RESHARK

The world's first shark rewilding initiative has seen zebra sharks released in the waters of Indonesia's Raja Ampat archipelago

- DANIEL ALLEN

REWILDING MEANS A LOT MORE THAN R simply returning wild animals to ecosystems where their populations are degraded or absent. That said, it's hard to ignore the huge range of flagship species now being released in their native habitats - from jaguars in Argentina's Iberá Wetlands to European bison in Romania's Carpathian mountains.

But what about rewilding the seas, which cover a far greater percentage of the Earth’s surface? When it comes to returning lost and endangered marine species, the underwater realm has long lagged behind its terrestrial counterpart. With no firm definition, initiatives to restore seagrass meadows and re-establish oyster beds can arguably be classified as rewilding. But the idea of returning large, iconic animals to the ocean is only just taking off.

This is what makes ReShark – an international, collective effort to recover threatened sharks and rays around the world – so exciting. ReShark’s first project, called StAR, broke new ground (or water) in early 2023, when three juvenile, captive-bred zebra sharks were released in a lagoon off Wayag Island, part of Indonesia’s spectacular Raja Ampat archipelago. In a global first, the aim is to raise 500 zebra sharks in aquariums across the world and set them free in Raja Ampat’s bountiful waters.