Marine protected areas as a shark fisheries management tool

Marine protected areas (MPAs) can be classified into three broad categories according to their main objectives: ecological (conservation of biodiversity and habitats), economic (fisheries enhancement and protection), and social (tourism, education). In practice, many MPAs fulfill several or all of these objectives at the same time. The utilisation of no-take marine reserves as a fisheries management tool has been applied to a variety of resources, most commonly teleosts from tropical and temperate waters. However, there is very limited experience in the usage of MPAs for the protection or enhancement of shark stocks. This paper presents a review of worldwide information on the protection status of sharks. The results indicate the existence of only one no-take marine reserve used as a fisheries management tool for sharks. However, there are several de facto MPAs for sharks that have different objectives and which offer various degrees of protection. General criteria commonly utilised for the design of MPAs are reviewed while attempting to evaluate their application and feasibility for the implementation of MPAs for different kinds of sharks.