James Sulikowski quoted in 'Hakai Magazine' article on using discovered shark corpses for research
James Sulikowski, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Marine Sciences, was quoted in a May 19, 2015 article in Hakai Magazine, titled "The Scientific Afterlife of Sharks."
The article discussed the conservation benefits of studying the bodies of sharks that were caught by abandoned traps and nets rather than purposely killing sharks for scientific research.
It also points out, however, that while utilizing deceased sharks for study can reduce the number of sharks that are killed, relying solely on discovered shark corpses would result in research that lacks adequate sample numbers, something that would likely, in the long run, be detrimental to shark conservation.
Sulikowski stated that the number of sharks sacrificed for research "is kept to a minimum for ethical reasons," but he noted that "low sample sizes are not ideal, and they usually provide more questions than answers. In addition, making assumptions without proper data can lead to disastrous outcomes."