With More Sharks Anticipated, Fish And Game Commission Takes Steps To Protect Them
One of the impacts of possible El Niño conditions this year is more great white sharks patrolling the areas around the California coastline, which can potentially be a safety issue for swimmers, particularly when anglers hook a shark in the same areas. At its recent meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission took steps to prepare for what could be an increase in great white activity.
Here’s the Fish and Game Commission with details:
California Fish and Game Commission Takes Emergency Action to Prevent White Shark Take and Reduce Potential Interactions Between Hooked Sharks and Swimmers
Anticipating a larger presence of white sharks in Southern California as a result of warmer El Niño ocean conditions, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) adopted emergency regulations at its June 17-18, 2026 meeting to further protect the large ocean predator and reduce the potential for dangerous interactions with ocean users. These regulations will prohibit the use of certain fishing gear from beaches and nearshore that are used to hook large sharks and could create hazards for nearby beachgoers.
Forecasted warmer waters shift the preferred range for juvenile white sharks northward from Mexico and lead them to stay in California nearshore areas later in the year. The emergency regulations protect not only white sharks but also people recreating in the ocean, decreasing the risk of dangerous human encounters with sharks that are hooked with wire leaders from piers and beaches.
Specific gear types used to target large sharks, including hooks greater than 1.5 inches in maximum inside measurement and wire or metallic lines and leaders, will be prohibited when recreational fishing from shore or within 1,000 yards of shore from Pigeon Point (San Mateo County) south to the U.S.-Mexico border. Shore fishing includes beaches, banks, piers, jetties, breakwaters, docks and other man-made structures connected to the shore. Unless extended, the emergency regulations will expire 180 days after being filed with the secretary of state. The Commission may pursue up to two 90-day extensions of the emergency action and, ultimately, may propose continuing the restrictions through a regular rulemaking if the regulations prove to be effective.
The Los Angeles Times also shared some details on the correlation between El Niño and the larger number of sharks.
