Editorial
Save the sharks
Published on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010
Vilified, maligned and abused, some species of sharks are vulnerable to extinction.
Fortunately wildlife agencies and conservationists, recognizing that sharks are invaluable to the survival of marine ecosystems, are taking steps to ensure that threats to these fascinating creatures aren’t left unchecked.
Recently, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved a series of rules to enhance its policy to protect stressed shark populations in Florida waters. The rules mirror recent management measures that have been established for sharks in coastal waters from Florida to Maine.
Sharks have been strictly regulated in Florida since 1992 with a one-fish-per-person/two-fish-per-vessel daily bag limit for all recreational and commercial harvesters, a prohibition on nearly two dozen overfished or rare shark species, and a ban on the cruel and wasteful practice of harvesting only shark fins.
Sharks fins are used in the Far East for fin soups, considered a traditional dish for honoring special guests for occasions. Finning occurs mostly in high-seas fisheries hundreds of miles offshore.
Since most sharks grow slowly, mature late and give birth after a long gestation period, populations shrink rapidly when sharks are targeted by fisheries.
According to Shark Trust, a charitable organization established in the United Kingdom in 1997, some Atlantic populations of sharks have declined up to 90 percent in the last 15 years. A whale shark pectoral fin can sell for up to $15,000 in the United States.
As of 2008, 23 species of sharks worldwide are considered to be facing a high risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Among those are the great white shark, whale shark and leopard shark. Sixteen species face a very high risk of extinction, including several types of angel sharks and the Borneo shark.
The new state rules prohibit harvest of sandbar, silky and Caribbean sharpnose sharks from state waters. Sandbar sharks are considered overfished and are experiencing overfishing, which means that fishing pressure is too high to be sustainable. Silky sharks are highly vulnerable to overexploitation.
The rules also establish a 54-inch fork length minimum size limit for all sharks, except Atlantic sharpnose, blacknose, bonnethead, finetooth and blacktip sharks and smooth dogfish. This will help protect the juveniles of 14 species of sharks in Florida waters.
The species where no size limit is required are considered to be at healthy population levels or don’t warrant a minimum-size limit.
In a related action, the FWC has proposed a draft rule that would prohibit all recreational and commercial harvest of lemon sharks from Florida waters. Lemon sharks are slow-growing, produce relatively few offspring and are highly susceptible to fishing pressure.
A final public hearing on the proposed lemon shark rule will be held during the February FWC meeting in Apalachicola.
Such rules, spurred by research and recognition of the threats to shark habitats, are encouraging.
Our fear of sharks is misplaced. Instead, we should fear that they become extinct.
