The blue shark (Prionace glauca), porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus),
mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) and the spiny dogfish (Squalus
acanthias) are four shark species that are
common in
the Maritime region. These sharks are very important to the commercial and
recreational fisheries here in Canada. The blue shark is sought after as a sport fish
while the porbeagle, mako and spiny dogfish are part of a commercial fishery. All of these sharks are the subject of
considerable research at our laboratory.
The Canadian Shark Research Laboratory at the Bedford Institute
of Oceanography is responsible for research and stock assessment on the shark
species found off of the eastern coast of Canada, particularly those that are fished commercially
or recreationally.
Ongoing research on the biology, abundance and population health of these
magnificent fish is necessary in
order to insure that catches are sustainable over the long term without
endangering the health of the populations.
Many questions concerning shark biology and fisheries can be answered
by using this website. Due to the large number of inquiries, students
preparing projects on sharks are asked to use the information presented
here as a basis for their reports and to answer any questions. For
questions on sharks other than those for projects, please feel free to contact the chief scientist in the Shark Research
Laboratory at the addresses below.
