SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Great white sharks that live off the coast of California are now candidates for protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The California Fish and Game Commission voted today to initiate a comprehensive one-year review of the white shark population to determine if it qualifies for state protection. The state will also consider … Read more
The European Parliament approved a strict ban on shark finning, closing a crucial loophole in EU law by requiring that all sharks caught in EU waters, and by EU vessels in international waters, be landed with their fins attached. This is a monumental achievement for sharks and one that Oceana campaigned for. The EU is … Read more
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) today announced a positive 90-day finding on two petitions to list the West Coast population of great white sharks under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NMFS determined that the population merits further consideration for listing as an “endangered” or “threatened” species. Today’s decision is in response to ESA listing … Read more
White sharks of the northeastern Pacific Ocean are in peril. New studies demonstrate that these sharks form a genetically distinct population. Such a population, covering a significant portion of the world’s oceans, urgently needs protection under the Endangered Species Act. Other new studies show that this population has only a few hundred adult and sub-adult … Read more
Last night we performed a dive to see if we could see sharks, which at that time from deeper areas in search of their prey. And just falling in the 500 meters, there was a pair of shoes (Birdbeak cf. Dogfish), a small shark of elongated and flattened nose. Then continue to – 550 m. … Read more
Conservation groups filed a notice of intent to sue the federal government under the Endangered Species Act today for authorizing California’s drift gillnet fishery, which has killed alarming numbers of endangered sperm whales in recent years. In addition to sperm whales, the fishery also kills endangered leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. While … Read more
The EU voted in favor of strictly protecting 10 threatened species of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean Sea, under the Barcelona Convention. These species, including hammerheads, tope, and shortfin mako, have declined dramatically in numbers – some by as much as 99% during the last century – while others have vanished from parts of … Read more
For the first time in its 60-year history, the FAO’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean took action for shark protection. The Commission adopted measures for the management and conservation of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean, the region of highest risk in the world for these fishes. Twenty-three Mediterranean countries endorsed a proposal from … Read more
Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity, and SharkStewards filed a scientific petition with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Washington DC seeking to protect the US West Coast population of great white sharks under the Endangered Species Act. This week, they will also seek protection under California’s Endangered Species Act. New findings show the numbers … 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.