This is where the StAR Project comes in, which is being led by the West Papua Provincial Government and the Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia. Research has shown that additional interventions on top of fishing regulations and the creation of protected areas will be required to restore their numbers. Zebra sharks, like many other sharks, have a slow population growth rate. David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic Fishing boats once packed these remote waters, nearly wiping out zebra sharks, but now it is a marine protected area. The Wayag Islands in northern Raja Ampat are a labyrinth of sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons and atolls broken by limestone towers. Zebra shark populations have not followed suit though, and they remain on the verge of extinction here. These protection measures have contributed to significant recoveries in the populations of other shark species in the region. However, it is now home to some of the world's most well-enforced marine protected areas. The waters of Raja Ampat were once dominated by fishing activities. As a result, ReShark says restoring populations of these sharks in areas where they have disappeared, such as Raja Ampat, will balance and improve the health of these marine ecosystems. Zebra sharks play a key role as predators in the ecosystems where they are found, helping to maintain the food web. They hunt at night, generally feeding on mollusks, crustaceans and small bony fish. They are an inshore shark, living over sand, rock reefs and coral bottoms. Its fins are also used to make soup, a delicacy in China. The species is prized for its meat and is hunted and sold throughout the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. However, their populations are at risk of extinction everywhere outside of Australian waters. The species, which can grow to around 8 feet in length, is found in the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans. Zebra sharks are classified as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Between 20, scientists only documented three zebra sharks in the area, National Geographic reported. Zebra sharks had all but disappeared in Raja Ampat as a result of habitat degradation and overfishing. Ichida had released Charlie, Kathlyn’s older sibling, and the very first shark set free through this program, 20 minutes earlier. Scientist Nesha Ichida with ReShark releases the juvenile zebra shark Kathlyn in Indonesia’s Wayag Islands.
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