Editing Hammerhead shark (section)

==Protection==
[[File:Hammerhead shark, Cocos Island, Costa Rica.jpg|thumb|Most, if not all, hammerhead shark species are threatened with extinction.]]
Humans are the main threat to hammerhead sharks. Although they are not usually the primary target, hammerhead sharks are caught in fisheries all over the world.<ref name=":0">{{Cite report|last1=Miller|first1=Margaret H.|last2=Carlson|first2=J.|last3=Hogan|first3=L.|last4=Kobayashi|first4=D.|date=2014|title=Status review report : great hammerhead shark (''Sphyrna mokarran'')|url=https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/16286|publisher=National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources|language=en|access-date=25 June 2023|via=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|archive-date=5 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205163849/https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/16286|url-status=live}}</ref> Tropical fisheries are the most common place for hammerheads to be caught because of their preference to reside in warm waters.<ref name=":0" /> The total number of hammerheads caught in fisheries is recorded in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Global Capture Production dataset.<ref name=":0" /> The number steadily increased from 75 metric tons in 1990, to 6,313 metric tons by 2010.<ref name=":0" />

Shark fin traders say that hammerheads have some of the best quality fin needles which makes them good to eat when prepared properly.<ref name=":0" /> Hong Kong is the world's largest fin trade market and accounts for about 1.5% of the total annual amount of fins traded.<ref name=":0" /> It is estimated that around 375,000 great hammerhead sharks alone are traded per year which is equivalent to 21,000 metric tons of biomass.<ref name=":0" /> However, most sharks that are caught are only used for their fins and then discarded.<ref name=":0" /> The meat of hammerheads is generally unwanted. Consumption of hammerhead meat has been recorded in [[Trinidad and Tobago]], [[Venezuela]], [[Kenya]] and [[Japan]].<ref name=":0" /> Hammerhead sharks are particularly vulnerable to overfishing due to their tendency to form large aggregations, making them easy targets for commercial fishing operations. Recent genetic studies indicate that population fragmentation may further threaten their long-term survival, as isolated populations show reduced genetic diversity.<ref>Ovenden, J. R., Kashiwagi, T., Broderick, D., Giles, J., & Salini, J. (2005). The extent of population genetic subdivision differs among four codistributed shark species in the Indo‐Australian archipelago. ''Conservation Genetics, 6''(2), 213–225. doi:10.1007/s10592-005-9036-2</ref>


In March 2013, three endangered, commercially valuable sharks, the hammerheads, the [[oceanic whitetip]], and [[porbeagle]], were added to Appendix II of [[CITES]], bringing shark fishing and commerce of these species under licensing and regulation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21741648 |title='Historic' day for shark protection |last=McGrath |first=Matt |website=BBC News |date=11 March 2013 |access-date=27 July 2013 |archive-date=10 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610193508/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21741648 |url-status=live }}</ref>