Great White Sharks In California Now Protected Species After Award-Winning Filmmaker Dies By Shark Attack In New Zealand

Great white sharks in California are a protected species as of today, March 1.

Great white sharks became protected on the United States West Coast due to California’s Endangered Species Act.

The Endangered Species Act of California states that great white sharks will be protected from “hunting, pursuing, catching, capturing or killing,” according to KESQ.

Great white sharks have been protected from targeted sport and commercial fishing since the mid 1990’s, according to the Inquisitr.

The fisheries manager for California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marci Yarmko, explained in a statement why the increased protection of the shark species was necessary.

“While targeted sport and commercial fishing for a white shark has been banned in waters off California since the mid 1990’s, there were some exceptions that allowed for incidental take and take associated with research activities. The department will now consider exceptions only on a case-by-case basis and will authorize take only under permits,” she explained.

The great white shark officially became protected under the Endangered Species Act today when the action was published in the California Regulatory Notice Register.

The shark was initially put on a list of potential candidates for protection last month by the Fish and Game Commission, according to CBS.

Now that the great white shark is protected in California, Researchers plan to conduct an extensive study on the great white shark population off the California coast.

Great white sharks are protected in other parts of the world, as well.

Along the east coast of the United States Australia and South Africa, they have partial protection.

New Zealand fully protects the Great White shark within 200 miles of the coast.

A New Zealand man was recently killed by a great white shark. Adam Strange, the award-winning filmmaker, was killed by a great white off the coast of a popular Auckland beach on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

This was the first shark attack of its kind to occur in New Zealand since 1976 and only the 14th ever recorded in that country.