Assessing Fishers’ Awareness and Perceptions of Shark Fishing Regulations for Improved Fisheries Management

Global demand for shark products has contributed to increased levels of illegal shark fishing, posing a significant threat to the sustainability of marine ecosystems and related livelihoods. Despite increased management and policy attention, including bans on shark finning and harvesting of certain species, compliance is not guaranteed, and unsustainable practices persist. In this study, we focus on illegal shark fishing by Sri Lanka’s semi-industrial fleet, aiming to explore fishers’ awareness, perceptions of, and compliance with measures introduced to curb unsustainable shark fishing. From January to June 2023, questionnaires (n=254) and focus group discussions (n=6) were conducted in three harbours associated with previous illegal shark landings to explore awareness of regulations and potential drivers of non-compliance. Our findings suggest that only 9% of respondents were aware of all banned shark species, 12% landed incidentally caught banned sharks and 47% reported that illegal shark landings occur. Thematic analysis identified key drivers of non-compliance, including the economic importance of sharks, reluctance to discard sharks, lack of awareness of regulations and perceived corruption amongst management authorities. These findings underscore the need to incorporate human dimensions into policymaking and fisheries management to address the global issue of illegal shark fishing effectively. Additionally, we identify that local support is critical for the success and sustainability of shark conservation and management efforts.