Save Sharks: Guardians of our Oceans!

There are roughly 500 known species of shark and they have graced this planet for nearly 415 million years. Sharks generally do not live in freshwater although there are a few known exceptions, such as the bull shark and the river shark, which can be found in both seawater and freshwater. Well-known species such as the tiger shark, blue shark, great white shark, mako shark, thresher shark, and hammerhead shark are apex predators—organisms at the top of their underwater food chain.

Guardians of our oceans, they manage every creature that lives in the ocean today... keeping coral reefs safe, and plants from being overgrazed by sea life. Sharks protect our oceans. We need sharks for ocean health. Oceans give us 60% of our oxygen, absorb carbon that causes global warming, absorbs our excess heat and feed a billion of us humans... and to top it off, they make millions in shark tourism. Yet, we kill up to 150 Million of them every year.

Sharks and rays are targeted by fisheries for shark fins and gill plates respectively, which fetch exorbitant prices due to their high demand as a delicacy in some Asian countries. There is also a market for shark meat, with European countries providing the biggest market. In addition to being targeted for their fins and meat, sharks often end up in fishing nets as incidental bycatch. According to a recent TRAFFIC report that highlights the major shark catchers, traders and affected species, the top 20 shark catching countries in the world caught more than 700,000 metric tons of sharks and rays each year between 2007-2019, with the top five countries — Indonesia, Spain, India, Mexico and the United States — catching a whopping 333,952 metric tons on average between them each year.  It is estimated that up to 100 million sharks are caught globally each year.  According to the report, 16,177 metric tons of shark fin, valued at around USD294 million per year, were imported globally each year between 2000-2017, with 90% of these shark fin products being imported by four countries: Hong Kong SAR (9,069 mt/year), Malaysia (2,556 mt/year), mainland China (1,868 mt/year, and Singapore (1,587 mt/year). Brazil, Spain, Uruguay and Italy collectively accounted for  an average of 57% of global shark meat imports during the ten year study period. We all can be heroes and make the world a better place. Save the Sharks.

 

Maintaining shark biodiversity is important for several reasons, including:

Environmental Consequences

These irresponsible and unsustainable fishing practices have resulted in alarming declines in a wide range of shark species. A quarter of the approximately 1,150 species of sharks and rays currently in danger of going extinct.

Sharks are top predators that play an important ecological role in marine ecosystems. Their health and wellbeing is therefore vital for maintaining healthy oceans — and by extension, vital for the communities that depend on the oceans for their food security and livelihoods. Ironically, this also applies to the very fishermen who target them.

Keeping Oceans Healthy — Scientists believe that if sharks become extinct we will essentially destroy the delicate balance that is necessary for the survival of thousands of marine species! Sharks prey on sick, weak and old marine animals, and help control populations of other marine creatures. This helps to prevent disease from spreading, improves the genetic fitness of marine life, and keeps marine ecosystems in balance.

Recreation — Sharks and shark cage diving are a major attraction for marine eco-tours in some regions, giving tourists and divers the opportunity to experience or interact with sharks close-up in their natural environment.

Economic Benefits — Shark ecotourism and shark fisheries both provide employment opportunities for coastal communities around the world. The unsustainable harvesting of sharks could cause these industries to collapse, putting the livelihoods of communities that depend on them at risk.

Global Biodiversity — Sharks play an important role in supporting marine biodiversity. With 400 species (1,150 if you include rays) they not only add to species diversity, but as top predators they are also essential for maintaining the diversity of other species too.

How you can help to Protect Sharks

If we all work together, we can save these magnificent predators from extinction.

It is our actions that have directly, and indirectly, caused them such harm; now it is us that must save them. In the end, our society will be defined not by what we create, but what we refuse to destroy. We are their only hope; future generations of sharks, and people, are depending on us.

Support conservation-focused ecotourism

All around the world organizations are protecting sharks by showing that ecotourism is more valuable than shark fishing. Dive with sharks and fall in love with them the same way Rob Stewart fell in love with them. The more shark ecotourism grows, the more incentives local communities will have to protect their sharks.

