What is the value of a shark?
For the fishing industry, this question is answered relatively quickly—though this involves the death of the fish, ending its ecological impact. What value does the surviving, living animal hold for society, the economy, and the environment if its existence continues until a natural death and it is not fished? Does this value exceed that of the dead animal?
These questions are being clarified for the first time. The analysis is not abstract and general, but detailed for specific regions and individual species within them.
ElasmOcean supports the organisation Shark Allies in this endeavour. A detailed report on the population of great hammerhead sharks in the waters of the Bahamas has now been published.
Based on an average population of 100 individuals, each individual living great hammerhead shark is worth US$293,743. Calculated across the entire population of the Bahamas, this equates to a total value of US$29.4 million. This is the value that living great hammerhead sharks in the Bahamas represent for the ecosystem and the economy of the region.
By contrast, the dried fins of a single dead great hammerhead shark fetch only a one-off sum of around US$1,100 on the Asian market.
The great hammerhead shark has been listed in Appendix II of the CITES convention since 2014, meaning it is specially protected for conservation reasons because it is highly endangered. According to the Mokarran Protection Society, the population has declined by 80% over the past 70 years due to fishing. In the waters of the 200-mile EEZ (Ausschließliche Wirtschaftszone) of the Bahamas, shark fishing and any trade have been completely prohibited since 2011. The Bahamas had already anticipated the value that sharks represent for tourism and, above all, for the marine ecosystem. Concrete figures are now available.
Detailed information: https://sharkallies.org/the-true-value-of-sharks/guadalupe-white-sharks-valuation-report-g26mr-rj8at
The complete report can be requested from Shark Allies.
