The Sierra Club, both the Lone Star Chapter and Houston Regional Group, have been interested in coastal issues since their creation by national Sierra Club in the 1960’s or early 1970’s. This article is part of a series of educational articles, based on Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) information, that deal with coastal issues and wildlife.
Sharks have been vilified for hundreds of years by people. But they are incredibly important in our Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and bay waters. Among the important things sharks do is balance the food chain by controlling prey population numbers and distribution; indicate the health of our coastal waters; prevent disease spread by preying on weak and sick individuals; and provide natural selection by contributing to species diversity and ecosystem stability.
Sharks are attracted by sound (irregular sounds), color (yellow, white and silver), and blood via its ability to smell wounded prey. Sharks also have lateral lines, pit organs, and Lorenzini organs which help them find prey at close range. Sharks have no bones but have internal and external structures made of cartilage.
Sharks which are the most dangerous as determined by documented attack records include: White, Bull, Tiger, Grey Nurse, Lemon, Blue, Sand Tiger, Hammerheads, and Mako.
In Texas we have many kinds of sharks in the GOM, bays, and rivers. Many sharks are protected and can’t be caught by human fishing methods and kept. Some of the sharks in Texas that have zero bag limits include: Atlantic Angel, Basking, Bigeye Sand Tiger, Bigeye Sixgill, Bigeye Thresher, Bignose, Caribbean Reef, Caribbean Sharpnose, Dusky, Galapagos, Longfin Mako. Narrowtooth, Night, Oceanic Whitetip. Sandbar, Sand Tiger, Sevengill, Silky, Sixgill, Smalltail, Whale, and White.
Sharks that can be taken include Atlantic Sharpnose, Backtip, Bonnetnead, Bull, Finetooth, Spinner, Lemon, Blacknose, Thresher, Tiger, Blue, Shortfin mako. Nurse, and Hammerheads. There may be bag limits and size limits for certain sharks so check with the TPWD before you fish for sharks.
Shark populations have generally dropped in the past 50 years. If we want to help this predator to survive human culture we must protect sharks like we do other fish. Sharks are good for our environment and we need to aid and respect them.
Shark photo, public domain, USFWS photo: Ryan Hagerty