The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports ( http://bit.ly/NUn27s) that the
National Marine Fisheries Service had agreed to study the issue
after a petition by conservation groups. The great white
population off the West Coast is estimated at less than 400,
though little is known about the sharks' reproductive success
and actual numbers. Ocean conservation groups hope the new
research will lead to greater protections; especially stricter
rules regulating the use of gill nets by fishermen. NMFS will
begin researching the issue and make a final determination in a
process that usually takes about a year. Information from: Santa
Cruz Sentinel, http://www.santacruzsentinel.com