Extinct Shark Species Returns to Indonesian Reefs Through Global Rewilding Effort

Extinct Shark Species Returns to Indonesian Reefs Through Global Rewilding Effort

By
Casey Lee

Publish Date:August 25, 2025

CLICK TO
SUBSCRIBE

follow follow
Impactful Ninja is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Learn more .
Affiliate Disclosure

Hey fellow impactful ninja ?

You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.

  • Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.

  • But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.

Why do we add these product links?

First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.

And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

What do these affiliate links mean for you?
  1. First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.

  2. When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.

  3. And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.

What do these affiliate links mean for us?
  1. When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.

  2. When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).

  3. And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.

What does this mean for me personally?

You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.

Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.

Stay impactful,

At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Add Impactful Ninja as a preferred source on Google or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!

📰 The quick summary: A groundbreaking conservation project called ReShark is successfully reintroducing endangered leopard sharks to Indonesia’s Raja Ampat reefs, potentially establishing a viable population within a decade.
📈 One key stat: 126 leopard shark eggs have been shipped, 82 pups hatched, and 39 released, with models suggesting 50-75 releases annually could reestablish a viable population within a decade.
💬 One key quote: “This is a first for the ocean, and especially for sharks,” Mark Erdmann, ReShark’s executive director, told me.

Illustration of a ninja with a newspaper with one big news

1️⃣ The big picture: A pioneering marine conservation effort is attempting to reverse local extinction of the Indo-Pacific leopard shark in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat. The ReShark initiative brings together more than 100 institutions across 20 countries, including aquariums that breed sharks in captivity and ship their eggs to Indonesian nurseries. Local communities play a central role, with Indonesians trained to manage hatcheries and former shark fishers participating in releases. This innovative approach could serve as a model for bringing back marine species decimated by human activities, offering a faster path to population recovery than natural processes.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: The project demonstrates how international collaboration can effectively address marine species loss without waiting decades for natural recovery. Aquariums have found a new purpose beyond display, becoming active partners in marine conservation and rewilding. Local communities benefit through skills development and environmental education, with former shark fishers now helping with conservation. Children involved in feeding shark pups are developing conservation values that will last generations. The initiative creates a template for other endangered marine species recovery efforts, with similar projects already starting in Thailand.

3️⃣ What’s next: More leopard sharks will continue to be released, with the goal of 50-75 animals annually to establish a self-sustaining population within a decade. The program is expanding to Thailand and considering additional shark species for rewilding efforts. Strong marine protections must be maintained for the rewilding to succeed long-term.

Illustration of a ninja holding up a newsletter with many good news

Read the full story here: Mongabay – Can we undo extinction? A growing effort to restore lost sharks

Photo of author
Did you like this article?

Get the 5-minute newsletter that makes reading impactful news enjoyable—packed with actionable insights to make a positive impact in your daily life.

Newsletter Form - After Content
0