CONSERVATION
Why do white sharks need protection?​​
​Understanding where sharks live and reproduce is critical for informing policies aimed at protecting these vital marine predators. By identifying key habitats and breeding grounds, scientists can provide policymakers with the necessary information to designate marine protected areas and implement conservation measures in regions crucial for the sharks' survival. ​​
Threats to White Sharks
Incidental Bycatch (Gillnets)
Gillnets used for halibut fishing off the coast of California inadvertently trap white sharks, especially juveniles, in their nursery areas. Without proper catch limits or regulations, this poses a significant threat to their conservation despite halibut fishing not targeting white sharks directly.
Image Source: Marine Stewardship Council
Longline Fishing
Long line fishing poses a significant threat to white sharks and other pelagic shark species. Satellite tracking data reveal that, despite being protected internationally, white sharks encounter longline fishing vessels in approximately half of their habitat range. Hotspots where sharks feed, breed, and rest are often targeted by longline fishing fleets, leading to high rates of bycatch and mortality.
Image Source: Marine Stewardship Council
How are white sharks currently protected?
California Legislation
Assembly Bill 2220
While gillnet fishing is prohibited along most of California’s coastline, it remains legal in federal waters and state waters near the Channel Islands. Assembly Bill 2220, introduced by State Assembly Member Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), aims to expand the ban on set gillnet fishing and enhance protections for white sharks.
Assembly Bill 2109
In September of 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2109, which aims to enhance public safety by restricting the use of chum and shark bait, minimizing unintended encounters between fishermen and white sharks. These rules, detailed in California Fish and Game Code, section 5517, prohibit the deployment of shark bait, lures, or chum to attract white sharks. Anglers are also barred from introducing such items within one nautical mile of any shoreline, pier, or jetty where white sharks are present.
Proposition 132
In 1994, Proposition 132, the Marine Resources Protection Act, was introduced and prohibits entangling nets (set and drift gill nets, and trammel nets) in designated areas of California state waters.
Title 14
Since January 1994, white sharks in California waters are protected under Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Fish and Game Code Section 28.06, barring their capture, except for scientific or educational purposes, which necessitate a permit issued by the Department under Section 1002 of the Fish and Game Code.
National Protection
National Marine Sanctuaries
The Greater Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries protect critical white shark habitats and regulate human interactions to ensure their safety. Within both sanctuaries, attracting white sharks or approaching them within 50 meters (164 feet) is strictly prohibited.
International Protection
CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora​
White sharks are listed in CITES Appendix II for species not immediately threatened but requiring careful trade monitoring to prevent potential endangerment.
Why do pinnipeds need protection?
Incidental Capture (Bycatch) and Entanglement
Pinnipeds face numerous threats in their natural habitats. Bycatch - the incidental capture of pinnipeds in fishing gear like gillnets and trawls - remains a significant danger. Additionally, entanglement in marine debris and discarded fishing gear can lead to exhaustion, restrict feeding, cause severe injury, and even result in drowning.
Climate Change, Acoustic Disturbances, and Disease
Beyond bycatch and entanglement, pinnipeds are also impacted by climate change, which disrupts their foraging patterns and alters their habitats. Other threats include underwater acoustic disturbances, which interfere with communication and navigation, and the spread of disease in increasingly stressed ecosystems.
Human Disturbance
Pinnipeds require quiet, undisturbed areas for resting and breeding, but excessive human disturbance can drive them away from essential haul-out sites (locations where they temporarily leave the water to spend time on land) resulting in reduced reproductive success.
How are pinnipeds currently protected?
National Legislation
Marine Mammal Protection Act
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 prohibits the harassment, hunting, capture, and killing of pinnipeds in U.S. waters. The MMPA establishes regulations to ensure the conservation and management of pinniped populations, including the designation of marine mammal protection zones and the implementation of measures to mitigate human impacts. Additionally, the MMPA mandates the development of recovery plans for depleted or threatened pinniped species, along with research programs to monitor population trends and assess threats to their well-being.
White shark imagery was collected under Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Permit MULTI-2023-005. Pinniped photos were collected under under NMFS Permit #s 27155, 17952, 19108, 23188, 19349, and 97-1851-03.