Scientists and fishermen are proposing the creation of a shark sanctuary in the Boca Vieja area of Cataño, Puerto Rico. The proposed site is a reef near the local fishing village that serves as a nursery for the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), a species classified as endangered. To help curb the species’ decline, the group behind the initiative is calling for a ban on shark fishing within the nursery grounds.
The proposal reflects an effort by local scientists and fishing communities to jointly address conservation of a vulnerable marine species using the area to raise its young.