Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus)
Among one of the slowest growing sharks in the world, the dusky shark takes 20 years to reach maturity and has a 16 month gestation period. This low rate of increase makes dusky sharks particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
Globally, the dusky shark is considered “Lower Risk” or “Near Threatened.”.
The dusky and sandbar sharks are hard to distinguish, especially when their fins are removed. As a result, managers are unable to determine the number of each species being caught and what the necessary protection measures should be. Oceana is working to require all sharks to be landed whole with their fins naturally attached.
