UPDATED 3:32 AM EST, February 7, 2013
The Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted to advance the candidacy of the shark, which means during a one-year study review it will receive the same protections it would if it were listed as endangered.
"The status review will give us better information on the white shark population off the West Coast and threats to its survival. That will give us the ability to make an informed decision about whether or not to list the white shark as endangered under California law," said newly elected commission president Michael Sutton.
