Weekly Shark Update 15/06/2009

World Oceans Day – 8 JUNE 2009 – Visit from minister:

In celebration of World Oceans Day where the focus was on the plight of sharks, White Shark Ecoventures hosted a visit from Minister Sonjica  (Water & Environmental  Affairs),  Marine & Coastal Management (MCM) senior officials, various scientists  and  the media.  These persons were taken out on our boat, Megalodon II, and participated in scientific tagging from our boat, as well as cage diving.

South Africa was the first country to provide protected status for the great white shark.  Mr. Mike Meyer, an MCM marine researcher and technician with 30 years experience, presented an overview of the importance of sharks (both commercially and environmentally) and their role in the ecosystem.  He went on by explaining that shark populations and their movements are monitored through photographic identification where the dorsal fin with all its unique scar markings, is a key identification feature.  A computerized and automated ID system is also a new innovation currently being used.  Genetic sampling is also gathered through a biopsy probe and tracking devices such as acoustic and real-time satellite tags, which also assist researchers to continue their endless study of the oceans apex predators.

It was an honour for White Shark Ecoventures to be an integral part of this great cause.

Participation in beach clean up;

In addition, White Shark Ecoventures in a joint effort with Sharklady Adventures, participated in a beach clean-up which involved 100 children from the local schools.  The children attended an educational talk on pollution and it’s effects on marine life and prizes were sponsored to the children who collected the most rubbish along the coastline.  Each child also received an educational work-book on “Life in our Oceans”, hot dogs and cold drinks.

Weekly Shark Update – 17/04/2009

We are proud members of The Sark Trust, a UK based charity organization dedicated to advancing the worldwide conservation of sharks through science, education, influence and action.

For latest updates and news on the overfishing of sharks and efforts to stop shark finning, please click onto: http://www.sharktrust.org/. Most recent news posted on Shark Trust website;

Plans to protect sharks set to receive backing

EU fisheries ministers are next week expected to back plans to protect endangered sharks. At a meeting in Luxembourg (23-24 April) ministers will be invited to endorse measures to stop overfishing of sharks and follow the international conservation plans that the EU has already signed up to. They will also discuss an EU shark action plan that was published by the European Commission in January.

One-third of shark species in European waters are threatened, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Sonja Fordham of the Shark Alliance, a coalition of conservation groups, described the Commission’s plan as encouraging, but noted that “it is just a plan, it is not binding”. She said the priority should be toughening up the implementation of the EU ban on shark ‘finning’, the practice of catching a shark, cutting off its fins and throwing it back into the sea to die.