Abstract

In Campeche, the capture of shark is of artisanal type and multispecific, it is a complementary activity to other fisheries. For this work we analyzed the information obtained in a period of sampling from March, 1999 until December, 2002. We registered a whole of 18 species of sharks, of which, the Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, Sphyrna tiburo and Carcharhinus acronotus, represented more than 60 % of the catch. Then we generated the size distribution for all the species, and and we placed by means of bibliography the size of sexual maturity, which, on having been compared with the size caught, gave us as result that more than 50 % of the catch is affecting juvenile organisms; therefore, it is considered that a strong fishing impact exists on this resource. Due to the biological characteristics of the sharks like: low fecundity and slow growth, they are more susceptibles of having over-exploitation than other species, joined to this the use of inadequate fishing gear for his exploitation, since they use gill net, that have significant impact on this resource. Considering this one work will serve as a base for the future investigations on this fishery, and with a continued monitoring, it will be possible to achieve a regularization and a management plan adapted to the resource, in order that future generations could be provided with this important species inside his economy and daily life

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