YouTube user APDharley1 posted the video above of a fisherman landing a juvenile great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) near Cape Agulhas, South Africa. According to the video description, the shark measured 170cm in length. The shark remains on the beach for about two minutes after having the hook removed, while measurements and photographs are taken. To the fisherman’s credit, he does make the effort to see that the shark is released back into the ocean.

White sharks are protected species in South Africa. Last month marked the first time in the history of South Africa’s courts that an individual was convicted of violating the protection legislation of the great white shark, when fisherman Leon Bekker was found guilty of having “caught, landed, and disturbed” the protected species.

The video description notes that the fisherman thought the shark was a mako.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) voted yesterday to include five shark species to Appendix II. The species include:

• oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus)
• great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran)
• scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini)
• smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena)
• porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus)

The inclusion of these species in the CITES Appendix II now requires that the sharks “will have to be traded with CITES permits and evidence will have to be provided that they are harvested sustainably and legally.”

In addition to the sharks species, the inclusion of manta ray species and a species of sawfish into Appendix II was also approved yesterday. These inclusion are considered to be a major milestone for CITES involvement in the marine environment.

CITES is an international agreement between governments formed to regulate the international trade of wild animals and plants to protect their survival. For more information, visit the CITES website.

OceanicWorld’s YouTube channel recently posted a video (seen above) featuring reactions from CITES delegates following the adoption of all 5 proposed shark species.

WPTV.com reports that fishermen were taking advantage of the annual mass shark migrations off the Florida coast by catching sharks at Midtown Beach. While the beaches were closed to swimming, police and lifeguards said that legally there was nothing to prevent fishermen from reeling sharks into the shore.

According to the report, two blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) were caught on Friday (03/08/2013) at Midtown Beach. The fishermen swabbed the sharks mouths to provide samples for researchers, who are studying the bacteria present in the mouths of sharks in hopes of improving treatment of wounds resulting from shark bites. Based on the video footage, it appears the fishermen were releasing the sharks after taking the samples.

You can check out the full story at WPTV.com.

WPTV5 reports that area beaches in Palm Beach, Florida have been closed to swimming due to large numbers of spinner sharks (Carcharhinus brevipinna) and blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) migrating through the area as they head north. Breaching spinner sharks could be seen from the shore, while helicopter footage from WPTV5 gives some perspective on the number and density of sharks in the area.

Spinner and blacktip sharks are not known to hunt large prey, and humans are not a natural food source of the species (or any other shark species, typically). However, the large number of sharks close to the shore does present a significant increase in the risk of shark bites to beach goers, and swimmers in the area are urged to observe the warnings and beach closures for safety reasons.

Blacktip sharks have been identified as being involved in 20% of Florida’s “unprovoked shark attacks” from 1920-2012, while spinner sharks were associated with %16, according to the International Shark Attack File.

According to an AP video report, a man has died as the result of a shark attack that occurred about 200m from shore at Muriwai Beach near Auckland, New Zealand.

USA Today reports that the victim, a 40-year-old male, was an award-winning short-film director. Multiple eyewitnesses saw the attack transpire and described the shark as being an estimated 12-14 feet in length.

Rescue workers retrieved the victim from the water with the help of police who distracted the shark. One office discharged a firearm at the shark, but it was unclear whether the shark was struck.

Due to the size of the shark and location of the incident, the species involved is believed to be a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). White sharks are known to inhabit the waters of New Zealand. However, shark attacks in New Zealand waters are extremely rare. Department of Conservation representative Clinton Duffy told USA Today that only 12-14 human deaths resulting from shark bites have been documented in New Zealand since the 1830s, when record-keeping began.

A statement released by the victim’s family described him as “a glorious and great father, husband and friend.”

YouTube user CEI Bahamas recently posted “The Story of Sharks,” a stop-motion animation video that addresses the role that sharks play in the marine ecosystem. The educational short-film, written and directed by Brendan Talwar and Ian Rossiter, also touches on the economic value of live sharks to the eco-tourism industry versus sharks harvested for the shark fin market.

The film has been selected as a finalist in multiple film festivals and was awarded the “French Federation of Film and Video Special Jury Award” at the 2012 Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous Marine.

A teaser trailer was recently published to Vimeo for David Diley’s upcoming documentary “Of Shark and Man.” Diley quit his office job to pursue a career in pro-shark media and film-making. “Of Shark and Man” will focus on the relationship between human and sharks among different cultures throughout the world.

You can learn more about Diley’s efforts at his From Office to Ocean website.

Australia’s 7News recently featured the report of an encounter that three fisherman had with a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) off the coast of Portland in Victoria, Australia. According to the report, the white shark calmly circled the boat for around 20 minutes before bumping the boat and biting the outboard motor. The fishermen were able to capture some footage of the chance encounter with a GoPro camera.

While the News 7 video segment is dubiously titled “Great White Terror,” the fishermen certainly didn’t seem to be terrified in the interview segment. All three men touched shark and told 7 News they’d love to encounter a white shark again.

A bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) managed to find its way into a swimming enclosure at Macleay Island off Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) according to a Ten News video report. The shark was estimated to be 5′ (1.5 m) in length. The net enclosing the swimming area is not secured to the sea bed, so the shark was able to swim underneath it.

The shark was eventually led out of the enclosure after a two-hour effort, with all parties involved unharmed.

Underwater filmmaker Joe Romeiro has put together another amazing shark video, which he published to his YouTube channel, yesterday. The latest effort features some exceptional footage of the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) shot off Bimini, Bahamas earlier this month.

For more about Joe Romeiro’s underwater film-making and photographry, check out his website.