Shark is a wild thing

we know that sharks live in wilderness. the ocean is a wet jungle and shark is one of predator that is unique and endangered species. it’s not like other fish, shark has become a great influence in human businesses. the researches and entertainments found that shark is very unique and has high commercial value. we find many movies with shark in them and it’s still attracted us to go to cinemas watching them. the researches about shark has develop into various aspects, even such as cosmetics and food.

for some people,shark is described as power and speed. it represents what we want to be. and some people try to keep sharks as their pets. nowadays researches help us to keep shark in special conditions, and put shark on aquarium isn’t difficult for now. but, imagine that you have a huge aquarium at your house with a shark in it. it looks cool ,but soon we will find it’s ridiculous. shark is no longer happy in that condition.

some of us have cats, birds, dogs and other small pets in our house. if you have shark in your house,then you are supporting shark’s extinction. to keep the shark live,we need the biggest aquarium on earth,that is ocean. the ocean provides the shark’s needs,including food and shelter. we can only observe them and leave them live peacefully. the shark is one of ocean’s wonders that we must keep in order to show our pride to the next generation of humankind.

White Shark Trust

The South African based White Shark Trust is “a non-profit organization founded in 2002 to promote and conduct research, education and conservation projects on the endangered Great White Shark”

It is the brain child of Michael Scholl (founder and trustee) who has been conducting research on Great White Sharks since 1997.

The goals of the White Shark Trust are as follows:

  1. To establish a fund in the Republic of South Africa for the purpose of receiving grants and donations from international sources as well as sources within the Republic of South Africa;

  2. To manage and disburse such funds in the furtherance of the objectives of the Trust;

  3. To promote dialogue between various research, conservation, education and Government bodies concerned with management, research, conservation and education concerning the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias);

  4. To assist in providing relevant advice on the management of the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias);

  5. To obtain the support for the objectives of the White Shark Trust from local residents living around concentration hotspots for the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), including Mossel Bay, Dyer Island / Gansbaai and False Bay in particular;

  6. To obtain the support for the objectives of the Trust from the established tourism industry involved with the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) located at Mossel Bay, Dyer Island / Gansbaai and False Bay in particular;

  7. To ensure that effective action is taken in all matters affecting the welfare and preservation of the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias);

  8. To promote educational opportunities for the general public, schools and the tourism industry;

  9. To conduct and support scientific research projects and field expeditions with regards to the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias).”

In connection with other like-minded South African organizations, the work of the White Shark Trust is of primary importance in order to better understand the critical role that White Sharks play in balancing the marine environment. Without their joint efforts we are unable to identify the need for better shark protection.

The Shark Trust

The Shark Trust was established in 1997 to study, protect, and manage the elasmobranch species found in UK waters and internationally. It is a member of the European Elasmobranch Association and works with other EEA organizations to counter the enormous fishing pressure that European shark and ray stocks are under.

The Shark Trust’s mandate includes:

  • Introducing effective management on a regional basis to regulate shark and ray fisheries and ensure that they are sustainable.

  • Reducing shark and ray bycatch and mortality in other fisheries.

  • Increasing research efforts on the biology of sharks and rays and their fisheries, including the promotion of a collaborative tag and release program.

  • Improving records of catches, landings, and international trade in species of sharks and rays.

  • Improving management of critical habitats, including nursery grounds, under threat.

  • Increasing the amount of information available to the public and decision makers.

The Shark Trust encourages scientists, divers, fishermen, anglers, and the general public to join the growing number of ST members that currently lend their support.

Your membership in The Shark Trust adds to the pressure that it is able to be put on governing and regulatory agencies, and helps spread awareness on the plight of sharks and rays in general.

Subscription to The Shark Trust carries no obligation on your part unless you wish it to. However, if you would like to help educate or raise funds your added contribution will be most welcome.

