White shark (Carcharodon carcharias) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 12

Technical Summary - Pacific Population

Carcharodon carcharias

White shark – Pacific population: Grand requin blanc

Range of Occurrence in Canada:
Range of Occurrence in Canada: Pacific Ocean

Extent and Area Information

Extent of occurrence (EO) (km²)
Insufficient data for a calculation: Likely continental shelves.
Specify trend in EO:
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in EO?
Unlikely
Area of occupancy (AO) (km²):
Unknown
Specify trend in AO:
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in AO?
Unknown, possibly seasonal
Number of known or inferred current locations:
Unknown
Specify trend in # :
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of locations?
Unlikely
Specify trend in area, extent or quality of habitat:
Unknown

Population Information

Generation time (average age of parents in the population):
23 yrs (est.)
Number of mature individuals:
Unknown
Total population trend:
Unknown
% decline over the last/next 10 years or 3 generations.
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?
Unknown
Is the total population severely fragmented?
Unknown
Specify trend in number of populations :
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of populations?
Unlikely
List populations with number of mature individuals in each:
No data available

Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)

Commercial fishery bycatch worldwide (no confirmed records from Canada); market for jaws, teeth, and fins; sport angling; coastal habitat modification, pollution.

Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)

Status of outside population(s)?
USA: Unknown
Is immigration known or possible?
Possible
Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?
Yes
Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?
Yes
Is rescue from outside populations likely?
Possible

Quantitative Analysis

Not done

Current Status

  • COSEWIC: Data Deficient (April 2006);
  • CITES Appendix II (October 2004);
  • IUCN - Vulnerable

Status and Reasons for Designation

Status: Data deficient

Alpha-numeric code: Not available

Reasons for Designation: The species is globally distributed in sub-tropical and temperate waters, but absent from cold polar waters; hence Atlantic and Pacific populations in Canada are isolated from each other and are considered separate designatable units. This very large apex predator is rare in most parts of its range, but particularly so in Canadian waters, which represent the northern fringe of its distribution. There are only 14 records over 43 years for the Pacific coast of Canada. No abundance trend information is available for Pacific Canadian waters, or for adjacent waters in the United States that would permit a status designation.

Applicability of Criteria

Criterion A: (Declining Total Population): Information is not available.

Criterion B: (Small Distribution, and Decline or Fluctuation): Not met

Criterion C: (Small Total Population Size and Decline): Not met

Criterion D: (Very small Population or Restricted Distribution): Not met

Criterion E: (Quantitative Analysis): Not available.

Page details

Date modified: