COLOMBO — The Sharks International 2026 conference (SI2026), known to be the world’s largest gathering dedicated to sharks and rays, is set to take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 4-8. Held once every four years, it is the premier global scientific conference focused exclusively on elasmobranchs, or sharks and rays, bringing together researchers, policymakers, fisheries managers and conservation practitioners from around the world.
Sharks International has previously been held in Australia (2010), South Africa (2014), Brazil (2018) and Spain (2022). The 2026 edition in Sri Lanka marks the first time Sharks International will be held in Asia, reflecting the region’s growing importance in global marine biodiversity and fisheries governance. Locally hosted and organized by Blue Resources Trust (BRT) with support from several international organizations, the conference aims to strengthen global collaboration as more than one-third of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction due to overfishing, habitat loss and weak enforcement of conservation measures.
The Sri Lanka meeting is considered particularly significant because the Indian Ocean is both a biodiversity hotspot and one of the world’s most heavily exploited shark fishing regions, said Daniel Fernando, BRT’s co-founder and director of fisheries and policy program.
SI2026 will focus more on the urgent global priorities for shark and ray conservation, including halting population decline, reducing bycatch in industrial and artisanal fisheries, strengthening monitoring and enforcement systems and expanding marine protected areas and migratory corridors, Fernando told Mongabay.
Regional participation
Sharks International 2026 is expected to bring together a wide range of participants, including leading marine biologists and shark ecologists, representatives from global conservation organizations, fisheries managers, government regulators and international NGOs working on marine biodiversity, alongside early-career scientists and students from around the world. The conference is also expected to see strong regional participation from South Asia, Southeast Asia and the wider Indian Ocean rim, reflecting the importance of these regions in global shark fisheries and conservation efforts.
Fernando said the conference is also challenging the perception that data from South Asia and other developing nations is lacking. According to him, the data do exist, but representation of scientists and students from the Global South at major international conferences has historically been limited. He attributed this mainly to visas and financial barriers, particularly when conferences are held in countries with difficult, costly and time-consuming visa processes.
He added that the conference aims to make shark conservation more inclusive through registration subsidies, a record number of travel grants and by hosting the event in a country with streamlined visa accessibility. These efforts are expected to increase participation from developing countries, where much of the world’s shark fishing occurs but management and conservation measures remain limited.
The Sri Lankan context
Sri Lanka also represents a growing scientific hub for elasmobranch research in South Asia, where fisheries-dependent communities rely heavily on marine resources while global demand for shark fins, meat and cartilage continues to drive unsustainable levels of exploitation.
Sri Lanka, a global biodiversity hotspot, possesses an exceptionally rich diversity of elasmobranchs, with approximately 105 recorded species of sharks and rays. These include reef sharks, hammerheads, whale sharks, guitarfishes, wedgefishes, manta rays, stingrays and sawfishes. Scientists say the true diversity may be even greater, as recent surveys have revealed species previously unrecorded in Sri Lankan waters, including some potentially new to science.
However, the conservation status of these species is deeply concerning, according to global assessments by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which show that about one-third of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. Research has already documented the local extinction of sawfishes in Sri Lankan waters, while wedgefishes and guitarfishes appear to be undergoing similar situations. Despite their slow reproductive rates and high vulnerability to overexploitation, only five species currently receive legal protection in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka, as a fisheries-dependent nation, has a long history of shark and ray exploitation. This includes targeted nearshore and offshore shark fisheries, substantial ray catches in coastal gillnet fisheries and strong export-driven demand for shark and ray products. The scientist warns that these declines threaten not only marine biodiversity and ocean health, but also the livelihoods and food security of coastal communities that depend on these species.
While attempts are being made to improve the regulation of fisheries, via measures such as vessel monitoring systems to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries, regulations for sharks and rays in both coastal and offshore fisheries are still largely lacking. Fernando also highlighted that only five of the 105 species of sharks and rays in local waters are protected, despite more than 70 species facing risk levels equal to or higher than terrestrial elephants and leopards.
Against this backdrop, Sri Lanka’s role as host places it at the center of global discussions on how to bridge the gap between conservation policy and effective on-the-water compliance in fisheries management.
A conference at a turning point
As Sharks International convenes in Colombo, the stakes are unusually high. The meeting arrives at a moment when shark populations continue to decline globally, yet conservation tools — from trade regulation to fisheries monitoring — are becoming more readily available and accessible.
The key question the conference is expected to grapple with is not only what science tells us about sharks, but why that knowledge so often fails to translate into effective protection at sea.
Banner Image: Hammerhead sharks, a group of sharks forming the Sphyrnidae family, with their distinctive hammer-shaped heads, are highly specialized predators that play an important role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. Image shows a school of hammerhead sharks moving together, courtesy of Masayuki Agawa via Ocean Image Bank.
Citation:
Jabado, Rima W., et al., eds. The Global Status of Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, 2024. DOI:10.59216/ssg.gsrsrc.2024
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This story first appeared on Mongabay
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