A new study has found meat from critically endangered sharks being sold in US grocery stores under misleading labels. Researchers warn that the trade not only threatens vulnerable shark populations but also exposes consumers to potential health risks, including high levels of mercury.
Late July 2025 brought troubling news: U.S. Congressman Nick Begich (R–AK) introduced a draft bill that would significantly narrow the Marine Mammal Protection Act—a key law that has safeguarded whales, dolphins, seals and polar bears since 1972. Conservationists warn that the draft could undo decades of progress in protecting marine mammals from harm.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has downgraded mackerel from a sustainable seafood choice to a cautionary amber rating, urging consumers to switch to herring or Cornish sardines instead.
In response to scientific and community concerns, the NSW Government has listed the great hammerhead as vulnerable and the scalloped hammerhead as endangered under the Fisheries Management Act 1994.
"Formally recognizing that these two shark species are threatened is a significant step forward to protect some of our most vulnerable marine wildlife. We congratulate the NSW Government for taking a proactive approach to conserving these magnificent sharks, which are swimming against the tide of extinction," said Tooni Mahto, AMCS Marine Campaigns Officer.
The new study reports that the mako shark travelled an estimated 408km over a period of 54 days, showcasing the vast distances these creatures can cover even at a young age. This discovery underscores the need to rethink traditional ideas about mako nurseries, areas where young sharks are born and grow up, as the tracked shark moved far from its presumed nursery near Tunisia.
In La Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France, small-scale fishers often use surface longlines targeting tuna and billfish, but this sometimes leads to the accidental capture of sharks.
The EU-funded ASUR project is researching innovative methods to reduce the incidental catch of sharks by these longlines, bringing together scientists and fishermen to tag and release sharks and to test equipment designed to reduce shark mortality.
Over the past two decades, sharks have become emblematic of the world's threatened wildlife, leading to heightened scientific, regulatory and public scrutiny. However, a recent study challenges the effectiveness of these protective measures, revealing that global shark mortality has not only persisted but increased, despite increased regulations and finning bans.
Federal wildlife authorities are re-evaluating the classification of manatees, a move prompted by mounting issues, most notably the devastating loss of seagrass, a critical food source for these gentle marine creatures.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced its intention to revisit the categorization of manatees, contemplating a return from “threatened” to “endangered.” This potential reversal would overturn the 2017 decision to reclassify manatees.
Ecotourism, particularly shark diving tourism, has become a significant global industry, attracting over half a million participants annually across approximately 85 countries. While it generates substantial revenue and raises awareness for shark conservation, concerns about its impact on shark behaviour and health, as well as human safety, persist.
Ecotourism has been posited as a potential solution to many of the issues facing shark conservation, yet increasingly studies suggest that such activity may negatively influence aspects of shark ecology and so further pressure declining populations.
— Joel H. Gayford, et al.
“I have taken the decision to suspend whaling” until 31 August, food minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said in a statement, after a recent government-commissioned report concluded the hunt does not comply with Iceland’s Animal Welfare Act.
The report which provided a video showing a whale being hunted for five hours concluded the killing of whales during the hunt took too long.
Animal rights groups and environmentalists hailed the decision, with the Humane Society International calling it “a major milestone in compassionate whale conservation”.
