{"id":1445,"date":"2026-09-14T13:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T13:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/14\/unicorn778-panama-looks-to-science-fishers-and-the-law-to-protect-its-sharks-and-rays-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T13:00:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T13:00:06","slug":"unicorn778-panama-looks-to-science-fishers-and-the-law-to-protect-its-sharks-and-rays-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/14\/unicorn778-panama-looks-to-science-fishers-and-the-law-to-protect-its-sharks-and-rays-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 Panama looks to science, fishers, and the law to protect its sharks and rays Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-329577\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>In Panama, various initiatives are underway to reduce bycatch of sharks and rays, led by biologists, NGOs, politicians, and local restaurants.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Many industrial fishing boats carry biologists with them to help train the crew on how to free marine animals accidentally caught in their nets.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>A bill is also currently in discussion in the legislature that proposes measures to restore and conserve shark and ray populations.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>According to local experts, the bill would mark a major step forward for shark conservation, but still has significant weaknesses because the country lacks data on shark and ray populations, especially on breeding sites.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p><strong>PUERTO CAIMITO, Panama<\/strong> \u2014 It\u2019s a late April morning and the Tabor, an industrial fishing boat, is sailing around Chepillo Island in Panama Bay. Under the eyes of the crew, Yehudi Rodr\u00edguez, a marine biologist specializing in sharks, and sailor Joel Cordoba free a large black devil ray from a purse seine net and launch it back into the water.<\/p>\n<p>As they work with the biologist, the sailors, around a dozen of them, joke among themselves. Tabor is part of the Promarina S.A. fleet, a Panamanian company that produces fish oil and fish meal, authorized to catch only small open-ocean fish, or pelagics, such as sardines and herrings.<\/p>\n<p>Every two weeks, Rodr\u00edguez, a professor of biology at the University of Panama and director of the Shark Defenders NGO, analyzes bycatch \u2014 marine species not targeted but accidentally caught by fishers \u2014 freeing sharks, rays, and other animals entangled in the purse seine nets of Promarina vessels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an emotion to see a huge <em>Mobula<\/em> for the first time and liberate it in the ocean,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez, 49, tells Mongabay after freeing the devil ray, which weighed an estimated 100 kilograms (220 pounds).<\/p>\n<p>Just a few hours later, Hermes, 18, the youngest sailor on the crew and nicknamed Mbapp\u00e9 after the French football star, helps Rodr\u00edguez liberate another ray, both taking care to avoid being hit by the animal\u2019s venomous barb.<\/p>\n<p>Before returning an animal into the water, Rodr\u00edguez follows a short protocol:\u00a0 she records the coordinates of the bycatch location, identifies the species, takes its measurements and a tissue sample, then tags it. But if the rescued animal is in extreme danger, the release is immediate.<\/p>\n<p>Rodr\u00edguez has been working on this project for five years, during which nearly 407 individual animals, including sharks and rays, have been tagged.<\/p>\n<h3>Raising fishers\u2019 awareness<\/h3>\n<p>In Panama, various initiatives are underway to help reduce the bycatch of sharks and rays, led by biologists such as Rodr\u00edguez, as well as NGOs, politicians, and even local restaurants. Although national data on shark and ray bycatch and populations is lacking, experts say the illegal export of fins to Asia and the domestic consumption of shark meat call for a boost in conservation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_329600\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-329600 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103324\/17-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"nobula \" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103324\/17-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103324\/17-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103324\/17-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103324\/17-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103324\/17-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103324\/17-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>On the Tabor vessel, Yehudi Rodr\u00edguez, a marine biologist, works to liberate a black devil ray (Mobula) that was a victim of bycatch. Image by Monica Pelliccia, Panama, April 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To help with conservation, many industrial fishing vessels now have biologists on board who train the crew on how to free marine animals accidentally caught in nets and to collect scientific data.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo far, we detected a low bycatch presence in purse seine net fisheries,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez says. \u201cOverall, we observed an important collaboration with sailors to free marine fauna entangled: it is key to raise awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As she speaks, Rodr\u00edguez plays videos showing sailors freeing dolphins, sharks, and even crocodiles from nets when she wasn\u2019t on board.