Whale Sharks Slide Toward Extinction

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International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments reveal growing human pressures on whale sharks, (Rhincodon typus), are putting them at an increasing risk of extinction. Whale sharks are listed as Endangered.

Numbers of the giant plankton-feeding whale sharks have more than halved over the last 75 years as these slow-moving sharks continue to be fished and killed by ship propellers.

Whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea feed on plankton and small fish. The largest confirmed whale shark had a length of 12.65 metres (41.5 feet) and a weight of about 21.5 tons (47,000 pounds). Harmless to humans, divers call them the “Gentle Giants” and “Ambassadors of the Sea.

Although conservation action in India, the Philippines and Taiwan ended large-scale fishing of whale sharks in these countries, the sharks continue to be fished in other locations, including southern China and Oman where they are frequently caught by fishers targeting tuna.

International trade in whale shark products is regulated through the species’ listing on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), more needs to be done to protect whale sharks at national and international levels. The IUCN Red List assessments emphasize how urgent it is for the conservation community to act strategically to protect whale sharks and our planet’s incredible diversity of life.

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All Posts, News, ScienceChris HebelApril 14, 2021whale sharks Facebook0 Twitter LinkedIn0 Reddit Tumblr Pinterest0 0 Likes Previous

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