The Scalloped Hammerhead shark is endangered and a rare sight in Belizean waters, and tonight the image we have is of a dead one, snagged in a gill net. OCEANA says the death points to the dangers of gillnets. OCEANA's investigation has determined that the approximately 8' Hammerhead swam into a gill net placed in the shallow waters on the north end of Hopkins village. They say that when the fisherman pulled up his net on Sunday, February 15th, the shark had drowned.
Globally, In the last 30 years, the population of scalloped hammerhead sharks has declined by more than 95%.
Oceana Belize's Vice President Janelle Chanona says, "From a sustainable management angle and an economic standpoint, gillnets have no place in Belizean waters."
OCEANA is calling for a ban on gillnets.
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