White Sharks

October 6, 2022

Question: What is prohibited in the new law protecting white sharks in California?

Answer: In September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2109, providing new protections for white sharks in California waters. White sharks, also called great white sharks, are already a protected species and an important part of the ocean ecosystem as top-level predators.

The new protections, found in California Fish and Game Code section 5517, prohibit the use of shark bait, shark lures or shark chum to attract a white shark. Shark bait, shark lures and shark chum refer to any natural or manufactured product or device used to attract sharks by the sense of taste, smell, or sight, including, but not limited to, blood, fish, or other material upon which sharks may feed, and surface or underwater decoys. Anglers also may not place those items into the water within one nautical mile of any shoreline, pier or jetty, when a white shark is visible or known to be present. Anglers should note that the new rules regarding take of white sharks go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

The restrictions aim to address activities that may lead to increased interactions between white sharks and humans, and to give law enforcement more tools to protect white sharks from efforts to catch or attract them. The new law also helps protect the public from interactions with white sharks by restricting when and where chum and shark bait can be used, while still allowing other legal fishing activities to continue.

For more information about white sharks, please visit CDFW’s White Shark Information webpage, which includes answers to frequently asked questions. CDFW also published a news release on the new law.