Intentional Bycatch: Growing White Shark Recreational Fishing in California
Recently, an eight foot long White Shark washed ashore on San Diego's Torrey Pines State Beach. The shark had clearly seen some better days. It was determined that the shark died from a combination of hook damage and gastrointestinal injury caused from entanglement with fishing line during a prolonged fight. There was a large gash in the side of its mouth from the hook allegedly being sliced out of the fish, and the state of its internal organs were described as "twisted." This has unfortunately become a growing issue. White Sharks are one of the world’s most iconic marine organisms, having received a level of attention from conservationists and the general human populace matched by few other species. Due to their ecological and cultural importance, white sharks are protected throughout much of their range. This includes the entirety of the California Coastline, a region home to large numbers of juvenile and adult sharks. This protection applies not only to retention and