Marine Life & Conservation
Thousands of endangered sharks slaughtered by overfishing
Activists from Greenpeace International confronted a fishing vessel yesterday approximately 200 miles away from The Azores as it was hauling in sharks on a longline, capturing shocking footage of the vessel’s practices. The peaceful protest saw activists unfurl a banner with the message “Sharks Under Attack” and came as Greenpeace International releases a new report that reveals lack of protection in international waters is resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of endangered sharks each year.
In the North Atlantic, the Greenpeace ship Esperanza documented fishing vessels which, while known to be primarily catching swordfish, in fact collectively catch four times more sharks than swordfish (by weight). During the protest, the crew saw only one swordfish caught by the Spanish vessel Ameal and at least 8 sharks pulled from a line nearly 40 miles long. The shark species are currently being identified.
A Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) near the Azores.
“It is absolutely immoral to kill sharks and other wildlife with these terrible fishing practices. We are exposing the culprits at sea now, but we urgently need a strong treaty and tighter fishing limits to protect our global oceans,” said Will McCallum of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign, on board the Esperanza.
The report also highlights the devastating impact that overfishing is having on shortfin mako shark populations, the world’s fastest shark, which is closely related to the great white. Greenpeace’s analysis shows that Spanish and Portuguese ships in the area are catching as many as 25,000 mako sharks annually.
Greenpeace ship Esperanza is investigating the overfishing of sharks in the North Atlantic ocean on transit to the Azores, Pole to Pole Tour 2019
The fishing vessels follow migratory routes of swordfish, using destructive methods like long lines with thousands of hooks, which also kill sharks and other animals. Sharks are mainly targeted for their fins, which some cultures prize as a delicacy.
An estimated 100 million sharks are killed every year. Greenpeace analysis shows that, despite official estimates that immediately stopping all catch of shortfin mako would result in only a 50 percent chance of their population recovering by 2040, the most recent catch data was 3,112 metric tons in 2017, equating to as many as 25,000 endangered sharks.
The report is launched as the Esperanza sails from the Arctic to the Antarctic undertaking ground-breaking research and investigations to campaign for a strong Global Ocean Treaty at the United Nations. A strong treaty could pave the way for the creation of ocean sanctuaries in 30 percent of the high seas by 2030, placing vast areas of the sea off-limits to harmful human activities and allowing marine life to recover.
Today there is no legal mechanism to create ocean sanctuaries in international waters and only around 1 percent of the oceans are fully protected. Alongside the widespread failure of industry and regional bodies to adhere to scientific advice, this enables the fishing industry to devastate marine ecosystems by using harmful practices to overfish, often in sensitive areas, and decimate shark populations worldwide. Many species of sharks are in danger of extinction and some populations have decreased by as much as 99 percent due to human activity.
Lifelong UK fisherman Jerry Percy, who has represented small–scale, sustainable fishermen across Europe, was on board the Esperanza and said:
“Smaller scale fishermen rely on healthy populations of sharks and other fish species at the top of the food chain to maintain the balance of marine life in the oceans. This allows us to make a sustainable living and at the same time support vulnerable coastal communities. But unregulated and lawless fishing is putting all this at risk, for short term profit for the few but long term losses for the many.”
Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaigner Arlo Hemphill added:
“Unfortunately, when it comes to the 64 percent of the ocean that lies in international waters, there is no organization or nation authorized with protecting its wildlife. There are bodies designed to protect fisheries, shipping, undersea cables, and even deep sea mining, but the species at risk and the broader ecosystem are largely on their own. This is why governments are negotiating a new ocean treaty, and why Greenpeace is calling for that treaty to be strong and endowed with the decision-making authority to set up ocean sanctuaries in places important to animals like these sharks.”
For more information about the work of Greenpeace visit their website by clicking here.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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