The
government plans to require almost all sharks landed by recreational fishermen
off the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico to measure at least 8 feet from
nose to fork in the tail, a move that some recreational fishermen said will end
their sport but that conservationists say is needed to save an imperiled
species.
The
debate over how best to protect the dusky shark — which can migrate hundreds of
miles in a season but whose juveniles return every summer to the mid-Atlantic —
highlights the complicated task of recovering shark species.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has prohibited the catch of
dusky sharks since 1999, but scientists found its population to be so depleted
that it will take 100 years for it to recover.
The
dusky shark, which averages nearly 12 feet in length and 400 pounds, takes two
decades to reach sexual maturity and has small litters every three years, which
makes it vulnerable to overfishing.
The
environmental group WildEarth Guardians has petitioned to list the dusky shark
under the Endangered Species Act.
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