Sharks in public aquariums raise specific welfare questions about tank size, social environment, and the behavioural needs of active migratory predators.
Aquarium shark welfare requires honest assessment of whether tank environments can meet the species' needs: nurse sharks and sand tigers can thrive in well-designed large exhibits; great white sharks have not survived more than a few days in any captive setting. The welfare standard requires that species kept in aquariums have their biological needs met — swimming range, appropriate temperature, correct diet, and compatible social environment. Species that cannot have these needs met should not be kept. Aquariums that keep welfare-compatible shark species in large, well-designed exhibits provide genuinely educational wildlife experiences.