South africa’s great white sharks face population collapse from human activities

South Africa’s great white shark population is experiencing a dramatic collapse, with these apex predators largely vanishing from their traditional strongholds along the Western Cape since 2018. Once considered the world’s premier destination for great white sharks, South African waters have seen these magnificent creatures disappear from their main gathering areas, raising serious concerns among marine researchers and conservationists.

A comprehensive review by scientists analyzing population data reveals that human activities are primarily driving this alarming decline. The South African government’s KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board operates a lethal control program designed to protect beachgoers, killing an average of 28 great white sharks annually through nets and drumlines between 1978 and 2018. Additionally, many sharks die as unintended bycatch in commercial fishing operations throughout the region.

While some researchers initially theorized that shark populations may have simply migrated eastward, mounting evidence suggests a more troubling reality. Natural predation by orca pods does pose some threat to great whites and may be influencing their distribution patterns, but human impact remains the dominant factor in their population crash.

“This synthesis of various pieces of historical and newly acquired data tells a worrying story about the state of the white shark population in South Africa,” explained researcher Neil Hammerschlag. The loss of these critical apex predators could have far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystem balance, as great whites play an essential role in maintaining healthy ocean food webs along South Africa’s coastline.