Silky and hammerhead shark catches in coastal artisanal fisheries

This analysis provides an estimate of the order of magnitude of catches of silky (Carcharhinus falciformis) and hammerhead (Sphyrnidae spp.) sharks in the artisanal fisheries in five Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama) that border of the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). In 2020 and 2021, field technicians visited landing sites (e.g. beaches, ports, harbors) and collected samples of the number and weight of these, and other, species of sharks caught during individual fishing trips by surveyed pangas (small fishing boats generally less than 10-12 m; SAC-11-13), along with fisherreported estimate of the number of trips per week and a range of associated metadata (e.g., latitude, longitude, primary fishing gears, vessel horsepower).