Article Summary:

The Miami Herald reports that Florida wildlife managers have approved a shark protection measure that will make it illegal for anglers fishing state waters to keep tiger sharks or great, scalloped and smooth hammerheads. The new measure is intended to address the decline in shark numbers due to over fishing. The new rule, effective from 1 January 2012, prohibits the possession, sale and exchange of tiger sharks and hammerhead sharks harvested from state waters, which extend 3 miles from shore on the East coast and 9 miles on the West. Another 22 species of sharks already share similar protections.