Shark Trust members receive the trust’s magazine/newsletter ‘Shark Focus’ 3 times per year. This is a glossy publication that chronicles the latest work of the trust and has articles on a variety of shark and ray subjects. Upon joining the trust you will also receive i.d. posters of British shark and ray species and other Shark Trust goodies.

The Shark Trust also hosts a highly informative website with sections on all aspects of sharks and rays. The site also contains a good image database of elasmobranch species and an active and well moderated forum for anyone wishing to talk sharks.

Shark Existence

The shark existence of the east coast of the USA decreased in the last 15 years substantially. The number of the hammerhead sharks sank around 89%, those of the thresher sharks around 80%, those of the great white sharks around 79%. The populations of the mako sharks, blue sharks and tiger sharks sank around 40-65%. The existence of the sandbar sharks were reduced in the last 10 years by overfishing by 85-90%.
Canadian researchers announce a decrease of the oceanic whitetip shark by around 99%. They are almost extinguished in certain regions already.

Sharks are not only caught actively for their meat, fins or cartilages. Millions of sharks die as non-usable catch (bycatch) in the nets and longlines of the swimming fish factories.

In the year 1991 the longline fishery brought in 8.3 million sharks world-wide. It is assumed that about half of it were blue sharks. More than 87% of these 8.3 million sharks were thrown away!

In the USA, along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, annually approx. 2.5 million sharks are fished by sportfishing (game fishing). From that approx. 20-40% (500’000 – 1’000’000 sharks) got killed.

The population of all sorts of sharks is worldwide extremely threatened. In total 82 shark and ray species are registered on the so called “Red List” of the World Conservation Union.

Shark Products

Over 100 million sharks are killed annually. Partly because of their fins for shark fish fin soup, as bycatch in up to 40 miles long drift nets of enormous fishing fleets, for medically completely ineffective cartilage powder or by the destruction of their habitats.

You will find shark products often at unexpected places as in restaurants, snack bars or supermarkets. Shark meat is offered also under various other names as Smoked Rock Salmon, Smoked Dogfish, a component of Fish & Chips or Imitation Crab Meat (Surimi). Also the worldwide protected and extremely threatened whale shark is on the Asian market (mainly Taiwan and Japan) still offered as Tofu Shark.

Besides the British the Germans consume most spiny dogfish. They produce the so-called “Schillerlocken” out of the sharks belly. The British use the spiny dogfish for “Fish & Chips “. This kind of shark is strongly overfished and its existence in the Northeast Atlantic decreased in the last 40 years by 90 percent.

Principal customers for shark fins are mainly eastern cultures in which shark fin soup represents a cultural meal. It is a remarkable fact that a shark fin, which consists to 90% out of cartilage, is extensively tasteless and only after days of boiling up in a broth becomes soft and gets the taste of the broth. Today shark fin soup is a status symbol because of the strongly risen prices within the last few years.

We can find shark products also in dog fodder, fish flour and even in fertilizers. From shark skin leather products such as purses, shoes or clock bracelets are produced.

Shark liver oil is frequently a component of the well-known cod-liver oil. In the health sector shark cartilage powders is marketed as fit making food additive although shark cartilages contains absolutely no fit making or other wholesome ingredients.

Most problematic is the marketing of shark cartilage as an anti-cancer means. The publication “Cancer Research” published in December 2004 confirms that shark cartilage preparations showed absolutely no effect against cancer.

However in the gel sector (food/pharmacy) shark collagen has few market chances although particularly Spain tries to penetrate into the market with shark collagen. Spain, one of the world largest shark fin producer, has 2002 forbidden to bring only the fins of sharks ashore. According to law the whole shark bodies must be brought now ashore. This leads now ridiculous-proves to the fact that out of the bodies the completely ineffective cartilage powder is made perforce.

In the cosmetics sector from shark cartilage won collagen is used for anti-fold creams and other preparations. Collagen from sharks is free of BSE and more kosher which makes it interesting for the Arab and Israeli markets.

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