Sonoran officials present plan to prevent shark attacks and retaliatory hunting
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Officials in neighboring Sonora say they have come up with a plan to address concerns about shark sightings and attacks in the Gulf of California this winter. They want to prevent indiscriminate hunting.
Sonoran officials say they will host trainings in coastal communities and invest in magnetic bracelets they hope will help repel sharks. The efforts are meant to keep fishermen and divers safe as well as to prevent shark killings.
Shark attacks here are rare. But there have been an unusual number of shark sightings this winter, and officials say at least three divers have been attacked so far this year by great white sharks - a protected species.
Environmental authorities say they are studying the situation to understand why more sharks have been spotted. They say pregnant females visit this area between December and February and may be approaching the coast in search of food.
In some cases, incidents of shark attacks have provoked retaliatory hunting. But a video recently went viral showing Sonoran fishermen freeing a shark that got caught in a net, noting that it better not attack any divers. Some divers have avoided going out with the recent shark sighting, but others say they cannot afford to miss out on their main source of income.
