What Defenders Is Doing to Help Sharks
For years, Defenders of Wildlife has been at the forefront of efforts to stop shark finning, including helping to pass anti-finning legislation in Mexico and the sale, possession and trade of shark fins in California, New York and Maryland.
Defenders is also working internationally with countries like Costa Rica to have threatened shark species listed in the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as well as domestically with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help ensure their survival.
Visit our Species at Risk: Sharks page to learn more about what Defenders is doing to protect sharks.
Size: The spined pygmy shark, a deep-sea shark, is one of the smallest at only about 7-8 inches, while the whale shark is the largest shark, and fish, at about 50 feet in length.
Lifespan: Although lifespan varies by shark species, most sharks are long-lived and generally tend to live for 20-30 years. Species like the spiny dogfish and the whale shark are believed to live for over 100 years!
