[Illinois]], [[Hawaii]], [[Oregon]], [[Nevada]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[New York (state)|New York]] and [[Texas]]) along with 3 [[Territories of the United States|U.S. territories]] ([[American Samoa]], [[Guam]] and the [[Northern Mariana Islands]]) have passed laws against the sale or possession of shark fins.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://awionline.org/content/restaurants-currently-offering-shark-fin-soup|last=Millward|first=Susan|title=Restaurants Currently Offering Shark Fin Soup|work=[[Animal Welfare Institute]]|access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406190732/https://awionline.org/content/restaurants-currently-offering-shark-fin-soup|archive-date=April 6, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/restaurants-sell-shark-fin-soup-despite-state-bans|last=Fobar|first=Rachel|date=January 16, 2019|title=Shark fin is banned in 12 U.S. states—but it's still on the menu|work=[[National Geographic]]|access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809011225/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/restaurants-sell-shark-fin-soup-despite-state-bans/|archive-date=August 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Several regions now have [[shark sanctuary|shark sanctuaries]] or have banned shark fishing—these regions include [[American Samoa]], the [[Bahamas]], the [[Cook Islands]], [[French Polynesia]], [[Guam]], the [[Maldives]], the [[Marshall Islands]], [[Federated States of Micronesia|Micronesia]], the [[Northern Mariana Islands]], and [[Palau]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sharksavers.org/en/our-programs/shark-sanctuaries/learn-more/laws-protecting-sharks |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903114653/http://www.sharksavers.org/en/our-programs/shark-sanctuaries/learn-more/laws-protecting-sharks |archive-date=2018-09-03 |title=Laws Protecting Sharks |website=Sharksavers.org |access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/pacific-islands-band-together-on-a-shark-sanctuary/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903082511/https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/pacific-islands-band-together-on-a-shark-sanctuary/ |archive-date=2018-09-03 |title=Pacific Islands Band Together on a Shark Sanctuary |first=Joanna M. |last=Foster |work=The New York Times |date=August 4, 2011 |access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Urbina|first=Ian|date=February 17, 2016|title=Palau vs. the Poachers|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/magazine/palau-vs-the-poachers.html |access-date=}}</ref>

In April 2020 researchers reported to have traced the origins of [[fin|shark fins]] of endangered [[hammerhead shark]]s from a retail market in Hong Kong back to their source populations and therefore the approximate locations where the sharks were first caught using [[DNA analysis]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Fins from endangered hammerhead sharks in Hong Kong market traced mainly to Eastern Pacific |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-04-fins-endangered-hammerhead-sharks-hong.html |access-date=17 May 2020 |work=phys.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fields |first1=A. T. |last2=Fischer |first2=G. A. |last3=Shea |first3=S. K. H. |last4=Zhang |first4=H. |last5=Feldheim |first5=K. A. |last6=Chapman |first6=D. D. |title=DNA Zip-coding: identifying the source populations supplying the international trade of a critically endangered coastal shark |journal=Animal Conservation |year=2020 |volume=23 |issue=6 |pages=670–678 |doi=10.1111/acv.12585 |bibcode=2020AnCon..23..670F |s2cid=218775112 }}</ref>

