Dark Shyshark - Human Interactions

Human Interactions

The dark shyshark poses no danger to humans and is too small to be of commercial importance. Many are hooked by sport fishers casting from the shore, who regard the shark as a pest and often kill it. It may also be caught by subsistence fishers and in lobster traps and bottom trawls, though not in substantial quantities. This shark occasionally finds its way into the aquarium trade, though there is no direct fishing for this purpose. As the dark shyshark remains common and does not seem heavily threatened by human activity, it has been assessed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its small range does raise concerns that an increase in regional fishing pressure or habitat degradation could impact the entire population.