WildEarth Guardians

Thursday, May 16, 2013
Dusky Sharks Will Be Considered for Endangered Species Act Protection

Apex Predators in the Northwestern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Threatened by Commercial Exploitation
Contact: Taylor Jones (505) 490-5141

Washington, DC – The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will consider listing the Northwestern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico population of dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) as “threatened” or “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The agency has made a positive preliminary finding on petitions by WildEarth Guardians and Natural Resources Defense Council and will conduct a 12-month review of the species to determine if listing is warranted. The agency stated that the primary threat to this species appears to be exploitation by commercial and recreational fisheries, especially considering the sharks’ low reproductive rate and high mortality when caught as bycatch. 

“We’re pleased to see this population move one step closer to better protections,” said Taylor Jones, Endangered Species Advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Losing these important animals in U.S. waters – or anywhere in their range – would be a tragedy.”

Dusky sharks average nearly 12 feet and 400 pounds at maturity. These large predators are a vital component of diverse and healthy ecosystems. Scientists agree that removal of apex predators from the food chain will likely lead to the collapse of marine ecosystems. Apex predators eliminate weak and sick individuals from prey populations, provide scavengers with food resources, and regulate the diversity, abundance, distribution, and behavior of prey species.

“Sharks are the wolves of the sea, and like wolves they are heavily persecuted,” continued Jones. “If we want to save the top predators in our oceans, we need to protect them under the Endangered Species Act.”

An estimated 50-80 percent of all life on earth is found in the oceans; however, out of the 2,055 species on the endangered species list, only 94 (4 percent) of them are marine species. Listing species under the Endangered Species Act has proven an effective safety net for imperiled species: more than 99 percent of plants and animals listed under the Act persist today. The law is especially important as a bulwark against the current extinction crisis; plants and animals are disappearing at a rate much higher than the natural rate of extinction due to human activities. Scientists estimate that 227 species would have gone extinct if not for ESA listing.