<\/p>\n<p>\u200b\u201cWe plan to expand marine biologists\u2019 presence on our fleet to train the sailors to observe purse seine nets and liberate accidental marine animals caught,\u201d Jos\u00e9 Antonio Dominguez Diaz, a Promarina fleet maintenance manager, tells Mongabay on board the Tabor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn this way, we maintain the bycatch rate at 1.2%,\u201d he adds. \u201cThe international sustainability certification <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marin-trust.com\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Marine Trust<\/a> requires us to remain under the 5%.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Panama Aquatic Resources Authority (ARAP) and NGOs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/cedepesca.net\/nuestro-trabajo\/poab\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CeDePesca<\/a> run conservation projects that deploy biologists to fishing vessels. And since 2022, Rodr\u00edguez herself has involved 15 marine biology students in her conservation work.<\/p>\n<h3>Bycatch and illegal trade on the rise<\/h3>\n<p>In Panama, fishing is a major economic engine. In 2024, the country\u2019s fish exports were valued at<a href=\"https:\/\/arap.gob.pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/INFORME-DE-PESCA-Y-ACUICULTURA-2024.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"> $272.9 million<\/a>, according to ARAP. But bycatch remains an issue. According to Rodriguez, sharks make up between 30 and 60% of the bycatch in artisanal fishing using gill nets. She says that about 95% of that is represented by newborn and juvenile scalloped hammerhead shark (<em>Sphyrna lewini<\/em>).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_329601\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-329601 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103652\/21-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103652\/21-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103652\/21-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103652\/21-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103652\/21-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103652\/21-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103652\/21-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>The marine biologist Yehudi Rodr\u00edguez and the Tabor crew observe the purse seine net during the fishing operation. Image by Monica Pelliccia, Panama, April 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Across Panamanian society, efforts are underway to find solutions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo improve shark and ray protection against bycatch, it is urgently needed to collect scientific data on their populations, now lacking in the country,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez says. \u201cWe need funds to realize studies on the breeding sites and listen to the fishers to find practical solutions. Indeed, sailors recognize the importance of ongoing bycatch training.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rodr\u00edguez has been researching sharks for 25 years, a decision she says she reached when she was just 6 years old, listening to stories from her father, a freedive fisher. In 2017, she and three students founded the NGO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sharkdefenderspanama\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Shark Defenders<\/a> to protect the local shark population. Her work there focuses on studying the breeding sites of species like the critically endangered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/pdf\/2918526\/attachment\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">scalloped hammerhead (<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/pdf\/2918526\/attachment\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><em>Sphyrna lewini<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/pdf\/2918526\/attachment\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">)<\/a> in Punta Chame, on Panama\u2019s Pacific coast.<\/p>\n<p>For some fishers, such as Tabor captain Luis Alcides Ortega, 58, bycatch is difficult problem to tackle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I started sailing in 1985, we saw sharks very often all around, such as hammerhead sharks in Dari\u00e9n waters,\u201d he tells Mongabay. \u201cNow it\u2019s not so common. Bycatch is a huge problem. To me, the solution is to train sailors to liberate animals from the nets, as we are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a sentiment echoed by crewmate Joel Cordoba, 45, who\u2019s been sailing for 30 years. \u201cFirst, I was trained in 2015 on bycatch and continued my conservation studies in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina,\u201d Cordoba says. \u201cThe most impactful liberation was of a few crocodiles caught in the nets: a very dangerous situation for us,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>As a fisher, he says, he recognizes the importance of preserving sharks for the marine ecosystem but also for the fishing business. \u201cIn fact, sardines and herrings are aggregated by predators\u2019 circular swimming movements, made by sharks, among others,\u201d Cordoba says.