Reef sharks are doing poorly on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, an area considered by many to be a healthy and well-managed reef system.Fishing seems to be driving sharks into decline--unfished reefs have up to 10 times more sharks. This is an interesting result, sharks are mobile fish that don't stay put in no-fishing zones, so even mobile fish can benefit from protected areas.
Shark fishing is causing problems elsewhere in Australia, much of the fishing seems to be for illegal trade in shark fins in Asian markets.
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Just to dispute one phrase here: "sharks are mobile fish that don't stay put in no-fishing zones". It is pelagic sharks that are mobile fish, like most other pelagic fish. However, many reef sharks are bottom lovers, if you will excuse the expression, and some are highly territorial. The finding that no-fishing reef zones have a higher population of reef sharks than fished reefs is expected ...
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