Scientists Applaud Florida’s New Shark Fishing Ban

New law protects sharks in their vital pupping and feeding grounds

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a measure to protect tiger sharks and three species of hammerheads from being fished out of state waters.

“I commend the Commission for taking this significant step to protect these sharks before it’s too late,” said Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, director of the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program at the University of Miami (UM). “It’s my hope that the National Marine Fisheries Service will follow Florida’s lead and ban these sharks from being harvested in the adjacent federal waters.”

Sharks are highly threatened worldwide due to overfishing, a trend that is largely driven to fuel the shark fin trade as well as from accidental bycatch from commercial fishing operations. Populations for hammerhead sharks in the northwest Atlantic have declined more than 80 percent over the last two decades.

We congratulate The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with this great decision!