The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Mexican federal government in order to enforce laws protecting three species of hammerhead sharks.
The group hopes the suit will force the federal government do more to more to force commercial fishermen to follow the the provisions of NOM-059, which was put in place to help protect the country’s endangered species.
“It’s one of a kind,” CBD representative Alejandro Olivera said. “Normally in Mexico, you make a proposal for a species to be listed and then wait five years for the government to review.”
NOM-059 includes three species of hammerhead sharks: scalloped and great hammerheads, which are already listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. A third species, the smooth hammerhead, is listed as “vulnerable” to extinction by the IUCN.
These sharks are frequently captured as bycatch during commercial fishing operations. Some are also targeted specifically for food in Mexico or for their fins, which are exported to Asia. Mexico ranks fourth in the world in shark fishing by volume.
“These incredible animals are being hammered by shark-fishing, but the Mexican government is doing almost nothing,” Olivera said. “International experts warn that these sharks could face extinction, and Mexican officials should do their part and safeguard hammerheads under our country’s regulations.”
