Ottawa moves to rebuild white shark population in Atlantic Canada
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.
“It is unknown if this estimate reflects total abundance in the Northwest Atlantic,” DFO spokesperson Christine Lyon said in an email. “Monitoring in Canada suggests approximately 20 per cent of animals tagged in Cape Cod move seasonally into Canadian waters.”
The department declined to be interviewed about the recovery plan.
Crawford said he believes the white shark population is actually “in good shape.”
“I think it’s becoming even more healthy in terms of population abundance than it has been in recorded history,” Crawford said.
Warning signs?
He said it’s time to prepare for more interactions between people and white sharks, “whether we’re saying they are endangered or not.” He suggested putting up signs on Atlantic Canadian beaches warning visitors of white sharks.
When asked if it was considering signage, the province of Nova Scotia said there have been no reported sightings of white sharks at its beaches.
DFO said it will work to identify critical habitat for white sharks in Atlantic Canadian waters as part of its plan. That area would then be protected as critical habitat.
The recovery strategy identifies accidental fishing deaths as a threat, albeit rare. Minimizing interactions is a high priority.
2021 assessment
A panel of scientists, known as the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, has twice assessed white sharks as endangered, most recently in 2021.
The panel did not respond to a request for comment for this story, but its 2021 evaluation said the population has declined by 70 per cent since the 1960s, mainly due to fishing.
DFO accepted the assessment, triggering the recovery strategy and action plan that will follow.
Crawford, however, challenges the legitimacy of the assessment.
“My professional opinion is that there was insufficient information, and still is insufficient information, with which to assess biologically the status of the population,” he said.
Ottawa is moving ahead with plans to enhance protections for the great white shark in Atlantic Canadian waters. The apex predator is listed as endangered in Canada, obligating the government to rebuild the population. But there are questions about whether the white shark is actually in trouble. Paul Withers reports.
