November 16, 2017

Two threatened marine species urgently need sustainability assessments before future wild harvests are conducted for public aquarium displays, a Charles Darwin University researcher warns.

PhD candidate Kate Buckley has devised a new three-step approach to inform relevant authorities of the need for sustainability assessments before permitting the removal of threatened, or data-deficient and potentially threatened, shark and ray species (elasmobranchs) from the wild.

She said the Critically Endangered Largetooth Sawfish and the Vulnerable Grey Nurse Shark were high priorities as they were at risk of extinction, did not currently breed in captivity, and future wild harvests were proposed.

  • Media release - Charles Darwin University, 16 November 2017
  • Journal article - Sustainability of threatened species displayed in public aquaria, with a case study of Australian sharks and rays
     

Figure
A new approach for the identification of elasmobranch species displayed by public aquaria which require comprehensive assessments of sustainability using the example of the largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis. Figure created with Mind the Graph

Pristis pristis requires an assessment of sustainability for aquarium displays