Great white sharks in South Africa could be near extinction, according to a new study.
Research from Stellenbosch University in South Africa shows there are only 353 to 522 sharks left in the country’s waters. “The numbers in South Africa are extremely low. If the situation stays the same, South Africa’s great white sharks are heading for possible extinction,” said Sara Andreotti of the Department of Botany and Zoology at SU and lead author of the study, CNN reported. Andreotti said the decline in the number of sharks is due to the impact of fishing, especially the implementation of shark nets and baited hooks along the country’s eastern seaboard. But poaching, habitat encroachment, pollution and depletion of food sources have also contributed to the decline of great whites. Researchers note that if the great white shark population continues to decline, it could drastically affect the ecological makeup of the marine environment. The findings are based on six years of fieldwork. It is the largest “field research study” on South Africa’s great white sharks that has been conducted to date, Stellenbosch University said.
