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South African Shark Conservancy

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Research

Today elasmobranch research is seemingly focused on species like great white, tiger, and whale sharks.  And for good reason: sharks like these are known as "charismatic megafauna".  That is, they are animals with widespread - seemingly boundless - popular appeal.  This makes them, as well as their species-specific conservation concerns, increasingly tangible not only to the media, but also to the general public.  This is exactly the kind of publicity sharks need in the face of ever-declining populations.

But it must not be forgotten that hundreds of other shark, skate and ray species exist which are equally susceptible to over-exploitation, habitat degradation and environmental change.  These are the species that are targeted or taken as bycatch in multiple fisheries and those that occupy unique niches and roles in their environment.

To address these gaps in our knowledge, SASC endeavors to work with governmental, non-governmental and academic institutions, as well as fishers throughout South Africa and abroad to achieve the development of long-term, sustainable fisheries management goals. Our projects require significant funding to be successful. If you would like to support our projects through the provision of materials and/or donations, Contact Us.

SASC also undertakes consulting work in three focal areas:

1) Environmental impact of fisheries and aquaculture
2) Fisheries development
3) Fisheries management

If you would like to learn more about our research or consulting work, contact Meaghen McCord.

 
zambezi

 

Zambezi (bull) sharks of South Africa

In January 2009 a team of scientists, anglers and conservationists led by SASC captured a 4-metre Zambezi (bull) shark, Carcharhinus lecaus, in the Breede River on the southwest coast of South Africa. This discovery shocked the scientific and public communities, as this large female represented a new global size record for the species (measuring 0.5 metres longer than the previous record) and refuted current scientific thinking on their temperature tolerance and distribution in Africa. The Breede River is a warm-temperate estuarine system with an average annual temperature of 14C. The discovery of a Zambezi shark in this system represented a range extension of 400km - the furthest south this species has been recorded in Africa.

The female Zambezi shark, nicknamed Nyami Nyami after the Zambezi River god, was tagged with continuous and coded V16 tags (Vemco Ltd) and was actively tracked using a VR100 for over 400 hours. Initial results from 43 hours of continuous tracking can be found here. A subsequent 13-day tracking expedition yielded 372 continuous hours of tracking - the longest period a shark has been actively tracked.

In 2010 the team returned to the Breede River with legendary adventure angler Jeremy Wade (Animal Planet: River Monsters) to determine whether more Zambezi sharks could be found in the system. Jeremy managed to capture two more sharks, which were tagged and tracked by SASCs scientific team. The two male sharks, nicknamed Jeremy and Pumpkin, measured 297.5cm TL and 299cm TL illustrating that the Zambezi sharks found in the Breede River are some of the biggest around.

Ongoing research on the Breede River Zambezi sharks will focus on habitat utilisation, movement patterns, abundance and genetic structure. Pending additional funding, this project will be expanded to include predator-prey interactions and utilisation of surrounding marine protected areas (MPAs). SASC is also expanding this research to include other estuarine systems along the South Africa coastline, ultimately assisting in the development of a species-specific management strategy for Zambezi sharks - a species listed as Near Threatened globally.

SASC thanks all those who have tirelessly given their time and assistance to this project, including Marine and Coastal Management (MCM), the Lower Breede River Conservancy (LBRC), Hennie Papenfuss and Big Fish Safari, Jeremy Wade and Animal Planet/Icon Films, and all the Breede River residents.

Special thanks to the Save Our Seas Foundation for funding this project, and to the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) and White Shark Projects for providing financial support in the early stages.

       
cowshark

 

Biology & ecology of commercially important shark species

Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) are targeted or taken as bycatch in several South African fisheries. Currently, limited management measures exist for most commercially exploited elasmobranchs primarily due to a paucity of biological and fisheries data. Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) - South Africa's fishery management authority - have developed a dedicated shark research programme to address species-specific management requirements, and SASC is working with MCM to fulfill this need.

Our research on these commercially exploited species focuses on the collection and validation of fishery-dependent data from the demersal shark longline and handline fisheries. Data on age and growth and biological characteristics are being collected to inform stock assessments for species such as soupfin sharks (Galeorhinus galeus) and sevengill cowsharks (Notorynchus cepedianus).

 

 

    
       

demersal_shark

 

Spatial characteristics of the demersal shark longline fishery

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and MCM are developing a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) for the South African EEZ. The selection of appropriate MPAs is dependent on a variety of factors, including oil and gas exploration/presence, critical fishery areas and ecosystem characteristics.

To inform the MPA development process, SASC is working with the demersal shark longline fishery to identify historically valuable fishing areas. This project includes the production of a spatial strategy for managing the fishery based on economic value and historic access to productive fishing areas. This will lead to the cooperative development and implementation of MPAs that will maximize both ecosystem and fishery benefits.

   

 

 

 

 

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