RIEL219CE - The conservation benefits and ecological impacts of displaying threatened elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) in public aquaria

The aim of this study is to measure both the ecological impacts of harvests and the conservation benefits of displays of Largetooth Sawfish and Speartooth Sharks in order to develop a defensible sustainability assessment. This will support environmental and species management decisions such as harvest and trade, allow more effective collection planning by public aquaria, and improve the conservation of wild Largetooth Sawfish and Speartooth Sharks. This is a novel way to assess sustainability (combining biological and social sciences); and has potential in future applications with other threatened species harvested from the wild for display in zoos and aquaria.