SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—With summer crowds returning to California beaches, state wildlife officials are rolling out emergency restrictions on shore-based shark fishing—saying the changes are aimed at reducing the risk of dangerous encounters between hooked sharks and swimmers.
The California Fish and Game Commission has approved temporary rules banning the use of large hooks and wire leaders commonly used when targeting sharks from beaches, piers, jetties, and within 1,000 yards of shore. The restrictions stretch from Pigeon Point in Northern California down to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife say the decision comes as warmer ocean temperatures are expected to keep more juvenile great white sharks in nearshore waters during peak beach season…