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Photo courtesy of Andy Murch, Elasmodiver.com

Since 1970, dusky shark populations have declined by 99%. Sharks are the most powerful predators in the ocean, but millions of years of evolution did not prepare them for the increasing number of hooks and nets that are killing them. Sharks are particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they mature slowly and only have a few young at a time. According to a 2007 study in the journal Science, decades of overfishing of Atlantic sharks, like the dusky shark, caused the collapse of the U.S. shellfish industry.

With the disappearance of Atlantic sharks, their former prey cownose ray populations have grown tenfold. Scallops are a central part of the rays' diet. The study shows that the population boom of cownose rays put an end to North Carolina's century-old Bay scallop fishery in 2004. Without a recovery of Atlantic sharks, researchers fear the migrating rays will consume U.S. shellfish populations beyond recovery.

The dusky shark is just one of 48 federally-managed fish stocks that were damaged by overfishing in 2006. Reckless overfishing continues to put our fish, shellfish, birds, marine mammals, and all of ocean life at jeopardy. The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking public comments as it revises its rules for overfishing and environmental review.

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