Take action to help protect sharks from marine debris

From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the most remote ice in the Arctic, plastic pollution has been found everywhere on Earth and threatens marine life on a daily basis. Now, Congress is taking on the marine debris issue, with the recent introduction of the Save Our Seas Act 2.0 . This bill is critical in the fight against marine debris, because it not only outlines new ways to support cooperative initiatives on the global stage, but also commits resources to scientific research and suggests new efforts across the country to improve our waste management infrastructure. By taking action today, you can help our nation take a step forward to make sure our ocean is protected against the ever-growing threat of plastic pollution.

Take the pledge to decrease your single-use plastic usage

Speaking of plastics, there are things you can do to help in the fight against marine debris in your daily life, too! The choices that we make each and every day are ones that can help stem the tide of plastic pollution, and by taking baby steps to decrease our use of single-use plastic products, our mindful choices can translate into game-changers for sharks and other marine wildlife. From opting from reusable straws to carrying a reusable water bottle, there are so many simple, easy ways to make more sustainable adjustments to your daily life. Take the pledge today and commit to making small changes that make a big difference for sharks around the world.

Do Not Use Shark Products - #SharkFree

Sharks are sold to consumers under a vast number of fake names such as rock salmon, whitefish, and flake. Sharks are also found in cosmetics, pet food, ‘natural’ fertilizer’ and even leather products. Read labels to make sure you’re not accidentally supporting shark fishing.

Shark liver oil is often used as a moisturizer in cosmetics, called squalene or squalane on the label. Don’t buy these products unless you know they are from a vegetable source. Deep-sea sharks are being fished to extinction for their livers, 90 percent of which goes into cosmetics and personal care products.

Stop Seafood Consumption

Accidental bycatch also causes shark mortality. The tuna industry, as well as any industrial fishing boats that uses purse seines, trawls, or gill nets, kill millions of sharks a year. Decreasing the demand for seafood will decrease shark bycatch.

Ask Governments to support ocean acidification research

Did you know that ocean acidification is a growing threat for sharks? Species like the blacktip reef shark live amidst our ocean’s beautiful coral reefs, but across the globe, these reefs are being damaged (big time). As the ocean absorbs more carbon, it becomes more acidified, degrading and harming not only the physical structures of the reefs, but also the food supplies for sharks that thrive within these ecosystems. By taking action and supporting federal funding for ocean acidification research, you can urge our nation’s leaders to work to protect the ecosystems that sharks like blacktips depend on.

Learn more about sharks and educate your friends and family

One of the main obstacles in shark conservation is the perception that sharks are people-eating killing monsters. Teach people how important they are to ocean ecosystems and to the planet as a whole. Let everyone know that shark bites are extremely rare. You’re more likely to be killed by cows, lightning, and vending machines than from a shark bite. Do a presentation about sharks, or show them the movies, Sharkwater, Revolution and/or Sharkwater Extinction. You can download the free study guides, print images and look through our shark database.

Share your love for sharks on social

They say that when people love something, they want to protect it…and when you love something and want to protect it, you want other people to do the same thing, too! Share the latest shark-related content from our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, and always feel free to share most recent blog articles to your own social channels to keep your friends and family up-to-date. Plus, encourage them to make sure they’re following us on social media, too, for the absolute best in shark and wildlife content all year ‘round (and a few jaw-some shark puns mixed in, of course).

Volunteer at the International Coastal Cleanup

Working toward a cleaner ocean means not only decreasing our use of single-use plastics, but also cleaning up the marine debris that’s already polluting our ocean and shorelines. That’s why on the third weekend of every September, Ocean Conservancy hosts the world’s largest volunteer effort on behalf of ocean health: the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Now mobilizing hundreds of thousands of volunteers in more than 100 countries each year, the ICC is a single-day event where tens of millions of pieces of marine debris are removed from coastlines in a unified effort to keep marine and coastal ecosystems clean and protected. Are you ready? Find a location near you and get ready to join the cleanup in less than two months!