Leopard shark  (Stegostoma fasciatum)

There is no direct evidence of a decline in leopard shark numbers but Indo-West Pacific surveys of local fish markets suggest it is much less common than it used to be. Incidental and deliberate capture by fishing companies is the principal threat to the leopard shark across its range outside Australia; it can be found in fish markets all around Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Taiwan and India (1). The liver is used to make vitamins and its fins are dried for the Oriental shark-fin trade to be used in soups (6) (8). Threats in Australia are minimal. Evidence from the Gulf of Thailand show it was historically more abundant and may have been affected by the use of explosives and poisons on reefs (1).

There are currently no conservation measures in place for this species (1).