A new study recently published by science journal PLoS ONE has indicated that shark population in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef may be witnessing a sharp decline due to unregulated fishing activities in the area.
Researchers from James Cook University in Queensland said on Wednesday that newly-appreciated evidences have pointed to the likelihood that sharks dwelling in the Reef may be experiencing significant losses in the past years.
Globally, the trend is alarming, according to Professor Sean Connolly as he added that a number of species are presently regarded as endangered.
While Connolly conceded that issuing an accurate estimate on the current numbers and state of shark population around the world could be somewhat challenging, he stressed that new techniques employed in the new research offered better methods of appreciation for scientists.
At present, shark numbers are decimated either by accidental fishing or deliberate hunting for the marine mammal’s fin, which is a priced commodity in many parts of Asia, according to Agence France Presse (AFP).
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