Shark scientists told that poor communication is undermining conservation efforts

Summary

At the 2026 Sharks International conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the author presented research to over 850 shark scientists from 84 countries on how public misunderstanding of shark conservation is hindering progress. The core argument is that scientific research alone cannot save sharks — policy change is needed, and that requires public support. The author challenges the scientific community to improve how they communicate shark conservation issues to the public.