<\/p>\n<h3>Legal solutions under discussion<\/h3>\n<p>In Panama, shark and ray protection is currently a focus of a national debate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe incidental catch in Panama varies depending on the fishing gear used, the fishing grounds, and the time of year,\u201d says Juan Manuel Posada L\u00f3pez, regional science manager with the MarViva Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources in the eastern tropical Pacific.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_329603\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-329603 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103824\/1000099568.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103824\/1000099568.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103824\/1000099568-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103824\/1000099568-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103824\/1000099568-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103824\/1000099568-1800x1012.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14103824\/1000099568-610x343.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>A whitenose shark (Nasolamia velox) is freed after being captured in a net. Image courtesy of Yehudi Rodriguez.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cReducing bycatch requires the promotion of more selective fishing gear, active participation from the fishing sector, and stronger government capacity for data collection, monitoring, and enforcement,\u201d Posada L\u00f3pez adds.<\/p>\n<p>The Panamanian government is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asamblea.gob.pa\/Noticias\/Noticias\/INICIATIVA-SOBRE-CONSERVACION-DE-TIBURONES-Y-RAYAS-EN-ANALISIS\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">discussing a bill<\/a> that would amend and repeal existing legal provisions in an effort to restore and conserve shark and ray populations.<\/p>\n<p>Walkiria Chandler, the MP backing the bill, says it would ban targeted shark and ray fishing, as well as imports of shark and ray meat and their byproducts. It would also require fins to remain naturally attached to the body until landing \u2014 a key safeguard for traceability and against finning \u2014 tighten penalties, and integrate catch and violation data into the National Fisheries Information and Statistics System.<\/p>\n<p>Chandler tells Mongabay in a text message that the measures would allow Panama to fulfill its international obligations and reduce the risk of escalated sanctions from the European Union for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In 2019, the EU issued a \u201cyellow card\u201d against Panama, a formal warning for failing to adequately address IUU fishing, which puts the country at risk of an outright ban on exporting fisheries products to the EU market.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith regard to bycatch, the bill makes significant progress by mandating the immediate release of live specimens whenever their survival can be guaranteed, requiring that those that cannot be released, can be retained on board to allow for verification, and setting a maximum retention limit of 10% of the total gross weight of the catch, solely for crew consumption,\u201d Chandler says.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_329606\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-329606 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113715\/13-1-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113715\/13-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113715\/13-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113715\/13-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113715\/13-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113715\/13-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113715\/13-1-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>A ray (Rhinopter steindachneri) liberated from the purse seine net on board the Tabor vessel. Image by Monica Pelliccia, Panama, April 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Environmental activists and experts have weighed in on the various points in the bill, which is still in discussion in the legislature.<\/p>\n<p>According to Rodr\u00edguez, the bill would mark a major step forward for shark conservation, but it still has significant weaknesses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProposing a 10% shark bycatch limit is unrealistic,\u201d she says, adding there needs to be a science-based threshold that accounts for factors such as the type of fishing gear used, the areas being fished, and the season. Without this, she says, \u201ca real solution will never be reached.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Shark-free seafood certification<\/h3>\n<p>Even if bycatch can be better regulated, there\u2019s still the problem of illegal fishing and trafficking, highlighted by frequent seizures of fins from Panama, mostly to Asian countries, and the continued demand for shark meat for domestic consumption.<\/p>\n<p>In January this year, Panama established an indefinite zero-export quota for all shark and ray species listed on CITES, the global wildlife trade convention. While the policy prohibits their export for commercial purposes, authorities continue to uncover illegal fin exports. The most recent case was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.customs.gov.hk\/en\/customs-announcement\/press-release\/index_id_5203.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">seizure<\/a> of 162 kg (357 lb) of dried shark fins from Panama at the Hong Kong airport in April 2026. The fins were believed to come from protected species and had an estimated market value of about $280,000.