The social and economic dimensions of one of the world's longest-operating shark fisheries.

Context: Social and economic information is limited for coastal commercial and recreational fisheries, particularly shark fisheries, which are perceived as unsustainable and as targeting sharks for fins. Aims: To characterise the social and economic dimensions of one of the world's few long-standing sustainable shark fisheries. Methods: We reviewed historic data and surveyed stakeholders to understand the economic and social dimensions of the shark fishery currently operating in Western Australia. Key results: Since the fishery's historic peak, there has been a substantial reduction in the number of operating vessels and ports due to management intervention. For the vessels that have remained, catches and catch rates increased through time. Fishers sold only flesh and fins, whereas processors also sold cartilage. Revenue mostly originates from the domestic sale of flesh, not fins. This fishery provides additional social and economic returns through the employment of an average of 102 people per annum, the supply of local fresh seafood to communities and the expenditure of most of operational costs in local government areas. In addition, the average annual market value through the supply chain was A$32.6 × 10⁶ (US$20.9 × 10⁶). Conclusions: Our study is the first step towards a more comprehensive valuation of the societal contribution of sustainable shark fisheries. Implications: This novel information has a range of applications, from developing social and economic objectives in fisheries harvest strategies to empowering government agencies when making decisions on natural resource management. We calculated the social and economic contribution of the shark fishery operating in Western Australia, one of the world's few sustainable shark fisheries. We found substantial management-driven reductions in fishing effort and improvement in catch rates. This fishery provides considerable socio-economic returns to regional economies, with an average annual market value of A$32.6 × 10⁶. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]