Save Great White Sharks From Extinction
Dear National Marine Fisheries Service,
The Pacific coast of California and Baja California, Mexico are home to a unique population of great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) that are genetically distinct and isolated from all other great white sharks around the globe. Scientists estimate that only a few hundred adult and sub-adult individual great white sharks remain in this population, meaning the continued existence of great white sharks on the US west coast is at risk.
Existing protections are not adequately protecting this species. Juvenile great white sharks continue to be killed as incidental bycatch in US and Mexican commercial fishing gillnets in important nursery areas for these young sharks. Under existing regulations, there are no limits on this bycatch, nor is there sufficient observer coverage in these fisheries. In addition, juvenile great white sharks off of southern California can be caught and killed by recreational fishermen who assume any small shark is edible, when if fact they have some of the highest levels of mercury, DDT, and PCBs found in any shark species worldwide.
Our ocean ecosystems need great white sharks.
As top ocean predators, great white sharks play a critical top-down role in structuring the marine ecosystem by keeping prey populations like seals and sea lions in check. The presence of great white sharks ultimately increases species diversity of the overall ecosystem.
The North East Pacific Population of great white sharks along the US West Coast requires additional protection as an endangered species because of its low population size and the ongoing threats from human activities. Endangered Species Act listing will be critical to effectively addressing the continued bycatch of great white sharks, while promoting additional scientific research on this dwindling population.
We urge the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect great white sharks by listing the North East Pacific Population on the Federal Endangered Species List.
Sincerely,
The Pacific coast of California and Baja California, Mexico are home to a unique population of great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) that are genetically distinct and isolated from all other great white sharks around the globe. Scientists estimate that only a few hundred adult and sub-adult individual great white sharks remain in this population, meaning the continued existence of great white sharks on the US west coast is at risk.
Existing protections are not adequately protecting this species. Juvenile great white sharks continue to be killed as incidental bycatch in US and Mexican commercial fishing gillnets in important nursery areas for these young sharks. Under existing regulations, there are no limits on this bycatch, nor is there sufficient observer coverage in these fisheries. In addition, juvenile great white sharks off of southern California can be caught and killed by recreational fishermen who assume any small shark is edible, when if fact they have some of the highest levels of mercury, DDT, and PCBs found in any shark species worldwide.
Our ocean ecosystems need great white sharks.
As top ocean predators, great white sharks play a critical top-down role in structuring the marine ecosystem by keeping prey populations like seals and sea lions in check. The presence of great white sharks ultimately increases species diversity of the overall ecosystem.
The North East Pacific Population of great white sharks along the US West Coast requires additional protection as an endangered species because of its low population size and the ongoing threats from human activities. Endangered Species Act listing will be critical to effectively addressing the continued bycatch of great white sharks, while promoting additional scientific research on this dwindling population.
We urge the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect great white sharks by listing the North East Pacific Population on the Federal Endangered Species List.
Sincerely,
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|---|---|---|---|
| 4568 | Wed Aug 28 21:24:33 EDT 2013 | Gregory Esteve | Lake Wales, FL |
| 4567 | Fri Aug 23 23:47:24 EDT 2013 | Gabrielle Thomas | Cochrane, ON |
| 4566 | Sat Aug 17 15:35:07 EDT 2013 | Lorraine Phillips | London, ot |
| 4565 | Sat Aug 17 04:51:06 EDT 2013 | mickey Ohaher | P.E, ot |
| 4564 | Sat Aug 17 03:35:48 EDT 2013 | misa cajnko | Ljubljana, ot |
| 4563 | Fri Aug 16 19:02:50 EDT 2013 | Russell Dam | New Haven, MO |
| 4562 | Fri Aug 16 18:06:18 EDT 2013 | Lorraine Phillips | London, ot |
| 4561 | Fri Aug 16 17:42:51 EDT 2013 | jennifer birolini | casnigo, ot |
| 4560 | Fri Aug 16 15:36:52 EDT 2013 | Cristal Trujillo | FL |
| 4559 | Fri Aug 16 08:18:32 EDT 2013 | Linda Ann Reynolds, Ed.S. | Coosada, AL |
| 4558 | Fri Aug 16 08:15:08 EDT 2013 | Linda Ann Reynolds, Ed.S. | Coosada, AL |
| 4557 | Fri Aug 16 08:15:08 EDT 2013 | Linda Ann Reynolds, Ed.S. | Coosada, AL |
| 4556 | Wed Aug 14 17:16:00 EDT 2013 | Antonio Delgado Fenoy | Torre del Mar (Malaga). SPAIN, ot |
| 4555 | Tue Aug 13 10:51:40 EDT 2013 | Eszter Szabo | Nagybajcs, ot |
| 4554 | Sat Aug 10 05:12:35 EDT 2013 | Terry Fedick | Vernon, BC |
| 4553 | Thu Aug 08 16:58:01 EDT 2013 | Tina Dueholm | Holmegaard, Not provided |
| 4552 | Tue Aug 06 17:50:32 EDT 2013 | Donald Chambers | New Orleans, LA |
| 4551 | Tue Aug 06 08:47:55 EDT 2013 | Lea Jovanovski | Varaždin, ot |
| 4550 | Thu Jul 25 09:41:41 EDT 2013 | Gwen Medeiros | wilminhton, NC |
| 4549 | Thu Jul 25 06:06:57 EDT 2013 | Alice Rameau | Besançon, |
| 4548 | Thu Jul 25 06:06:48 EDT 2013 | Alice Rameau | Besançon, |
| 4547 | Wed Jul 24 23:58:05 EDT 2013 | Lyssa Earey | Vermont, ot |
| 4546 | Mon Jul 22 11:23:23 EDT 2013 | Jaclyn Smith | London , GB+H9 |
| 4545 | Sat Jul 13 21:11:17 EDT 2013 | celeste Machristie Mankin | Philadelphia, PA |
| 4544 | Fri Jul 12 10:15:17 EDT 2013 | Sofie Sheldon | CT |