#sharkprotectionsquad

[jawsomesharks]

What You Can Do For Sharks: A Guide for the Average Landlocked American

Quite a lot! Even if you don’t live by the sea, there is so much you can do to help protect sharks and in doing so, protect the oceans too! Here is my super helpful masterlist of things you can do to help theses amazing animals. 

 Stop providing a market for cosmetics that use shark based products. Tell your friends about it, and make sure to inquire if a product is ethically sourced. 

This is so obvious, but use as little plastic as possible. A nemesis of many ocean animals, plastic waste is also a bog contributing factor to reducing shark numbers. Sometimes sharks directly consume plastic while mistaking it for food but, more often than not, sharks eat other other animals that have ingested plastic. Like turtles!

EDUCATE. Both yourself and others. Having a solid understanding of sharks and their role in the ecosystem is integral to further spreading awareness. 

Stay jawsome! 

[jawsomesharks]

You Should... Probably Check the Ingredient List on Your Lipstick

While shark finning is the main reason shark populations are being mercilessly, worryingly depleted, it is not the only one. 

Sharks are used in a wealth of products and chances are, you and I have probably used some of them. Shark fins, livers, cartilage and skin are all used in various different products. The desired ingredient is squalene, an oil found in shark livers. While a few companies have shifted to a plant based, organic version of squalene, many still use it in their cosmetics. 

That’s not all. Shark and Ray skin is used in high fashion leather products and while people like you and me don’t commonly go around buying shark skin products, we know there is a market for it. A simple google search provides a whole homepage of sites advertising their high quality shark skin products, showing off how waterproof they are, their durability, etc. 

But now, there is a new demon. Remember Squalene? Turns out, it is a ‘key ingredient’ in a new COVID- 19 vaccine. It’s an unsustainable and highly risky path to take, and there is a petition to stop killing sharks for the vaccine! 

While our beloved sea puppies have a lot of threats looming over them, they are also recovering, bit by bit. In the next post, I’m going to talk about what we can do for our sharks and our oceans, no matter where we are. 

In the meantime, stay jawsome! 

[jawsomesharks]

There’s not many people to talk to while you’re in quarantine. But, the lucky few individuals with whom I have interacted with were all subjected to rigorous questioning about their knowledge on shark conservation. And of course I indulged in a little research online. This post is about the lesser known dangers that sharks face. 

One big misconception: Shark finning is the only problem sharks face. 

While shark finning is the main threat to sharks, it is by no means the only one. Shark finning is the one problem most scrutinized in the public eye and while it is not completely eradicated in the United States, it is a widely known problem and I am aiming to bring light to the lesser known issues. 

Bycatch: According to an article by Oceana, Dusky shark populations alone have reduced by 85%, solely due to bycatch and overfishing (Tripp, 2014).  Longlines, gillnets, hooking etc are all incredibly dangerous methods of fishing and pose serious threats to many shark species that accidentally get caught in them. Sharks that rely on swimming for their oxygen intake are particularly at risk, as they essentially get stuck in these nets and suffocate. However, there are several solutions! Modified nets and lines are often employed by fishermen. The problem is getting big industries to stop indiscriminately dragging huge nets across the ocean floor which kills not just sharks, but destroys valuable ecosystems too. Here is a petition to stop bottom trawling in New Zealand!  

In my next post I’m going to talk about why we should be really really worried about how quickly sharks are going extinct. 

Until then, stay Jawsome!