Ten Things You Can Do 1. Support international shark fisheries’ management and conservation efforts. 2. Contact your local government representative. Demand that shark management and conservation efforts become a priority. 3. Support organizations, like Project AWARE, which are engaged in ocean conservation efforts. 4. Educate recreational fishers who target sharks. 5. Learn about marine life, its problems and solutions. 6. Make informed decisions when purchasing products that may contain shark substances, as many shark species are overfished. 7. Support educational television programs and films about sharks. 8. Write to travel operators and urge them to introduce shark conservation issues into fishing trips to highlight the need for controls on shark fishing. 9. Pass on your underwater experiences with sharks as a scuba diver. 10. Tell your friends. Spread the word about shark conservation efforts and how humans need to come together to help preserve this precious resource.

1. Prote
ct the S
harks:
Predator or Prey?
Sharks have existed, virtually unchanged, for more than 400 million years. But now, Earth’s most dangerous predator
pushes global shark populations to the brink – humans.
Shark Finning
Each year, tens of millions of sharks are hunted exclusively for their fins, meeting the demand for shark fin soup and related
consumer products. In a wasteful and cruel practice called shark finning, shark fins are removed and the animal, often still alive,
is thrown overboard.
Why does this occur? Shark fins are by far the most valuable part of a fished shark and finning maximizes fisheries profit. Shark
fin soup and other consumer products like cosmetics and supplements are driving up the demand for shark fins.
According to the Shark Alliance report, “Shark Alert”, “the disparity between the exceptionally valuable shark fins and the
less valuable shark meat creates an economic incentive to take sharks solely for their fins. Shark finning contributes to an
extraordinary waste of resources, unsustainable shark mortality and serious decline in shark populations.”
Many scientists agree that the most effective management strategy to reducing the number of sharks taken from our ocean, is to
address and manage shark finning.
Bycatch
Too often, commercial fishing vessels catch non-target species, or animals that are not their intended catch – including sharks,
dolphins, sea turtles and sea birds. These animals are called bycatch. Destructive fishing practices including longlines, trawlers
and gillnets have high bycatch rates.
Because bycatch is not typically reported, data on the extent of bycatch is limited. But it’s estimated that tens of millions of sharks
are lost to fisheries bycatch each year.
Bycatch can seriously deplete many shark species due to their late age of maturity, slow growth rates and low number of
offspring. Shark bycatch is thrown overboard injured or dying or often also landed at port without being reported, meaning
shark species decline can remain undetected for long periods of time.
Ten Things You Can Do
1. Support international shark fisheries’ management and conservation efforts.
2. Contact your local government representative. Demand that shark management
and conservation efforts become a priority.
3. Support organizations, like Project AWARE, which are engaged in ocean
conservation efforts.
4. Educate recreational fishers who target sharks.
5. Learn about marine life, its problems and solutions.
6. Make informed decisions when purchasing products that may contain shark
substances, as many shark species are overfished.
7. Support educational television programs and films about sharks.
8. Write to travel operators and urge them to introduce shark conservation issues into fishing trips to highlight the need for
controls on shark fishing.
9. Pass on your underwater experiences with sharks as a scuba diver.
10. Tell your friends. Spread the word about shark conservation efforts and how humans need to come together to help
preserve this precious resource.
SM
vironments
r ving Under water En
D ivers Conse
© Project AWARE Foundation 2009