Sharks – the guardians of the oceans are threatened

Sharks are the guardians of our oceans and are at the top of the food chain. They have survived all five mass extinctions of animals and have evolved over 400 million years to become the perfect guardians of the sea. They are essential to the ocean ecosystems. Unfortunately, they are threatened, among other things by ghost nets. That's why we have joined forces with Shark Allies for the sharks!

Sharks are the guardians of our oceans and are at the top of the food chain. They have survived all five mass extinctions and have evolved over 400 million years to become the perfect guardians of the sea. They are essential to ocean ecosystems because they keep fish stocks strong and healthy by hunting sick and weak fish.

Sharks are threatened

Since 1970, the shark population in the world's oceans has declined dramatically. Of the 500 shark species known to date, more than half are still completely unexplored - but are still caught. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains a red list of known and endangered shark species and other fish. Unfortunately, this list is getting longer and longer.

A general Lack of transparency in the fishing industry and illegal shark fishing only gives us an idea of ​​how bad things really are for sharks.

overfishing

Sharks are able to mate for the first time after an average of 10-14 years, have a pregnancy of several months and give birth to very few young per litter. Due to their late sexual maturity and their low reproduction rates, sharks are particularly threatened by overfishing , meaning their stocks are recovering more slowly than they are being fished.

sharks as bycatch

Worldwide, an estimated 100 million sharks caught and killed in fishing nets. Often they are just “bycatch” and are caught unintentionally. Dead or injured, they are then thrown overboard. Bycatch is the main reason why 89 percent of hammerhead sharks and 80 percent of great white sharks have disappeared from the Northeast Atlantic.

The reason for this is, among other things, the method of longline fishing , which is known for very high bycatch rates. Here you will get an overview of the different fishing methods.

As if that wasn't bad enough, many sharks also get caught in ghost nets floating around freely.

The shark fin trade

One extremely cruel fishing practice is the so-called “shark finning”. The fins of the animals are cut off immediately after they are caught, before they are thrown back into the sea. This saves storage space on the cutters. Because the sharks can no longer swim, the animals sink to the seabed and suffocate painfully or bleed to death. Shark fins are sold in around 125 countries worldwide. They are often considered a delicacy and status symbol. At prices of over 150 euros per kilo, shark fins are one of the most expensive most expensive fish products In Hong Kong, a bowl of shark fin soup from certain species up to 400 euros cost.

Shark finning has been banned in the EU since 2003 and Since 2013, sharks may only be brought ashore if their fins are naturally attached to their bodies. There are now regulations in other countries as well. Nevertheless, the trade in fins continues.

How Shark Allies is working to protect sharks

Shark Allies advocates for the protection of sharks and rays globally. Over the past decade, Shark Allies' work has focused largely on legislation to end the shark fin trade, starting with the groundbreaking bill in the U.S. state of Hawaii in 2010. Stefanie Brendl, Executive Director and Founder of Shark Allies, and Hawaii Senator Clayton Hee created this historic bill, which soon became the model for many other state bans. Following the success of the Hawaii fin ban, Shark Allies moved on to other U.S. states and the Pacific, advocating for a wave of legislation to stop the shark fin trade and initiate the creation of shark sanctuaries. Shark Allies is also fighting to stop and close the loopholes in the widespread use of squalene (a clear, completely odorless oil) derived from shark fins in the cosmetics industry.

A partnership for the sharks

In honor of Shark Week 2020, Discovery Channel's annual week-long TV programming block about sharks, we are excited to enter into a deep partnership with Shark Allies.

The Shark Allies Bracenet and all other products from our shop are your contribution to our mission. As always, we donate for each Bracenet to our partner Healthy Seas and an additional €2 to Shark Allies.

Wear it with pride, spread the message for ocean conservation and stand with the sharks. Every bracenet means one less piece of ghost net - and with every ghost net recovered or prevented, sharks regain control of their territory.

For reference and to check the latest statistics, please visit the following page: https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/shark-attack-statistics/ .

What you can do to protect the sharks

• Avoid shark meat: For example, shark meat is hidden behind Schillerlocke, Speckfisch or Vealfish at the fish counter. Schillerlocke is from the dogfish, Speckfisch is smoked grey shark and Vealfish is porbeagle shark.
• Get informed and educate yourself: Sharks are still associated with a lot of fear and terror. Numerous films propagate the image of the evil shark. The probability of being attacked by a The risk of being attacked by a shark is extremely low. You are even more likely to be struck by lightning.
• Speak up: There are always petitions against shark finning or fundraising campaigns. Do your part to protect our sharks.
• Make a visible statement with our Shark Allies Bracenet. Ghost nets are a threat to sharks!