Brittney Francis

5
Sep
2017

Source: Mongabay
Author: Neha Jain

  • For the first time, researchers used satellite tags attached to the fins of 40 juvenile shortfin mako sharks to directly quantify fishing mortality in the Northern Atlantic.
  • Over the course of three years, 12 (30 percent) of the sharks were harvested, mostly by longline fisheries from five countries.
  • Fishing mortality was ten times higher than estimates based on catch data reported by the fisheries, and 15 to 18 times higher than the rate associated with maximum sustainable yield, suggesting substantial overfishing.

Continue reading Fishing mortality of mako sharks ten times higher than fisheries’ estimates

24
Aug
2017

New Population Assessment Reveals Serious Overfishing in North Atlantic

Conservation groups are calling for national and international protections for shortfin mako sharks based on a new scientific assessment that finds the North Atlantic population has been depleted and is continuing to be seriously overfished. The shortfin mako – the world’s fastest shark — is sought for meat, fins, and sport, but most fishing countries impose no limits on catch. An upcoming international fisheries meeting presents a critical opportunity to protect the species.

Continue reading Conservationists Call for Mako Shark Fishing Ban