Erika J. Techera and Natalie Klein, International Law of Sharks: Obstacles, Options and Opportunities

Abstract

In International Law of Sharks, Erika Techera and Natalie Klein concisely discuss the fragmented result of contemporary legal frameworks, which, in the case of sharks, has led to competing and somewhat duplicitous approaches to their conservation and fisheries management. This dichotomy, between the protection of sharks and their commercial use, is a constant theme throughout the book that the authors insightfully identify and address. Despite suggestions to create a single unifying framework for sharks, the authors instead call for regulatory pluralism across today’s multiple legal frameworks and actors. Through its advocation of a more multifaceted, cooperative approach, International Law of Sharks demonstrates how the efficient use of knowledge, resources, and practices are more appropriate for this complex marine species. Taxonomically, sharks belong to the scientific class known as Chondrichthyes, a large group that encompasses two subclasses, one of which—Elasmobranchii—consists of sharks and batoids such as skates, rays, torpedoes, and sawfish.1 Characteristically, sharks possess a diverse set of features, sizes, and habitats. This variation, arguably, is the source of their controversial species count, which ranges from five hundred shark species to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List assessment numbers of over eleven hundred shark species.2