Great white sharks live far longer than was previously thought. Using a new technique to age the tissues of these impressive creatures, scientists have identified a male great white that lived into its 70s. The researchers say the finding has important implications for the animals’ protection. Knowing the longevity of a species, how fast it […]
Tag: shark
Oceana Fires Back at Flawed Federal Decision not to list Great Whites as Endangered
In the ongoing fight to protect the distinct population of great white sharks off the coast of California and Mexico, Oceana submitted a critical analysis of the federal Biological Review Team’s (BRT) status report used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as the basis for their decision not to list this West Coast population […]
Longline fisheries in Costa Rica hook tens of thousands of sea turtles every year
Hundreds of kilometers of commercial fishing lines slither along coastal waters in Costa Rica, hooking thousands of mahi-mahi and many other marketable fish. But when scientists scrutinized fishermen’s catch, they were shocked by the staggering number of sea turtles accidentally snagged on the lines. A study published Aug. 20 in the Journal of Experimental Marine […]
Future of Great Whites in the Hands of California Leaders
We are alarmed by the recent decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) not to provide needed protections for U.S. West Coast great white sharks under the federal Endangered Species Act. NMFS declined protections despite current science estimates of only a few hundred sub-adult and adult white sharks at their primary aggregation sites. The […]
VICTORY: European Union Bans All Shark Finning!
We at Oceana are thrilled to share this news with you – the European Union (EU) has just officially adopted a strict ban on shark finning! Saturday ended nearly a decade of battle to close several enforcement loopholes that had permitted some forms of shark finning. Finning has technically been prohibited in the EU since […]
Last week in wildlife – in pictures
Fighting siskins, zebra-snouted seahorses and the world’s oldest wombat feature in last week’s pick of images from the natural world. This article was written and published by the Guardian UK.
California’s Shark Fin Ban Officially in Effect! The Catch Is…
Let’s start with the good news: As of yesterday, July 1, California’s shark fin ban (passed in 2011) officially came into effect! California grocers that stocked shark fins and restaurants that offered shark fin soup on the menu had 18 months to move their product. During the 18 month interim, the Los Angeles Times reports […]
“Snuffy the Seal”: Offensive or Effective?
Whether this was your first or fiftieth time watching the Discovery Channel’s viral Shark Week ad, “Snuffy the Seal,” the video is sure to have caught your attention. The ad has been called “polarizing,” “controversial,” and even “horrifying.” Loved or hated, there’s no doubt that the video is effective – mere minutes after the promo […]