Tag Archives: sharks
Is Bali about to ban shark fishing?
There are hints that a new shark and manta ray sanctuary is about to be formed at Bali. Last month the underwater paradise of Raja Ampat in West Papua, Indonesia banned the fishing of sharks and rays in it’s coral reefs and set up a shark sanctuary – the first in the so called Coral [...]
Sharks set to get boost from CITES
Sharks across the world are under threat thanks to shark fin soup. Often the sharks are caught as a profitable by-catch but as only the fins are valuable the rest of the shark is dumped overboard. The trade is international in scope and there is little control. CoP16 though offers some hope for the future. [...]
More than just a holiday snap
Those quick holiday photos could prove to be more important than just happy memories. scientists are asking people to submit their pictures of sharks to a web site so they can use them to study the animals. If you are heading to the Maldives on holiday this year don’t forget to take a photo of [...]
Europe closes shark-finning loophole
The European Parliament has today voted to close a loophole in its fisheries legislation that could help its fight to protect rapidly declining shark populations. Until today there were exceptions in fisheries legislation that allowed vessels though special permits to do finning at sea as long as the shark bodies were landed. It was difficult to [...]
Whitetip shark populations declining by 17% a year
New research released today by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in New Caledonia demonstrates the frightening impact on shark populations that shark fin soup is having. The results of a study of 15 years of landing catches published in Conservation Biology shows that the worst affected shark species the white-tip shark has declined [...]
Shark finning set to be banned in Europe
Fisheries ministers from the EU countries have just finished a meeting over the future direction of EU fisheries policy. While a lot of attention has been put at the wasteful practise of discards the practise of shark finning was also discussed and is set to be banned by the EU. Shark finning is the practise of removing the fins of [...]
Keep feeding the sharks
Divers will travel the world to get to good locations to dive with sharks. It can be big money too. Some dive operators will feed an area to attract sharks for their clients but it’s a controversial practice. In some regions such as Florida the baiting for sharks have been banned while in other regions it’s accepted by local [...]
Is 5% too much to save the sharks?
Shark finning is decimating shark populations across the world. The sharks are caught then the fins removed and the sharks – sometimes still alive but fatally wounded – are thrown back overboard. Some countries have regulations limiting the amount of bodiless fins that can be landed, but is it enough? Many counties, including the UK [...]
Shark attack deaths double as tourists seek new adventures
A study by the University of Florida has revealed that 2011 saw a doubling of people killed by shark attacks compared with 2010. The mortality rate of shark attacks outside the United States has also surged from an average of 7% over the last 10 years to more than 25% in 2011. Number of people [...]
Singapore’s supermarkets shun sharks
Campaigning, changing tastes and environmental responsibility have all played a role in helping to reduces demand for shark fin product in Singapore. But a single Facebook status update may have been the one of the most effective ways of reducing availability of shark fin in a major supermarket chain – and the update came from [...]
Is it time for UK to ban shark products
Around the world nations are beginning to look at protecting sharks and the lead is being set, in many cases, by the smaller nations. They are setting up marine reserves and more importantly they are banning the trade in sharks in order to tackle the increasing shark fin trade. Surely the time has come for [...]
Citizen scientists can help shark studies
Whether conservationists are studying wildlife on land or in the oceans they come across the same big problems and that is lack of resources and tight budgets. Increasingly ways are being found to involve the public in undertaking wildlife or species surveys. Now a recent study involving recreational divers shows that they can be a [...]
Singapore supermarket group stops selling shark fin
A big supermarket chain in Singapore has said it will stop selling shark fins in it’s shops and will concentrate on only sourcing their fish supplies from sustainable fisheries. This has to be good news but it’s really just a start. The supermarket chain called Cold Storage Supermarket has 42 outlets in Singapore and is a major player [...]
New sanctuary gives big boost to sharks
The Nitijela, the Parliament of the Marshall Islands have unanimously passed legislation that will provide a vast sanctuary to sharks in the Pacific. Because the archipelago nation is spread across a large area it’s territorial waters covers a vast area. Now sharks that venture into it’s 768,547 square miles are protected from being fished. The area covered by the [...]
Up to 3,000 sharks killed trapped in illegal fishing net
Texan game rangers have discovered an illegal fishing net off the coast that had trapped and killed up to 3,000 adult and juvenile sharks. The nets were discovered close to the Mexican border lying just off South Padre Island. “About 3 miles of gill net was removed just past the third sandbar near the mouth of [...]
Ireland’s smooth hound sharks under spotlight
It’s taken 4 years of research but the latest study on the starry smooth hound shark that swims around Ireland’s coast has turned up some unexpected information about the species. Contrary to popular belief it appears that the shark is much slower at reproduction than previously thought and this could make a difference to their [...]