Tigers and Hammerheads Oh My! Florida Steps Up to Protect Sharks
Great news coming down from Oceana and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation day— the approval of new rules to increase protection of Tiger and Hammerhead sharks in Florida.
The new rules will go into effect in the beginning of 2012 and will effectively eliminate commercial catch of Tiger and Hammerhead – great, scalloped and smooth head – off of Florida’s coast and into the Gulf. The preventative measures are aimed to eliminate the commercial harvest, landing or possession of the sharks, but will allow for recreational fishing on a catch and release basis.
“There are some other shark species that still would benefit from this same protection in Florida’s waters,” writes Oceana’s Rebecca Greenberg in the organization’s blog, “But for now we’re pleased to see the state make positive changes to these shark fisheries.”
For proponents of the rules at Oceana, the action is long overdue: Atlantic Tiger sharks are down 97 percent in the last decade.
