Human dimensions of shark conservation: A systematic scoping review and narrative synthesis

Humans are the leading cause of shark mortality in the modern era. Growing recognition of the importance of human dimensions (e.g., perceptions, attitudes, behaviours) for successful shark conservation has driven increased research in recent years. With the aim of mapping key concepts, findings, and gaps, we conducted a scoping review of research that incorporated human participants in the context of sharks and shark conservation ( K = 171). Perceptions were the most frequently investigated human dimension concept, followed by behaviours, experiences, and attitudes. The most researched shark species were hammerheads ( Sphyrna spp.) and white sharks ( Carcharodon carcharias ), although most studies ambiguously referred to “shark(s)” in measures, potentially skewing findings towards prototypical species. Evidence synthesis indicated that tourists and the public held positive attitudes towards sharks, although fear was evident among the public. Tourism may foster positive conservation outcomes and willingness-to-pay to shark conservation; however, studies reported ceiling effects due to participants being already environmentally conscious. Fishers recognised sharks' ecological importance but perceived depredation as increasing due to conservation efforts, and reported feeling underrepresented by management, conservationists, and science. Ocean-users consistently favoured non-lethal shark management, yet awareness of method lethality was low. Knowledge of sharks was positively associated with attitudes towards sharks across participant populations. Overall, we highlight clear, actionable gaps in the literature that future studies should address, and emphasise the need to incorporate social science perspectives in designing, implementing, and interpreting research on human behaviours and experiences in the context of sharks.