<\/p>\n<p>Panamanian biologists, including Yehudi Rodr\u00edguez, are involved in trying to identify the origins of fins recovered from such seizures, as part of efforts to understand the extent of this lucrative criminal business.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_329604\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-329604 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14104018\/7-1-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14104018\/7-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14104018\/7-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14104018\/7-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14104018\/7-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14104018\/7-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14104018\/7-1-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Luis Gutierres, 63, owner of Donde Luis, a ceviche restaurant on the Panama waterfront walkway that achieved the certification \u201cShark-Free Ceviche\u201d, a guarantee that the ceviche does not contain meat from sharks or rays. Image by Monica Pelliccia, Panama City, April 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cPanama was supposed to have stopped exporting shark products [meat and fins] due to a \u2018non-detrimental\u2019 harvest ruling proposed in 2014,\u201d Rodriguez says. \u201cBut according to data from the customs portal, we have observed that exports have continued all along.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She says the domestic shark trade isn\u2019t prohibited; small sharks caught as bycatch are used to make <em>caz\u00f3n empanadas, <\/em>an iconic dish from Venezuela made with corn dough and filled with stewed shark meat, or for ceviche in restaurants. Panama City abounds with shops selling caz\u00f3n empanadas.<\/p>\n<p>Thirteen restaurants and companies involved in ceviche production are working to protect sharks as part of the Shark-Free Ceviche initiative by <a href=\"https:\/\/marviva.net\/ceviche-libre-de-tiburon\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">MarViva<\/a>. Under the program, 51 outlets along Panama\u2019s Pacific coast allow their products to undergo random DNA testing approximately twice a year, according to Posada L\u00f3pez.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe \u2018Shark-Free Ceviche\u2019 certification guarantees that the ceviche does not contain meat from sharks, rays, or other species not recommended for consumption,\u201d he says. \u201cVerification includes genetic testing \u2026 to confirm the species used, in addition to traceability requirements and good practice standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_329607\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-329607 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113851\/26-1-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113851\/26-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113851\/26-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113851\/26-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113851\/26-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113851\/26-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/14113851\/26-1-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>The Tabor vessel comes back to Puerto Caimito at sunset. Image by Monica Pelliccia, Panama, April 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Among the participating outlets is the waterfront restaurant Donde Luis, owned by 63-year-old Luis Gutierres.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor more than 30 years I have always avoided using any species of sharks, [rays and skates] in my ceviche, and then I joined the MarViva certification,\u201d Gutierres says. \u201cIf you ask me why I can get very emotional, it\u2019s because my two sons asked me to avoid maltreating animals when they were kids. They love animals so much and inspired me to care for sharks. I hope joint efforts from different sectors can preserve these species for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image<\/strong>: The marine biologist Yehudi Rodriguez analyzes dry shark fins seized from illegal traffic by Panamanian authorities. Image by Monica Pelliccia, Panama City, Apr 2026.\u200b<\/em><\/p>\n<p>FEEDBACK: <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSc1UErpNSJhNbg2RpCnwRp5xJDRjjgreKOG2J2cGaxtb9IaBQ\/viewform\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"> Use this form<\/a> to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">Monica Pelliccia (2026). Panama looks to science, fishers, and the law to protect its sharks and rays. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-329577\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-329577<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6ddc11ab3173ab5e21a8b9ce7c4f11c7fc908bb2b47d47eaf0789863708a3588?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6ddc11ab3173ab5e21a8b9ce7c4f11c7fc908bb2b47d47eaf0789863708a3588?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; In Panama, various initiatives are underway to reduce bycatch of sharks and rays, led&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,526,1121,14,3438,9,394,1514,11,2074,1513,13,10,2],"class_list":["post-1445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-bermain","tag-fishers","tag-law","tag-online","tag-panama","tag-peluang","tag-protect","tag-rays","tag-saat","tag-science","tag-sharks","tag-slot","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}