The first of Reshark Project’s zebra shark pups, who had been under the care of their local aquarists in their nurseries, have been released into the wild.
The ReShark project begins mission to release 500 baby zebra sharks into Indonesian waters as part of global conservation efforts by 70 partners over the next five to 10 years. The effort aims to raise endangered zebra sharks in captivity and release them into the wild to restore shark populations.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
The initiative, which has grown to include 70 partners, aims to protect endangered and threatened species of sharks and stingrays across the globe. According to Dr. Erin Meyer, Vice President of Conservation Programs and Partnerships at the Seattle Aquarium, there are nearly 400 species of sharks and stingrays currently at risk of extinction, as classified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The main cause of this decline is overfishing, said Meyer.
“We hear a lot about [people engaging in] shark fishing for their fins, but they’re also fished for their meat,” she said of sharks.
“And that meat is eaten all around the world.“
With almost 400 threatened shark species globally, the international collective seeks to combat the decline caused by overfishing. ReShark’s initiative to create a shark resurgence has already begun with the release of two baby zebra sharks in the Raja Ampat Regency of Indonesia earlier this year.
With Read the full story on National Geographic.
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