The IUCN/SSC Shark Specialist Group
Shark News 1: June 1994
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ICES: The International Initiative for Conservation of White Sharks
Ian K. Fergusson(1) and Leonard J.V. Compagno(2)
1. European Shark Research Bureau, 46 Lincoln Close, Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 2NN, England. Fax (+44) 707 335259
2. Shark Research Center, Dept. Marine Biology, South African Museum, PO Box 61, Cape Town 8000, South Africa. Fax: (+27) 21-24-6716
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Since ancient times, the great white shark Carcharodon carcharias
(Lamnidae:Lamniformes) has provided a focus for popular imagery of the
neoselachians, an image that has been typically one of a bloodthirsty,
essentially unconscious kilter of unwary humans who dare to invade its
domain. Public opinion towards this spectacular predator has, in no small
part, been influenced in contemporary times by the Jaws films of the mid
and late 1970s, coupled with a commensurate media image of this
species that has been almost exclusively negative. This unfortunate
formula has all too often indicted the white shark as a living definition of
the vociferous man-eater, almost to the exclusion of any other large and
potentially-dangerous shark species such as the bull shark, tiger shark or
oceanic whitetip. Consequently, white sharks have been regularly and
unscrupulously hunted by big-game anglers, entrepreneurs and self-
styled vigilantes off many national coastlines, with varying motives:
either for sheer bravado, or for expensive jaw-trophies, or as some
misguided act of revenge for occasional human fatalities.
© 1989 by Sid F. Cook. All rights reserved.
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Only in more recent years has diligent field-study of white sharks
begun to support an image far divorced from those of the Spielberg film.
As reported by many participants at the Biology of the White Shark
Symposium (Bodega Marine Labs, California, March 1993), Carcharodon
is evidently a complex vertebrate, both in its social interactions with peers
and in its more easily perceived role as an apex predator of supreme
adaptability. Scant information exists about many facets of its biology,
however; a reflection on both the relative rarity of the species and its
essentially unapproachable nature
other than by the safety of boats and protective
cages. In particular, our knowledge of the
reproductive biology of white sharks has only
been enlightened during the last decade, by
means of fortuitous examinations of a handful of pregnant females
captured from Japanese, Okinawan and New Zealand waters.
Nevertheless, essentially no data exist on fecundity, population size, rate
of recruitment or mortality, nor describing courtship, mating and pupping
behaviour. Based on capture records of neonate white sharks, pupping
occurs in a number of temperate areas worldwide, including off the
northeastern USA, southwestern USA, South Africa, South Australia
New Zealand, Japan and the central Mediterranean Sea.
There is widespread concern that white sharks are particularly
vulnerable to over-exploitation in directed and semi-directed fisheries,
a major reason being the paucity of much of the baseline biologic
data (as outlined above), normally required to make assessment of
fisheries stocks, which negates the creation of reliable catch-quotas (even
in those areas where the species is rather regularly encountered,
such as southern Australia). In recognition of these facts,
and acting on concerns over the vulnerability of this
species to dedicated fisheries, the South African
government enacted legislation that has protected white
sharks from directed fishery attentions since April 1991.
Similarly, the State of California passed an Assembly Bill (AB 522)
that protects these animals off the region's coast since January 1994.
In both cases, the Precautionary Principle was argued as the basis for
conservation measures. These actions were notable in the strength of
public support that favoured protecting the very species playing the
archetypal villainous role in the annals of shark-eats-man hype.
In mid-1993, the writers discussed a more global approach to the
preservation of white shark populations, through the creation of a
network of scientists and other individuals with legitimate interest in the
species. We aspire towards the creation of a centralised database,
through which direct or incidental captures of Carcharodon may be
recorded annually on the basis of information relayed back by contributing
parties. Our intention is to collate sufficient data to complement, on a
wider scale, the more unilateral efforts of others and thereby formulate an
action plan to present to CITES in favour of outlawing worldwide existing
or future directed fisheries for this species. South Australia remains a
problematic region in this respect, and we believe that multi-state action
on that continent is imperative. Response from our colleagues there has
been most encouraging. We would urge any interested individuals or
institutes, whatever their nationality, to participate in the Initiative and
return any early comments or ideas to us.
Correspondence may be forwarded to either author.
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