Sharks Pacific

Protecting sharks and working with the people and places they depend on.

Our Programs

How We're Making a Difference
Research

Through our research, we aim to provide important data on shark presence, abundance, habitat use and movement patterns in the Pacific.

Learn More
Outreach

We reach out in person and digitally through presentations, one on one meetings, school visits, community events, multinational gatherings and more.

Learn More
Policy

Our policy work occurs at three main levels, community, national and international and the policy measures span recreational and industrial fisheries, trade and ecotourism.

Learn More

Your Support Matters

How We're Making a Difference

Through research, outreach, education and advocacy, we are working to understand the complex issues contributing to the decline of shark and ray populations and helping to create effective regulations that will protect them for future generations.

Donate
Field Notes // 12.18.25

How do satellite tags protect sharks?

Thanks to the generous support of our Tag Team we will be able to purchase additional satellite tags and learn more about sharks in the Pacific. But why is this so important? Research Director, Vinay Udyawer, breaks down the questions: what are satellite tags, how do they work, and how do we use the information to protect sharks?

Learn More

We're in The News

Our Work is Making Headlines
logo
12.2025

Manila meeting risks “destroying WCPFC credibility” as obstruction stalls harvest strategy, Tuna advocate warns

One of the region’s most outspoken tuna advocates says the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) faces a credibility crisis if next week’s Manila meeting once again fails to deliver long-promised harvest strategies.

Learn More
logo
12.2025

Pacific fisheries summit gives a boost to albacore & seabirds

Much of the world’s albacore tuna catch, which usually ends up in a can, comes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean, where fishery managers just passed a new set of conservation rules.

Learn More
logo
12.2025

“You can’t manage the Pacific if you ignore ghost gear”: Sharks Pacific warns WCPFC

Sharks Pacific has delivered a strong message to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), warning that the region cannot claim credible fisheries management while ignoring the growing threat of marine pollution, especially abandoned fishing gear.

Learn More
logo
11.2025

Manila will be a defining test for the WCPFC as albacore decision looms: Cook

Sharks Pacific Policy Director Bubba Cook says the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) faces a defining moment in Manila, warning that failure to adopt a management procedure for South Pacific albacore would hit Pacific economies and undermine the credibility of the Commission.

Learn More
logo
07.2025

Fatal Watch: Tim McKinnel and Bubba Cook on the dark underbelly of tuna fishing

Conservationist Alfred "Bubba" Cook and high-profile New Zealand investigator, Tim McKinnel talk to Paddy Gower about the dark underbelly of the international fishing industry and the need for greater transparency, accountability and change.

Learn More
logo
07.2023

Global ocean conservation initiative reaches Penrhyn

A global initiative supporting ocean conservation efforts in the most remote corners of the tropical Pacific has sent an all-Cook Islands research team to Penrhyn.

Learn More
logo
01.2021

Oceanic shark and ray populations have collapsed by 70 percent over 50 years

But there are solutions, experts say, such as regulating international trade in sharks and creating more sustainable fisheries.

Learn More
logo
10.2018

There are Better Ways to Save Sharks. Here’s How.

National Geographic explorer Jessica Cramp discusses how to better save sharks through improved conservation policies.

Learn More
logo
07.2020

Global Status and Conservation Potential of Reef Sharks

The project surveyed nearly 400 reefs across 58 nations as part of the Global FinPrint project and concluded that sharks were virtually absent on many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating that they are too rare to fulfill their normal role in the ecosystem.

Learn More
Field Notes
12.18.25
Array
How do satellite tags protect sharks?

Thanks to the generous support of our Tag Team we will be able to purchase additional satellite tags and learn more about sharks in the Pacific. But why is this so important? Research Director, Vinay Udyawer, breaks down the questions: what are satellite tags, how do they work, and how do we use the information to protect sharks?

Learn More
12.15.25
Array
Do some tiger sharks prefer beaches?

Sharks Pacific’s Research Director, Vinay Udyawer, co-authored a paper on tiger shark relocation off Queensland, Australia. Led by the Department of Primary Industries and in partnership with AIMS@JCU, the paper was published in Ocean and Coastal Management. 

Learn More
11.24.25
Array
Meet the FinForce

The FinForce is a group of committed, behind-the-scenes champions who help power Sharks Pacific’s policy and advocacy work across the Pacific. These remote volunteers bring curiosity, dedication, and a love for healthy oceans to projects that sit at the crossroads of science, policy, and real-world conservation.

Learn More

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

See What We’re Up To in the Big Blue