The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the Galapagos shark as least concern, but its low reproductive rate limits its capacity to withstand population depletion. There is no specific utilization data available, though this species is certainly caught by commercial fisheries operating across many parts of its range.While still common at areas such as Hawaii, the Galapagos shark may have been extirpated from sites around Central America and its fragmented distribution means other regional populations may also be at risk. The populations at Cocos and Galapagos Islands are protected within marine reserves.