Last month, scientists, conservationists, and the ecotourism industry alike were all disappointed when the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) determined that the great hammerhead shark will not be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NMFS also decided against listing scalloped hammerhead sharks in the U.S. last year, a motion that was finalized this month. … Read more
White sharks off the coast of California are in danger. This population of white sharks, occurring off California and Mexico, is genetically unique and isolated from other groups of white sharks across the world’s oceans. But this population is also at risk of extinction — recent scientific studies estimate that less than 350 adult and … Read more
It’s not every day that celebrities help with scientific research, but earlier this month, Austin Nichols (“One Tree Hill,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Wimbledon,” and “John from Cincinnati”) shared his passion about sharks with researchers at the University of Miami. He spent two days off the coast of Florida tagging sharks with Oceana and the … Read more
In April, Oceana in Chile urged Chile’s Secretary of Fisheries Raúl Súnico to protect sharks that are being adversely affected by the nation’s fishing operations. Oceana aimed their efforts at the swordfish fishing industry, which has particularly high levels of shark bycatch. To raise awareness about the issue, Oceana aired a three-minute segment on a Chilean news broadcast … Read more
Yesterday, a United States district court upheld the California shark fin ban, a state law forbidding the possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins.* Oceana commends the court’s decision and believes it will further the protection of sharks and help reduce the demand for shark fins worldwide. California’s 2011 law was challenged by a … Read more
Yesterday, sharks received a huge victory when a federal district court upheld a California law that prohibits the possession and sale of shark fins throughout the state. California’s 2011 law was originally challenged by a group of shark fin dealers and retailers who claimed the ban was discriminatory and in violation of federal law. The … Read more
Late last year, I wrote to you about how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration took actions that placed state shark fin bans in jeopardy. These bans, which close down the market for imported shark fins, are incredibly important to halting the finning and capture of tens of millions of sharks each year. Now I … Read more
Last year, NOAA challenged state shark fin bans across the country, suggesting that they might be preempted, or overruled, by federal law. State shark fin laws protect sharks by banning the sale, trade, distribution and possession of shark fins, effectively shutting down the market for shark fins. In response to NOAAs actions, Oceana launched a … Read more
Prepared with partners at the Center for Biological Diversity, this document provides a critique of the federal status review report for the Northeastern Pacific population of white sharks. This analysis brings into question the National Marine Fisheries Service’s conclusion, which relied on the status review, that although the population was a distinct population segment, threatened … Read more
You might not have heard, but sharks are in trouble from an unlikely source—our own federal government. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the government agency tasked with managing our nation’s fisheries, is taking steps to undermine state laws that protect sharks. Recently I partnered with actor and activist January Jones to write an editorial … Read more
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We have already protected over 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.