Sharks in public aquaria face specific welfare challenges from their sensory biology, movement needs and social behavior. Understanding these requirements helps evaluate and improve aquarium shark welfare.
Shark welfare in captivity varies enormously by species. Some small, sedentary species like catsharks and nurse sharks can be maintained in reasonable welfare in appropriately designed facilities. Large pelagic species like great white and whale sharks cannot be kept in captivity without severe welfare compromise - the evidence from every attempt is consistent: declining health, abnormal behavior, and relatively rapid death. The sensory biology of sharks - electroreception sensitive enough to detect the bioelectric fields of prey animals - means that electrical interference from aquarium pumps and equipment causes chronic disruption. Large pelagic sharks require the equivalent of open ocean to express natural behavior. No aquarium has been built and none is foreseeable that could provide adequate conditions for these species.