Shark depredation within a changing climate: socio-ecological drivers, impacts, and mitigation pathways

Shark depredation, when sharks consume fish hooked on fishers lines, is a human-wildlife conflict (HWC) of increasing concern globally. It leads to economic and ecological consequences through gear damage and reduced catch for fishers, and is a source of unquantified mortality in fisheries, which can affect stock sustainability. Shark depredation also influences fishers’ attitudes towards shark conservation, and is often accompanied by a loss of support for shark conservation initiatives.

Addressing this issue is critical for balancing fisher livelihoods and conservation goals. However, many mitigation strategies rely on fishers making behavioural changes. While these solutions may reduce human-shark conflict, they may fail to address inter-human conflicts typically accompanying HWCs - safeguarding fisher livelihoods but failing to address societal discourse surrounding conservation. Despite rising recognition of the role of inter-human conflicts in HWCs, very few studies have addressed both ecological and societal factors involved in shark depredation. Moreover, rising evidence suggests that climate change may exacerbate HWCs by increasing overlap and competition between humans and wildlife.

To date there are no known studies that have attempted to account for the potentially synergistic effects of climate change on shark depredation. This interdisciplinary project uses a case study approach to understand how social, ecological, and physical factors drive shark depredation. In doing so, this study seeks to inform fishers and managers of options to balance shark conservation and safeguarding fisher livelihoods, while ensuring these approaches are climate-change resilient.