Sharks are taking a bite out of anglers’ catch in the Gulf of Mexico, but culling isn’t likely to help
James Marcus Drymon, Mississippi State University STARKVILLE (USA)- Fishermen across the Gulf of Mexico are reporting that something is eating fish off their lines. What’s to blame? Many recreational anglers point a finger at sharks. What a shark left of this red snapper for the angler who hooked it. DavidContinue Reading
Great white sharks off South Africa’s coast are protected by law, but not in practice. Why this needs to change
STELLENBOSCH (South Africa)- In less than eight years, white sharks in South Africa have all but disappeared from their historical hotspots in False Bay and Gansbaai, on the Western Cape coast. These areas were once known as the “white shark capital of the world” and were home to a flourishingContinue Reading
Rare megamouth shark found in east Africa for the first time – why so little is known about it
GRAHAMSTOWN (South Africa)- A rarely seen megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) was recently spotted in east Africa for the very first time. It was recorded in a market in Zanzibar, where it was being sold after being captured and killed. The recent sighting was only the sixth time a megamouth hadContinue Reading
Reseachers and rangers discover new population of rare and endangered sharks in river
PORT ROPER (Australia)- Charles Darwin University (CDU) researchers and First Nations Yugul Mangi Rangers have discovered a new population of a rare and threatened Speartooth Sharks in the Northern Territory’s Roper River. The Speartooth Shark or Glyphis glyphis is currently listed as Critically Endangered under Australia’s national environmental legislation, with a veryContinue Reading
Research: One in seven deepwater sharks face extinction
BURNABY (Canada)- One in seven species of deepwater sharks and rays are threatened with extinction due to overfishing, according to a new eight-year study released today in the journal Science. Specifically, the analysis found that sharks and rays are caught as incidental bycatch in fisheries targeting more commercially valuable species.Continue Reading
Video shows orca killing a great white within 2 minutes, and eating its liver
MOSSEL BAY (South Africa)- A killer whale has been observed, for the first-ever time, individually consuming a great white shark – and within just two minutes. The new footage shows that orcas do not need to hunt in packs to take down one of the ocean’s most formidable predators. In theContinue Reading
International Shark Attack File: 2023 saw small spike in fatalities
There was an increase in the number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide and an uptick in fatalities in 2023 compared to the previous year. The University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF), a scientific database of global shark attacks, confirmed 69 unprovoked bites in 2023. Although this is higherContinue Reading