Using FADs To Estimate A Population Trend For The Oceanic Whitetip Shark In The Indian Ocean

Count data of oceanic whitetip sharks (OCS) associated with Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) were used to derive a population trend for the species in the western Indian Ocean. Observer data from the French and Spanish purse seine fleets, combined with a historic database from the Soviet Union were used in the analyses. The combined time series spanned from 1986 to 2015. Results indicated a declining population trend. The OCS population in the Indian Ocean was estimated to be three times smaller in recent years (2000-2015) compared to historic years (1986-1999).