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Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are highly vulnerable to fishing pressure because they are found in low abundance, are highly migratory, and are thought to reach reproductive maturity late in life. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species has classified whale sharks as Vulnerable. They are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) as well as by the United Nations Environment Programme’s Convention on Migratory Species. In regions where whale sharks are known to aggregate, ecotourism has proven to be an extremely lucrative alternative to fishing. It has been estimated that whale shark tourism, mainly through recreational diving, is worth about US$47.5 million worldwide each year. In 2003, Belize reported an economic return of US$3.7 million from whale shark ecotourism alone, and it has been estimated that the economic value of a single whale shark in Belize is US$2.09 million over a shark’s lifetime or $34,906 annually. Whale shark dives on the Ningaloo Reef in Australia brought in US$5.93 million in 2006, while it is projected that whale shark ecotourism in the Seychelles generates between US$2 million and US$5 million a year. Though it is not yet fully understood how interactions with tourists will affect these animals, whale shark tourism is a developing market in Latin American countries such as Mexico and Honduras, in southeastern Africa, and in the Maldives.
Physical Characteristics
Fins on sharks (image credit: WildAid/Oceana).
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