Three years on from restrictions aimed at protecting Bermuda’s sharks, catch figures shared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources show a decline, while marine experts say their numbers remain down.

A DENR spokesman confirmed last week that there were “no further plans to limit shark fishing” beyond the Fisheries (Protected Species) Amendment Order 2022, which imposed a strict limit on species that could be brought ashore.

From the popular Cup Match dish of shark hash to the traditional shark oil barometers used by Bermudians to predict the approach of hurricanes, the top predator holds a special place in the island’s culture.

Most sources approached by The Royal Gazette for comment on shark protection were reluctant to speak, given their involvement in fisheries policy.

However, two said reviving shark numbers would be no easy task.

Although roughly 20 shark species can be seen around Bermuda, the amendment passed by legislators means only commercial fishermen are permitted to bring in sharks.

Only the Galapagos or dusky shark, the gummy shark or smooth dogfish and the deep-dwelling six-gill shark are allowed to be taken.

Over the past decade, gummy sharks were far and away the most common species to be landed: 360 were reported in 2015.

That number was more than halved as of last year, and just nine were reported caught in local waters as of the end of July.

One source told the Gazette that the species now off-limits had seldom been fished in the first place, while John Barnes, a Gazette fishing columnist and former director of fisheries, cast doubt on the local legislation’s efficacy, describing the fall in shark numbers as a global problem.

Mr Barnes said: “I was surprised when they passed the law here protecting sharks. I don’t know where it came from — maybe because other places in the world were talking about restrictions.”

Mr Barnes said sharks were typically “not high on the agenda” for the island’s fishermen.

Juveniles, called “pups”, were typically turned into shark hash.

“In some places, shark fishing is a big deal. Never here,” he said. “They were not considered sporting.”

Nevertheless, Mr Barnes acknowledged that shark numbers had fallen significantly over the decades.

He said: “Blue sharks were quite common. Oceanic white-tips — I haven’t seen one in probably 35 years.

“I remember when we would see huge migrations of hammerhead sharks. Hammerheads used to be fairly common.”

Hammerhead numbers have fallen enough for a 2018 sighting at Shelly Bay to cause a sensation.

Mr Barnes said the plunge overall could not be blamed on local overfishing.

“Quite simply, none of them are as numerous as they used to be, and that’s worldwide,” he said. “Also, there was never that much of a directed fishery for them here.”

He added: “Talk to 20 people and you’ll get 20 answers. But with fewer fish in the ocean, you’ll get fewer predators.”

Since the 2022 legislation came into effect, the number of commercial licences for shark fishing have fallen significantly in the handline and shark-specific line categories.

Mr Barnes said restrictions would not necessarily equate to a rebound in species numbers, pointing to Bermuda’s controversial 1990 ban on fish pots after the devices caused a plunge in fish populations.

“Parrot fish have come back, but not to the same numbers,” he said. “We have protected grouper species for a long time, but they are still fairly scarce.”

The veteran fisherman added: “It’s very hard in a complex biological system to find a simple cause and effect. Is it global warming? There are dozens of things at play.”

As an example, Mr Barnes cited the shifting patterns of floating sargassum seaweed, which has come ashore in large quantities in Florida and the Caribbean. The drifting plant, from which the Sargasso Sea takes its name, is a key marine habitat.

He said: “Look at all the sargassum weed washing up on beaches down south. The amounts are unbelievable.

“That seaweed carries a lot of planktonic fish and lobsters. Juvenile fish travel with it. Is that an indication of where things are being carried in the ocean? Who knows?”

A fisheries source, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said shark numbers were “quite a hot topic right now” with the controversy over sweeping marine conservation plans under the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme.

He said: “It’s hard to quantify fish stocks without going out and counting, which is unrealistic.

“There hasn’t really been that level of analysis of any species of fish in Bermuda. It’s challenging, and I think getting an assessment of the shark species is really challenging.”

However, he added: “In general, we’re seeing a decline in the top predators across the oceans, across the planet.

“With sharks, you can absolutely with confidence say that they are not doing as well as they were.

“Now and then you will get extra activity, but it’s never as simple as that. These little spikes in numbers are not saying a population is doing well.

“With nurse sharks, old-timers used to see them everywhere. In the last couple of years, I’ve seen one or two of them here and there.”

The source said that, despite the enduring popularity of shark hash and the “mystique with eating a top predator”, Bermudians in general appeared to be “moving away from eating sharks”.

He said one shark hash vendor had done well by substituting tuna for shark meat.

“It’s still traditional, and I don’t think we want to lose that,” he said. “Banning it, I think you’re going to see a lot of pushback, and I can’t see it making a huge difference. There’s a balance that has to be struck. You can’t blame Bermuda’s fishermen.”

He noted that the crash in Bermuda’s shark population has been blamed for an ecological imbalance.

Sharks prey on turtles, and a spike in turtle numbers has been connected to the loss of sea grass beds that provide a crucial habitat for fish and crustaceans — including the lobsters that will be back in season as of next month.

The source said the drop in marine species was part of a wider complex of interconnected environmental factors.

He added: “Turtle grass disappearing in Bermuda is one of the quietest but most tragic things happening to our environment.

“As humans, we like to know whether something is or isn’t. I think it’s correct that there are more turtles and less sharks, but it’s very hard to say it’s one thing or another.

“The oceans have been abused for a very long time, and I don’t think it’s down to one factor.

“Just as the shark population is down historically, I think there are a lot of factors at play. We need to do more science.”