Canada plans to list the porbeagle shark as endangered: audit exposed 22 years of favoritism toward commercial fish

The Canadian federal government proposed on Thursday adding 11 aquatic animals, including the porbeagle shark, to the list of species protected under the Species at Risk Act and launched a 30-day public consultation. COSEWIC listed the porbeagle shark as endangered as early as 2004, but commercial fishing interests delayed its legal protection for more than 20 years. A 2022 audit found that DFO recommended against listing every fish species with commercial value.