ReShark is an international collective of over 60 conservation organizations, aquariums and government agencies dedicated to recovering threatened sharks and rays by re-establishing healthy, genetically-diverse and self-sustaining populations. ReShark was founded by a coalition of international partners, including The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Balitbangda Papua Barat, Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan Republik Indonesia, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, Badan Layanan Umum Daerah Unit Pelaksana Teknis Daerah (BLUD UPTD) Pengelolaan Kawasan Konservasi Perairan (KKP) Kepulauan Raja Ampat, IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Conservation International, The Dallas World Aquarium, Fondation Segré, Georgia Aquarium, Konservasi Indonesia, New England Aquarium, North Carolina Aquarium, Raja Ampat Research and Conservation Centre, Seattle Aquarium, Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Shedd Aquarium, South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation, Thrive Conservation, University of the Sunshine Coast and Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Significance of our work:
Restoring sharks to their native ranges will balance ecosystems, as these important predators maintain the food web and serve as ecological indicators for broader ocean health. (i) Sharks are great indicators of ecosystem health, from the frigid Arctic to the warm South Pacific, shallow reefs to deep canyons. (ii) Sharks balance the food web by removing sick and injured prey, improving the health of prey populations and the overall ecosystem. (iii) There are over 1,000 species of sharks and rays worldwide. Among many superlatives, sharks claim the title of world’s largest fish (a whale shark measures 39 ft. or 12 m) and the world’s longest living vertebrate (a greenland shark ~ 400 years). (iv) For most species of sharks, population growth is relatively slow. It can take years to reach sexual maturity. Designation of marine protected areas and shark fishing moratoria are critical steps to conserving these species, but it may not be enough. More hands-on intervention is sometimes required.
