On behalf of Shark Stewards, a non-profit marine conservation organization dedicated to protecting global shark populations and maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems, we submit these comments strongly opposing the proposed revisions to the commercial Atlantic blacknose and recreational Atlantic shark fisheries management measures.
Read MoreEndangered Sharks and Rays in the News
Endangered Species Month Launched as Scientists Warn of Hundreds of Species of Rays and Skates at Risk From Overfishing and Habitat Loss.
NOAA Proposes More Shark Fishing in Atlantic as SHARKED Act Swims in Senate
NOAA Proposes to Increase Atlantic Shark Fishing
NOAA Fisheries has introduced a reckless proposal aimed at relaxing fishing regulations. If approved, these changes will drastically reduce protections for commercial and recreational shark fisheries across the northwestern Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. Public comment period ends May 29.
Read MoreRays in Hot Water: Sharks International Conference
An early off-cited alert 2015 study by Dr. Boris Worm of Dalhousie University warned that around 100 million sharks were killed each year, primarily by the shark fin trade. However MacNeil ‘s team estimates that nearly twice as many rays — 191 million — are killed annually, in work that has yet to be peer reviewed.
Read MoreBelow the Surface: A Diver’s Plea for Smart Solutions to Shark Depredation
A new federal proposal- the SHARKED Act (short for Supporting the Health of Aquatic Systems through Research, Knowledge, and Enhanced Dialogue)- would direct NOAA to create a national task force to study “shark depredation,” the term used when sharks take fish off of fishing lines. This issue has drawn attention and emotion from all sides, but any effective solution must begin with facts- not fear.
Read MoreDo Sharks Get Cancer?
There is a widespread, persistent myth that sharks are immune to cancer, largely popularized by a 1992 book titled Sharks Don’t Get Cancer by Dr William Lane. However, marine biologists and veterinary pathologists have definitively proven that sharks do develop both benign and malignant tumors.
Read MoreESA Amendments Vote Killed by Florida Republicans
House Republicans abruptly canceled a vote on a Bill that would significantly undermine the Endangered Species Act, scheduled for a House vote on Earth Day April 22. The ESA Amendments Act HR 1897, introduced by Representative Westerman (R-Ark) would weaken the 52 year old law that has protected thousands of endangered species from extinction.
Read MoreSave Willy Act Would Protect Whales in San Francisco Bay
In 2025, 24 whales died in the San Francisco Bay Area according to the California Academy of Sciences, marking this the highest mortality rate in 25 years. Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16) introduced the “Save Willy Act,” a bill designed to prevent the deadly ship strikes that are claiming the lives of whales in record numbers.
Read MoreDead Leopard Sharks and Reporting Wildlife
Report dead or sick sharks, seabirds, marine mammals in the San Francisco bay area using these hotlines.
Read MoreFederal Court Supports ESA Protection
A federal court struck down Trump’s attacks against the Endangered Species Act (ESA), restoring key values of this essential environmental law to the status it held for decades before the first Trump administration attacked the ESA.
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