Tiger and Hammerhead Sharks Protected in Florida

This is incredible news!  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has come to an agreement that three species of hammerhead shark and tiger sharks in Florida waters are illegal to capture and posses.  Both hammerheads and tiger sharks are K-selected species, meaning they are characterized by slow growth, late are of maturity, and low fecundity and therefore the fact that anthropogenic shark mortality will be minimal, hopefully, the protection will aid in the population rejuvination of these species.  Additionally, since most sharks are such an integral part of marine communities and  have a top-down predatory impact within their respective ecosystems, it is likely that this move will also positively impact the health, biodiversity, and spatial distributions of these marine communities. 

Why am I so excited about this protection?

A nightmare to conservationists, Mark the Shark, is responsible for an unbelievable amount of shark mortality in Floridian waters.  Nearly every day (if weather permits and he has clients) he will seek out, catch and kill endangered Great and scalloped hammerhead sharks, as well as many other species.

Here are some examples:

Endangered great hammerhead shark captured and killed by Mark the Shark Chaters.  Copyright  Mark the Shark.

Endangered scalloped hammerhead shark captured and killed by Mark the Shark Charters.  Copyright Mark the Shark. 

Blacktip shark captured and killed by Mark the Shark Charters.  Copyright Mark the Shark.

Treating a shark as a trophy rather than a valuable ecological predator is an issue that continually needs to be addressed.  Although this protection in Floridian waters is a huge success, it is only a start--a tiny change in human behavior which may lead to healthier seas for future generations.