South Africa

South Africa is crucial to the future of great white sharks

People like Dr. Bonfil are a glimmer of hope for the impressive predator. Unfortunately not only scientists like him feel passionate about great white sharks – highly lucrative trade (sometimes illegal) in teeth, jaws and fins make them a desirable catch.

Among the few countries which are home to a relatively large population of these ocean giants, South Africa pioneered conservation of this species by providing it with full protection status within its jurisdictional waters in 1991. Due to its protection of significant numbers of great white sharks, South Africa is crucial to the future of this apex predator. While a few other countries have followed South Africa’s example (Namibia, Australia, the USA and Malta) until recently nobody knew if white sharks spend all their lives in the waters of the few countries that protect them or if they frequently leave these safe havens. Enough compelling arguments for Ramón Bonfil and WCS to launch a study in partnership with the South African Marine and Coastal Management Branch, two South African universities and the South-African-based White Shark Trust. In order to find out more about the movements of great white sharks 43 animals were tagged with satellite tags. In a period of two and a half years the scientists were able to collect fascinating information on the lives of South African white sharks. They found out, for example, that these huge marine predators are keen swimmers which do not care for national boundaries – they just cross them and leave "safe" waters therefore putting themselves at risk.

The outcomes of this special research project were important to obtain improved global protection for great white sharks: In October 2004 the great white got listed in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, www.cites.org). This means that trade in white shark parts will be closely monitored globally and only allowed if it does not put the species in peril.

Currently, Dr. Bonfil is in the middle of two new satellite-tagging studies: one in Mexico, launched in October 2006 and one in New Zealand, launched in 2005 in collaboration from the NZ Department of Conservation and NIWA (National Institute of Marine and Atmospheric research). The goals of these new projects (Mexico, New Zealand) are to obtain key scientific information on the ecology of great white sharks, their migrations, and the main threats to their survival.