ABSTRACT
Between 1999 and 2010, we documented incidental catch of 111 juvenile White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) during surveys of the artisanal and commercial ¢sheries along the Paci¢c coast of Baja California, Mexico and opportunistically collected stomach samples. Sharks
ranged in size from 123 to 274 cm total length (TL). Most (79.8%) were young of the year (YOY) (≤175 cm TL), and the remainder were juvenile White Sharks (JWS) (>175-300 cm TL). Of the four documented ¢shing-gear types, bottom gillnets represented 74.7% of the catch, followed by drift gillnet (18.0%), artisanal seine net (4.5%), and surface longline (2.7%). Catch data indicate that the continental shelf is an important habitat for YOY and JWS in the region, with a possible core nursery area in Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino, where 66 YOY specimens were documented. Stomach content analysis for 14 JWS agree with previous studies showing that the species feeds primarily on bony ¢sh and demersal elasmobranchs. National (NOM-059 and NOM-029) and international [Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES)] regulations ban the capture and trade of this species. However, monitoring of all White Shark catches is complicated by the remote nature of the ¢shing grounds, as well as socioeconomic considerations. Our data suggest that future White Shark conservation must include cooperative research and management plans between Mexico and the United States.
