I am writing to express our strenuous opposition to the recent final action taken by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) to restore commercial fishing within the Pacific Remote Islands, Rose Atoll, Marianas Trench, and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monuments. This recommendation to allow longline and purse seine fishing within 50–200 nm of these protected areas is a direct assault on some of the world’s last remaining intact marine ecosystems and must be rejected by NOAA Fisheries.
Read MoreGlobal Shark Attacks at Norm in 2025
Global shark attacks were higher in the year 2025 over 2024 reports the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF). Despite the attention it gets when an incident involving a shark and human occurs, shark populations are decreasing globally.
Read MoreEveryday is Shark Awareness Day
Shark Awareness Day, a day created to dispel myths about sharks and to raise awareness about the importance of sharks to the ocean. It is a day to recognize the power and beauty of sharks and their importance to ocean ecosystems.
It is also a day to inspire action and save many species of sharks and rays from their imminent extinction.