In July 2020 scientists reported results of a survey of 371 reefs in 58 nations estimating the [[Marine conservation|conservation status of reef sharks globally]]. No sharks have been observed on almost 20% of the surveyed reefs and shark depletion was strongly associated with both socio-economic conditions and conservation measures.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sharks almost gone from many reefs |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-sharks-reefs.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=phys.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Global status and conservation potential of reef sharks |journal=Nature |date=July 2020 |volume=583 |issue=7818 |pages=801–806 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2519-y |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2519-y |access-date=17 August 2020 |language=en |issn=1476-4687|last1=MacNeil |first1=M. Aaron |last2=Chapman |first2=Demian D. |last3=Heupel |first3=Michelle |last4=Simpfendorfer |first4=Colin A. |last5=Heithaus |first5=Michael |last6=Meekan |first6=Mark |last7=Harvey |first7=Euan |last8=Goetze |first8=Jordan |last9=Kiszka |first9=Jeremy |last10=Bond |first10=Mark E. |last11=Currey-Randall |first11=Leanne M. |last12=Speed |first12=Conrad W. |last13=Sherman |first13=C. Samantha |last14=Rees |first14=Matthew J. |last15=Udyawer |first15=Vinay |last16=Flowers |first16=Kathryn I. |last17=Clementi |first17=Gina |last18=Valentin-Albanese |first18=Jasmine |last19=Gorham |first19=Taylor |last20=Adam |first20=M. Shiham |last21=Ali |first21=Khadeeja |last22=Pina-Amargós |first22=Fabián |last23=Angulo-Valdés |first23=Jorge A. |last24=Asher |first24=Jacob |last25=Barcia |first25=Laura García |last26=Beaufort |first26=Océane |last27=Benjamin |first27=Cecilie |last28=Bernard |first28=Anthony T. F. |last29=Berumen |first29=Michael L. |last30=Bierwagen |first30=Stacy |pmid=32699418 |bibcode=2020Natur.583..801M |s2cid=220696105 |display-authors=29 |hdl=10754/664495 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><!--do not add the 123 plain author names--> Sharks are considered to be a vital part of the ocean [[ecosystem]].

According to a 2021 study in ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'',<ref>{{cite journal |doi = 10.1038/s41586-020-03173-9|title = Half a century of global decline in oceanic sharks and rays|year = 2021|last1 = Pacoureau|first1 = Nathan|last2 = Rigby|first2 = Cassandra L.|last3 = Kyne|first3 = Peter M.|last4 = Sherley|first4 = Richard B.|last5 = Winker|first5 = Henning|last6 = Carlson|first6 = John K.|last7 = Fordham|first7 = Sonja V.|last8 = Barreto|first8 = Rodrigo|last9 = Fernando|first9 = Daniel|last10 = Francis|first10 = Malcolm P.|last11 = Jabado|first11 = Rima W.|last12 = Herman|first12 = Katelyn B.|last13 = Liu|first13 = Kwang-Ming|last14 = Marshall|first14 = Andrea D.|last15 = Pollom|first15 = Riley A.|last16 = Romanov|first16 = Evgeny V.|last17 = Simpfendorfer|first17 = Colin A.|last18 = Yin|first18 = Jamie S.|last19 = Kindsvater|first19 = Holly K.|last20 = Dulvy|first20 = Nicholas K.|journal = Nature|volume = 589|issue = 7843|pages = 567–571|pmid = 33505035|bibcode = 2021Natur.589..567P|hdl = 10871/124531|s2cid = 231723355|hdl-access = free}}</ref> [[overfishing]] has resulted in a 71% global decline in the number of oceanic sharks and [[Batoidea|rays]] over the preceding 50 years. The oceanic whitetip, and both the scalloped hammerhead and [[great hammerhead]]s are now classified as [[critically endangered]].<ref name="Briggs 2021">{{cite web | last=Briggs | first=Helen | title=Extinction: 'Time is running out' to save sharks and rays | website=[[BBC News]] | date=28 January 2021 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55830732 | access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref> Sharks in [[tropical climate|tropical waters]] have declined more rapidly than those in [[temperate zones]] during the period studied.<ref name="Richardson 2021">{{cite web | last=Richardson | first=Holly | title=Shark, ray populations have declined by 'alarming' 70 per cent since 1970s, study finds | website=ABC News|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | date=27 January 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-28/alarming-70pc-decline-in-shark-and-ray-numbers-study-says/13096442 | access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref> A 2021 study published in ''[[Current Biology]]'' found that overfishing is currently driving over one-third of sharks and rays to [[extinction]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dulvy |first1=Nicholas K. |last2=Pacoureau |first2=Nathan |display-authors=etal. |date=2021 |title=Overfishing drives over one-third of all sharks and rays toward a global extinction crisis |url= |journal=[[Current Biology]] |volume=31 |issue=21 |pages=4773–4787 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.062|pmid=34492229 |s2cid=237443284 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2021CBio...31E4773D }}</ref>