International efforts to rebuild shark stocks have officially begun.
Earlier this year, two baby zebra sharks were released in Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands as the first step in a large-scale rewilding project.
According to National Geographic, the new group, called ReShark, has joined 15 countries and 44 aquariums in an effort to raise captive zebra sharks and then release them back into the wild.
ReShark aims to release 500 zebra sharks in Indonesian waters over the next 5 to 10 years.
Dr. Erin Meyer, vice president of conservation programs and partnerships at the Seattle Aquarium, said in an interview that this is just the beginning of a shark renaissance.
Scientist Nesha Ichida released the second zebra shark of the day, a young female named Kathlyn, in Indonesia's Wayag Islands.
"We are just beginning to rewilder our oceans, so we can ensure we have a resilient, healthy global ocean for today and future generations," she said.
The international collective currently has 70 partners aiming to restore threatened and endangered sharks and stingrays around the world.
According to Meyer, nearly 400 species of sharks and stingrays worldwide are currently considered endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The main reason for this decline is overfishing, Meyer said.
"We hear a lot about people fishing for fins by sharks, but they are also fishing for fins," she said of sharks.
"And this meat is sold all over the world.
An adult female zebra shark glides past the Wild Coral Reef exhibit at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. Adult zebra sharks are endangered anywhere outside Australia, but there are more than 100 species in aquariums around the world. Several aquariums, including Shedd, are letting adults mate and produce eggs, which will be shipped to Indonesia.
Meyer added that sharks are "pivotal species" in their ecosystems, meaning their environments could "collapse" without "controlling other species."
ReShark first launched its initiative in 2020, starting with the endangered zebra shark.
Meyer noted that in parts of the world, such as Indonesia, zebra sharks are "almost extinct."
In Raja Ampat Islands, researchers could only count three zebra sharks in a 15,000-hour search between 2001 and 2021, according to National Geographic.
"They're also species that aquariums have been studying and studying for decades," Meyer said, explaining why the species is at the top of ReShark's priority list.
Shark caretaker Kayla Wikasono uses light at a new shark nursery at Misool Resort, south of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, to illuminate zebra shark embryos inside egg boxes.
"We know how to greet them. We know how to raise them. We know what they eat and we know how to keep them alive," she added.
Based on data from aquariums around the world and insights from academic partners such as Dr Christine Dudgeon of the University of Australia's Sunshine Coast, the organization is "confident" that their breeding and release activities will be successful, Meyer said.
Meyer also said this is the first time international agencies have joined forces to restore endangered marine species while also breeding them in human care.
"Breeding animals in aquariums in the U.S., Australia and Europe and then shipping those eggs to Indonesia seems like a complicated thing," she added.
"We have to build purpose-built nurseries in Indonesia so we can transport these eggs, feed them and then eventually release them into marine protected areas where they can grow and eventually breed in the wild," she continued.
This photo, taken on August 21, 2017, shows the blue sea around Raja Ampat Islands, which means "Four Kings" in Indonesian.
ReShark's efforts finally bore fruit in January 2023, when the group's first two baby zebra sharks — named Charlie and Catherine — were released into a shark lagoon in the Raja Ampat Islands where fishing is prohibited.
The event was "incredibly emotional," said Meyer, who was in attendance.
She added that the event was touching, "not only because it feels like getting my shark kids to college,' but also because these animals will be future ambassadors for the project to bring zebra sharks back."
Meyer continued, "They proved that this incredible idea of bringing together partners from all over the world to bring the sharks back and restore the sharks, is possible.
She added: "This gives me hope, and it gives all our partners hope, that we can do this not only with zebra sharks, but with other species."
ReShark plans to expand its efforts to other shark and stingray species in other parts of the world in the future.
"We're actively discussing what the next species will be," Meyer said.
"We're really looking at a place in western Indonesia right now... [We] are in contact with partners in the Indian Ocean to identify potential locations there as well as another nursery," she added.
The environmentalist explained that the main issue with releasing baby sharks is ensuring that they are not immediately "fished out," as shark fishing remains a major threat.
On January 12, 2018, two divers collect shark eggs at the Hagenbeck Zoo in Germany as part of an annual inventory.
"We are looking for strong MPAs so that we can release these animals to safety," she said.
"The ocean needs us," she added.
"Some species will not return to MPAs alone, and this is an opportunity for the aquarium to use its unique experience and expertise to work with international NGOs, governments and local leaders to achieve this goal."
Currently, 37% of the 1,199 species of sharks and stingrays are facing extinction.
Sharks are one of the oldest species on Earth, surviving five mass extinctions over 420 million years, NatGeo reported.
Currently, however, 37% of the 1,199 species of sharks and stingrays are facing extinction, making it the second fastest declining vertebrate group in the world after amphibians.