Ottawa moves to rebuild white shark population in Atlantic Canada
CBC
Ottawa is moving ahead with plans to rebuild the white shark population in Eastern Canada — fulfilling a legal requirement in effect since 2011 when it was listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act.
But one Canadian scientist says a draft recovery strategy proposed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada should be thrown overboard until the federal department has a clear understanding of how many white sharks there are in Atlantic Canada, and where they are.
"We simply do not have enough information or knowledge about the Northwest Atlantic white shark with which to assess them at all, let alone as endangered," said Steve Crawford, a biologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
The deadline for public comment is Saturday.
DFO said in its recovery strategy that there are no estimates of population size in Canadian Atlantic waters. The identification of critical habitat for white sharks, also known as great white sharks, is not possible due to insufficient information, and the feasibility of recovery is unknown.
Even so, by law, the department must develop a plan to rebuild the population within five years. To what level is another unknown.
Warmer waters and a booming grey seal population are believed to be bringing more white sharks into Canadian waters.
Thanks to online tracker Ocearch, it is possible to follow tagged white sharks in Eastern Canada.
Canadian bluefin tuna fishermen regularly post images of shark attacks on their catch while the big fish are tied alongside their vessels, or the gory aftermath.
"One point, there was none," said fisherman Billy Bond. "There was none of them off of Canso [Nova Scotia]. Every year it's getting worse and worse and worse."
Fellow Canso fisherman Ken Snow reported seeing seals in the summertime with what appeared to be bite marks or deep lacerations.
"It's pretty obvious that there are actually white sharks out there," said Snow.
DFO said there are indications the population is recovering.
The department said a 2023 study estimated the overall number of white sharks at Cape Cod, Mass., at between 393 and 1,286. The species is not listed as endangered in the U.S.
