MY OPINION
Safeguard the future of sharks through positive change
decided to check me out while snorkeling. They circled me several times before losing interest and swimming away. In those few slow seconds in the water’s off the North West Cape in Western Australia my life shifted slightly. There started a fascination that turned to concern and led to a career in shark conservation.
T
Although one charismatic species eats up most of the headlines, sharks - with their cousins the skates and rays - make up a surprisingly diverse group of animals. From deep sea to coastal waters, from the size of a chocolate bar to the size of a truck, from streamlined speed machines to sluggish sloths, one plucky little shark has even learnt to walk. The IUCN Red List has described and assessed 1053 species and new ones are discovered each month.
I’ve spent years talking to people about the seas and, more than anything else, about sharks – hearing their stories, dealing with differing attitudes, handling misconceptions. This experience leaves me with a definite sense of divided opinions. Sharks, it seems, are the Marmite of the natural world, loved by some, loathed and feared by others. But love them or hate them they are vital ingredients in the ocean soup. Our future is inextricably linked with theirs. And, the future of many of them is by no means certain.
We are slowly but surely pushing some species to the brink, approximately a quarter of all species are currently threatened with extinction. Something has to change.
For a shark lover I’m not sure if I have the best or the worst job in the world. What’s so great? Being involved and genuinely making a difference. We get to dedicate our working lives to sharks, skates and
The world of shark conservation is a complex place. Paul Cox looks at how this interplays with environmental, economic and cultural factors
wenty years ago, I had my first face-to-face encounter with a shark. Not one but three reef sharks that
rays, to sharing knowledge and to making our best efforts to safeguard their future. Our small team occupying an office unit in Plymouth is having a bearing on what will be in the sea in 50 years’ time. That’s both humbling and uplifting, it gets you up for work in the morning and it keeps you going when things get tough.
But every day we deal with ‘man’s inhumanity to sharks’, the short-sightedness of overfishing and the illogical and wasteful practice of finning. We’re striving for positive change. Working hard to transform fisheries and influence supply chains so that sharks might have a sustainable future. But the effort required to push through change does make you wonder how we’re ever going to live in harmony with the natural world.
It’s also a tough job because drumming up support for sharks is a constant challenge. There are so many good causes to gain your support, to take your money and, more importantly perhaps, your compassion and care. With all those good causes, with so much happening in the world, who can find space for sharks?
The irony is that despite the significant challenges posed to shark populations, despite the fact that we could easily start to see major extinctions in our lifetime, the solutions are well within our grasp. We can save sharks but the window of opportunity is closing rapidly.
There are many organisations out there working for sharks. I believe that by working together, being targeted, fighting for science-based catch limits, pushing for responsible trade, we can ensure that sharks have a long-term plan. We all have a part to play, everyone can do something for sharks.
T o get involved visit
www.sharktrust.org
ONBOARD | WINTER 2019 | 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160
