Sharks le Chéile (sharks together) was originally established as part of a wider research project linking biologists, policy makers and the general public to enhance sustainable ecosystem service provision of Ireland’s unique shark and ray resources, while simultaneously improving conservation outcomes for these animals in Ireland’s waters.

As part of this overall project, Sharks le Chéile was set up to connect scientists studying these species in Ireland with the angling community and members of the public.

The core aim of our work is to bring science to the angling community and other public stakeholders, and vice versa. Whether that’s highlighting new research on these enigmatic animals to anglers, promoting sustainable angling, involving anglers and the public in research as citizen scientists, or ensuring angler’s and concerned citizen’s voices are heard by scientists and government agencies.

Our goal is to create is a partnership and networking platform with a dual focus of (1) encouraging broader participation in shark and ray ecotourism in Ireland, including sustainable angling, and (2) conservation of the unique elasmobranch populations in a region that is increasingly recognised as a global hotspot for these animals.

We are a small team of researchers, with a headquarters in Trinity College Dublin, but with contributing researchers throughout Ireland, who work in collaboration with scientists from Irish government agencies and at leading universities around the world to achieve these objectives.