Whilst in many inshore fishing grounds, shark numbers are on the rise, further offshore, the story is different. Tragically, it is estimated that 20 million sharks are caught in longline fisheries targeting tuna every year. Oceanic shark populations have declined by 71% over the last half century, owing to an 18-fold increase in commercial fishing effort. Iconic sharks such as the mako, thresher, oceanic white tip and hammerhead sharks are now endangered or critically endangered.
In order to reverse this decline, the team at Fishtek Marine are also engineering a SharkGuard system specifically for use in commercial longline fishing operations targeting tuna in order to prevent these iconic species disappearing. With the sale of each recreational SharkGuard, Fishtek Marine Sport will donate 25% of the profits to research projects designed to prevent the extinction of shark species in commercial fisheries globally.
To strategically target funds towards achieving the best conservation outcome for sharks, Fishtek have assembled a panel of experts comprised of internationally renowned shark scientists. Each year, the panel will convene to identify, prioritise, and select projects where support is most needed for endangered or threatened shark species.