Mexico is saving sharks while Australia kills them

newswatch.nationalgeographic.com

by Valerie Craig

National Geographic's Ocean Initiative

Great white shark. Photo courtesy Neil Hammerschlag.

There was great news out of Mexico this week when the Mexican government announced a permanent ban on fishing for great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). The measure applies to national waters on both coasts and is notable because it means that white sharks caught accidentally – bycatch – by commercial or recreational fishermen must be immediately released back into the sea.

This announcement builds on Mexico’s commitment in 2011to ban all shark and stingray fishing starting in 2012. Where the earlier commitment was viewed as a temporary moratorium, the new ban will offer permanent protection.

Great whites (most sharks and rays for that matter) grow slowly, live long lives, and don’t reproduce often; all characteristics that make them incredibly vulnerable as a species. We can applaud Mexico for this show of leadership, even more so when you consider the other news hitting the headlines about great whites.

Western Australia has begun a shark cull, purportedly to prevent future shark attacks and as a result of the seven fatal shark attacks that have occurred in Western Australian waters over the past three years. Yet, not only is there no proof that culls prevent attacks, the cull goes against state, federal, and international laws.

The killing began last weekend, and the controversy is heating up as news outlets around the world are picking up the story and activists are taking direct action to remove bait from the fishing lines set for the sharks. Let’s hope the local government comes to its senses before activists are jailed or, maybe more importantly, any more sharks are killed.