Requin Blanc

Scientific name:

Carcharodon carcharias

Threat level:

Vulnerable

Authority:

Linnaeus, 1758

Common names:

• Great white shark (English)
• Grand requin blanc (French)

Version:

2.3

Year assessed:

2000

Assessor(s):

Fergusson, I., Compagno, L.J.V. & Marks, M.

Evaluator(s):

Musick, J.A. & Fowler, S. (Shark Red List Authority)

Justification:

The white shark is a widely but sparsely distributed top predator with a very low reproductive potential (late maturity and small litter size) and high vulnerability to target and bycatch fisheries (commercial and recreational), some of which supply high-value products (fins, jaws and teeth) for international trade. Notoriety of this shark as an ultimate Hollywood monster encourages inflated values for white shark products, and encourages illicit trade in white shark parts that is difficult to assess and control. Where detailed population data are available, these indicate that the abundance and average size of white sharks have declined. The species is now protected in some parts of its range, where it may be Lower Risk/conservation dependent, but the effectiveness of such protection is questionable where enforcement is weak. A global status of Endangered (A1cd+2cd) may be proven accurate for this shark as further data is collated.

Geographic ranges:

• Albania (Native)
• Algeria (Native)
• Angola (Native)
• Anguilla (Native)
• Antigua and Barbuda (Native)
• Argentina (Native)
• Australia (Native)
• Bahamas (Native)
• Barbados (Native)
• Benin (Native)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (Native)
• Brazil (Native)
• Cameroon (Native)
• Canada (Native)
• Cape Verde (Native)
• Chile (Native)
• China (Native)
• Colombia (Native)
• Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The (Native)
• Croatia (Native)
• Cuba (Native)
• Cyprus (Native)
• Côte D'ivoire (Native)
• Dominica (Native)
• Ecuador (Native)
• Egypt (Native)
• Eritrea (Native)
• Fiji (Native)
• France (Native)
• Gabon (Native)
• Ghana (Native)
• Gibraltar (Native)
• Greece (Native)
• Grenada (Native)
• Guadeloupe (Native)
• Hong Kong (Native)
• Israel (Native)
• Italy (Native)
• Japan (Native)
• Jordan (Native)
• Kenya (Native)
• Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of (Native)
• Korea, Republic Of (Native)
• Lebanon (Native)
• Liberia (Native)
• Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Native)
• Macao (Native)
• Madagascar (Native)
• Malta (Native)
• Marshall Islands (Native)
• Martinique (Native)
• Mauritania (Native)
• Mauritius (Native)
• Mexico (Native)
• Monaco (Native)
• Montenegro (Native)
• Montserrat (Native)
• Mozambique (Native)
• Namibia (Native)
• New Caledonia (Native)
• New Zealand (Native)
• Nicaragua (Native)
• Nigeria (Native)
• Norfolk Island (Native)
• Panama (Native)
• Peru (Native)
• Philippines (Native)
• Portugal (Native)
• Russian Federation (Native)
• Réunion (Native)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis (Native)
• Saint Lucia (Native)
• Saint Vincent and The Grenadines (Native)
• Saudi Arabia (Native)
• Senegal (Native)
• Seychelles (Native)
• Sierra Leone (Native)
• Slovenia (Native)
• South Africa (Native)
• Spain (Native)
• Sudan (Native)
• Syrian Arab Republic (Native)
• Taiwan, Province Of China (Native)
• Tanzania, United Republic Of (Native)
• Togo (Native)
• Trinidad and Tobago (Native)
• Tunisia (Native)
• Turkey (Native)
• Tuvalu (Native)
• United States (Native)
• United States Minor Outlying Islands (Native)
• Uruguay (Native)
• Vietnam (Native)
• Western Sahara (Native)
• Yemen (Native)

Population trend:

Unknown

Ecosystems

• Marine

List of habitats:

• Marine Neritic
• Pelagic
• Marine Oceanic
• Epipelagic (0-200m)

• Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (compilers and editors) 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
• Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125, vol. 4.
• Compagno, L.J.V., 1998 Lamnidae. Mackerel sharks, makos, white sharks, porbeagles. In: K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds) FAO identification guide for fishery purposes, pp.1274-1278. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO, Rome.
• Groombridge, B. (ed.) 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
• Hilton-Taylor, C. (compiler). 2000. 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
• Hilton-Taylor, C. (compiler). 2000. 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
• IUCN. 1990. 1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
• Shark Specialist Group. 2000. IUCN Shark Specialist Group Red List Assessments, 2000 (unpublished report).
• Shark Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website.