Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 1

Assessment Summary

Assessment Summary – April 2007

Common name: Tope

Scientific name: Galeorhinus galeus

Status: Special Concern

Reason for designation: This Pacific coast shark is thought to be highly migratory across its range from Hecate Strait, BC to the Gulf of California. Tope shows no evidence of distinct populations and thus for the purposes of this assessment is considered a single population. It feeds primarily on fish, and in Canada occupies continental shelf waters between western Vancouver Island and Hecate Strait. Maximum length is less than two metres, maximum age is at least 45 years, maturity between 12 and 17 years, and generation time 23 years. Tope is noted for its high concentration of liver vitamin A, exceeding that of any other north-east Pacific fish species. Demand for vitamin A during World War II led to a large fishery that quickly collapsed due to over-exploitation.  More than 800,000 individuals, primarily large adults, were killed for their livers between 1937 and 1949 throughout its migratory range. Tope is rarely seen today in Canadian waters. There is no targeted commercial fishery in Canada, but it continues to be caught as fishery bycatch in Canada and the U.S., and remains the target of small commercial and recreational fisheries in the U.S. Because there is no population estimate for tope, the sustainability of current catches cannot be assessed. The ongoing fishery mortality, the lack of a management plan for Canadian bycatch, and the long generation time and low fecundity of tope suggest cause for concern.

Occurrence: Pacific Ocean

Status history: Designated Special Concern in April 2007. Assessment based on a new status report.

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