Sandbar Sharks Get Some Help

Federal fisheries officials are taking additional steps to protect sandbar sharks. A new rule would ban the recreational harvest of sandbar sharks - recognizable by their long pectoral fins - and limit commercial harvest to vessels participating in a research program. The rule also would add protections for porbeagle sharks, a northern species found in the waters around Canada. Commercial fishing led to overfishing of sandbar sharks, whose large fins are sold in the lucrative shark fin soup market. Recreational anglers participating in kill shark tournaments also have contributed to declines in coastal shark populations, NOAA Fisheries Service said...