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Mako sharks are off the menu after NOAA fishing ban

Long prized by commercial fisheries and foodies for its taste, and by sport fishermen for its strength and leaping ability, the shortfin mako has faced a steep decline. The unprecedented decision to ban fishing for mako sharks could give the species a chance to recover.

An Atlantic shortfin mako shark, also know as a mako, tagged by the Atlantic Shark Institute.Courtesy of Atlantic Shark Institute

The Atlantic shortfin mako shark will no longer be on the menu beginning July 5.

That’s when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Fisheries will make the unprecedented move to prohibit the landing or possession of the sleek shark.

“The shortfin mako shark has long been a target of commercial fisheries and consumers due to its excellent taste, and to sport fishermen for its spectacular strength and leaping ability, with speeds reaching 50 mph,” said Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, in a news release. “Unfortunately, those are the same issues that have resulted in the significant population decline of this iconic shark that required this complete and unprecedented closure.”

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The ban includes commercial and recreational fishermen and any dealers who buy or sell shark products, in addition to sharks that are dead or alive when captured regardless of the events surrounding them, NOAA announced.

A mako shark swims in Atlantic Ocean waters.Courtesy of Isaias Cruz via Atlantic Shark Institute

Part of the challenge for the mako is its slow reproductive cycle and the weakening health of its habitat. The issues surrounding the long-term health of our oceans, and the mako shark, are not hard to understand, Dodd said.

“Female mako sharks don’t reproduce until they are approximately 20 years old, and 600 pounds. I’ve seen hundreds of mako sharks and exactly one that size in all my years researching this spectacular shark. It’s amazing that they can even reach that age and size with all the fishing pressure and risks they face,” Dodd said.

A female mako shark will reproduce just once or twice in its approximately 30-year lifespan, having 4 to 18 pups at a time.

“When they are born they are very susceptible to being eaten by something else. They don’t hang out with their moms. They find safe places where they can grow over time ... all the larger things trying to eat you,” Dodd said.

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The shark that Dodd calls the Ferrari of the ocean for its gorgeous, hydrodynamic frame is extremely susceptible to predators in its younger years. And it is a favorite among fishermen because it tastes like swordfish and leaps 5 to 6 feet in the air.

From 1580 to the present, the shortfin makos have been implicated in only 10 unprovoked attacks on humans, including one that resulted in a fatality, according to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File. Divers have said that the shark often swims in a figure-eight pattern and approaches with its mouth open prior to an attack, the ISAF said.

Shortfin makos frequently damage boats and injure fishermen after being hooked, ISAF said in a 2018 report.

They are highly migratory and can travel across entire oceans, according to NOAA Fisheries. They are found off the East Coast, from New England to Florida, and in the Gulf of Mexico, from Florida to Texas, as well as in the Caribbean Sea.

The migration of makos is associated with sea temperatures. They like water in the mid-60s, which can be found in New England from May until November.

According to a 2017 NOAA Fisheries stock assessment, Atlantic shortfin mako sharks are overfished and subject to overfishing.NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ASSOCIATION

In a recent assessment, Dodd said the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas indicated that as much as 4,750 metric tons of mako shark were being taken annually. A reduction to 700 metric tons would end overfishing. A level of 500 metric tons would allow the stock to rebuild, however, it could take 50 years for that to happen, according to the assessment.

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Many charter businesses have already made the decision to stop taking sharks of any kind, Dodd told the Globe.

“This isn’t a quickly solvable problem,” Dodd said. “NOAA has said enough, we are shutting it down completely. Everything is going back into the water so we have no loopholes.”

“Sad to say, there are some people who are probably running out now saying, ‘I need to catch a mako before the deadline,’” Dodd said.

NOAA Fisheries will review the complete ban in future assessments to determine the next steps.


Carlos Muñoz can be reached at carlos.munoz@globe.com. Follow him @ReadCarlos and on Instagram @Carlosbrknews.