The Dorsal Fin

DiscoveryNetworks has posted the video above to their YouTube Channel. The video focuses on the repercussions of the extinction of sharks as top ocean predators. Researcher Andy DeHart of the National Aquarium points out the impact of the shark finning market on shark popluations but also notes that roughly half of the sharks killed each day as a result of accidental bycatch. DeHart goes on to say that of the roughly 400 species of sharks only 30 species are heavily fished. However, within those thirty species are some of the apex predators which help control stingray and fish populations. DeHart concludes the video discussing how the slow reproductive nature and small number of pups of some shark species also puts them at greater risk for extinction.

YouTube user SharkTrustUK posted a series of shark conservation videos today from Simon Spear. Among the videos is the one below featuring some fantastic tiger shark footage from Aliwal Shoal, South Africa. According to the video information, 8 tiger sharks were illegally poached from the marine reserve where this footage was shot just days afterward.

To counterbalance the stupid whale shark video posted earlier, I thought I’d re-visit one of WildAid‘s excellent shark conservation public service announcements. The video features 7-time Olympic medalist (2-time gold medalist) Amanda Beard and addresses the impact of finning and over-fishing on the world’s shark populations. While the video has been around for over a year, I figured it was worth re-visiting to hopefully give it some more exposure (it only has about 3,500 views on YouTube versus the 137,000 views of the guy riding the whale shark, as I write this). I think the people who put this one together did an awesome job.

The Save Our Seas Foundation recently posted another shark conservation video on their blog. While the human fatality statistic is a bit outdated using the 2007 global statistic of just one fatal shark attack on humans, the main point still remains true even for the years that have seen a handful of fatal attacks. Shark populations are being decimated at an alarming rate. If this trend continues, irreversible damage will be done to marine ecosystems of the world. Save Our Seas have been doing an excellent job with their awareness campaigns. Keep up the awesome work!

In a press release from The Humane Society of the United States, it is being reported that renowned chef and author, Alice Waters, has signed The International Humane Society’s No Shark Fin Pledge, which reads…

I pledge to help protect the world’s oceans by committing never to consume or serve shark fin or any product containing shark fin.

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