JOHANNESBURG — Conservationists gather this week to chart a way to save the shark, one of the most feared predators in the oceans now itself under threat from over-fishing and demand for dishes such as shark-fin soup.

Experts say governments around Africa were also coming under increasing pressure to open up their waters to large, commercial fishing fleets, which was likely to put even greater strain on shark numbers.

Conservationists from around the world meet in Durban, South Africa, on Thursday for a four-day conference to assess the dangers facing Africa's sharks and rays and attempt to produce a conservation list of all the species in the region.

"For the first time ... shark experts will gather to evaluate the conservation status of the African shark," said George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. "The resulting listing will hopefully serve as a springboard for enlightened fishery management and conservation of these highly vulnerable species," he said in a statement.

Subequatorial Africa's waters have more than 260 species of sharks and rays, about 25 percent of the world total. South Africa is famed for its large numbers of great white sharks, one of the ocean's most feared predators.

While little is known about the status of many of the species in African waters, several are known to be globally threatened. These include the great white, whale shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, and several species of rays.

"Increasing demands for shark products ... are driving local fisheries that are largely unregulated and unmonitored," said the World Conservation Union (IUCN), which is organizing the four-day conference. "Often sharks are caught as 'bycatch' in fisheries targeting other, more abundant species."

It continued, "Although sharks usually attract attention following attacks on humans, these are extremely rare events. In contrast, humans kill millions of sharks every year."

The IUCN also highlighted the pressures African governments face to allow commercial fishing fleets into their waters.

"This puts shark and ray populations at risk from over- exploitation and affects the livelihoods of small-scale fishermen and coastal communities," it said.