[CINC] State to Study Great White Sharks for Possible Protection

[Catherine French]

This is good news for the oceans.


State to Study Great White Sharksfor Possible Protection
By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk StaffWriter| Published on 02.07.2013 8:52 p.m.

After a year-long review by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife,the CaliforniaFish and Game Commission will consider listing the great white sharkas a threatened or endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act.
 
Commissioners were petitioned by Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversityand SharkStewards to consider more protections for the North Eastern Pacificwhite shark.
By declaring the species as acandidate for listing under CESA, the commission started a status reviewprocess. At the end of it, commissioners will decide whether the species shouldbe listed as threatened or endangered. 
 
The sharks already are protectedunder federal and state law, and it’s illegal for anyone to take, possess orsell a great white shark except in rare circumstances when being used for scientificresearch purposes. The North Eastern Pacific white shark, also known as greatwhites, are considered genetically unique from other populations of whitesharks near Australia and South Africa, according to the DFW.  
 
Petitioners argued that the greatwhite population is in peril, although the DFW evaluation stated that thepopulation size can’t be determined.  
 
Andrew Rasmussen, a commercialfisherman from Santa Barbara, told the commission he opposed the petition, andhas caught only two juvenile white sharks in the last five years of gill netfishing. One was released live with a tag, and one was given to research, hesaid. 
He’s worked with ChristopherLowe, at CSU Long Beach’s Shark Lab, and expertsare only seeing five to 15 animals a year from gill net fisheries, and half ofthose are released, Rasmussen said.  
 
“What we’re talking about issomewhere around four to eight animals a year that are killed,” he said. Ifsharks average about eight pups, these numbers only show limiting thereproductive capacity of one animal. 
 
“If you use that as the criteriato list something as endangered, then all of the businesses in California arein a lot of trouble,” he said.  
 
He and other commercial fishermenwho spoke at the meeting said shark sightings and attacks are increasing, atleast anecdotally.  
 
Commissioners said they do gettired of receiving petitions of this nature, but believed the petition at leastwarranted the year of status review. 
 
“It’s an iconic species for theocean,” Commissioner Michael Sutton said.
There are many species of sharksthat aren’t endangered, and can even be fished, but the candidacy finding isimportant to launch the status review, he said. 
 
“Not all shark species arecreated equal,” he said. Commissioner Jim Kellogg supported the review, but notthe implication that fishing practices have contributed to a low sharkpopulation in the area.

“I don’t believe commercial fishermen in California have in any way beenresponsible for low levels of white sharks,” he said. With news of thecommission’s decision, petitioners celebrated this week. 
“As the apex predator in theCalifornia Coastal Upwelling Ecosystem, white sharks play a vital role in thehealth of that system,” David McGuire, director of Shark Stewards, wrote in aprepared statement. “We are hopeful that the commission will follow the lead offederal recommendations to further investigate the impacts on this populationand the population status to ensure these sharks will continue to survive.” 
 
Locally, there have been many more sightings and attacks from greatwhites recently. 
Two men were attacked and killedat Surf Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base within twoyears, and authorities set up warnings for local beaches throughout the summerafter sightings were made. 
 
— Noozhawkstaff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli at noozhawk.com 



Calm Seas,
 
Catherine French
Writer, mentor, naturalist
805.570.0432
To own is to have; to share with friends, is to enjoy.

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