Discovery Channel: Shark Conservation

Honoring a Pioneer

It was a kick to watch the "Shark Doc," Samuel Gruber, on the Mythbusters program that opened this year's Shark Week while being with him at the annual meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society (AES) (www.elasmo.org). Founded by Dr. Gruber in 1983, the AES is the world's largest association of shark and ray scientists. The show featured Dr. Gruber's work on shark deterrents from the Bimini Biological Field Station.   Doc established this now world-famous "Shark Lab" (http://www6.miami.edu/sharklab/) in 1990, after successfully battling malignant lymphoma.  The next year he helped found and served as the first chair of the IUCN (http://cms.iucn.org) Shark Specialist Group.

When I heard he had recently retired from his professorship at the University of Miami, I had the idea to use this blog to commemorate the end of his illustrious career.  Then, in talking to him about it, I learned that he was re-hired in another capacity the very next day!   He will also continue to serve as director of the Bimini Shark Lab.  Countless sharks and shark scientists have benefited from this boundless energy, as well as Doc's unique teaching style and overall passion for sharks. 

Dr. Gruber is a recognized authority on shark science, having completed 49 Atlantic research cruises and 170 scientific publications.  He has specialized in shark behavior, anatomy, sensory systems and tracking.  Doc is perhaps best known for his studies on habitat selection and homing behavior of lemon sharks and eagle rays around the Bimini Shark Lab.  At the AES meeting, he told me about a young lemon shark they tagged there in 1996 that was recaptured as a pregnant adult this year and gave birth to 14 young while under their watch.  Lemon sharks tagged at Dr. Gruber's Shark Lab have been recaptured as far away as Panama City, Fla., offering insight into this species' conservation needs. 

In recent years, much of Dr. Gruber's energy has been spent fighting plans to develop key shark habitat in Bimini.   You can join the cause by visiting www.savebimini.org/ .  I was pleased to hear that this campaign is gaining momentum and that Doc is far from ending his inspiring work in shark research and conservation.

Photo: DCL

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Q&A With Sonja

Q: Regarding recent legislation passed here in the U.S. as well as legislative efforts abroad -- what measures are in place to ensure protection laws are enforced? Getting new laws passed to protect sharks and everything else in the oceans is a huge victory, but enforcing legislation is obviously key, particularly when one looks at commercial fishing operations in other parts of the world.

On a separate note, I think everyone working for the variety of shark and ocean conservation organizations is doing an outstanding job and I wish you all continued success in creating greater public awareness of the issues.
Posted by Kyuzo, July 25, 2008

A: You touch on a very serious issue in the fight to safeguard sharks.  Enforcement of existing regulations is indeed key to ensuring that hard-fought measures are effective in conserving sharks.  In the U.S., enforcement agents have taken shark species protection and the finning ban quite seriously, resulting in numerous busts and fines.  It was actually a seizure of a large load of fresh shark fins without bodies in the Pacific that led to measures in a recent House of Representatives bill aimed at tightening finning regulations.  A court ruled against the government in the case, because the law applies only to fins on fishing vessels and the boat in question was not geared for fishing.  As a result, the "Shark Conservation Act of 2008" (see earlier blog entry on finning regulations) aims to broaden the application of the finning rules beyond just fishing vessels in order to improve enforcement of the ban.  Action in the Senate is still needed.

In other parts of the world, enforcement of all types of fishing regulations is lacking.  There are many conservation organizations, from the global World Wildlife Fund (www.wwf.org) and Conservation International (www.conservation.org) to countless regional, community groups around the world working for local solutions to this problem; they would welcome your support.   U.S. residents can also help by letting the U.S. Department of State know that you think enforcement of fisheries regulations should be a priority issue for the U.S. at international fisheries meetings and as part of international aid programs.

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Preventing Doom for Devil Rays

This week, the annual meeting of the world’s largest shark science society (www.elasmo.org) featured a two-day symposium on the most beloved, close relatives of the sharks: the devil rays (including the huge and graceful mantas).   Presenters came from all over the world; most stressed the exceptional vulnerability of these increasingly valuable species. 

An Italian scientist highlighted the problem of entanglement of giant devil rays in illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean.  A Hawaii-based researcher reported that manta rays may produce only one pup every one to three years.  Mantas are not (yet) fished off Hawaii; conservationists and scientists are working to secure state protection for the species (see www.mantapacific.org).  An expert from the Maldives explained that an export ban, low local demand and lack of net fishing allow the thousands of mantas found in his islands to thrive.  He estimates direct revenue from manta-based ecotourism in the Maldives at $9.3 million.  A Brazilian scientist reported that, in her region, devil-ray tails are being dried and used as whips for cattle. 

The most troubling reports came from Indonesia, where devil rays are becoming increasingly valuable for their "gill rakers" (finger-like projections of the gills that help filter-feeding animals retain food), which are exported to Asia for use in Chinese medicine.  Devil rays caught accidentally by gillnet fishermen targeting tuna are now almost always kept.  Meat is dried and salted for human consumption, while ray cartilage is used as a filler for shark fin soup.

Demand for gill rakers has also sparked unsustainable ray fisheries off Mexico and the Philippines.   In 2004, devil rays were identified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (www.cites.org) as a group associated with significant unregulated, unsustainable fishing pressures and severe population depletion.   

The symposium concluded with a discussion group of international experts from Brazil to Bora Bora, who set up a process for working together to secure protection for manta and other devil rays at several levels in regions all over the world.  Participants pledged to convene another symposium within three years, at which point they hope to report on much progress in conserving these magnificent animals.

PHOTO: A manta ray swims off the coast of French Polynesia.  Photo by David Doubilet/National Geographic/Getty Images

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Q&A With Sonja

Q: My favorite shark has to be the shortfin mako. It is my understanding that they are the fastest fish in the ocean. How fast can they really swim? I love their sleek torpedo-shaped bodies, obviously made for the speed they are known for. Aren't they also able to make their body temperatures rise for efficiency while swimming in cold water?
Posted by Bob Smyth, July 25, 2008

A: Makos are remarkable for several reasons, including their ability to elevate their body temperature, making them somewhat "warm-blooded".  The shortfin mako shark is also the world’s fastest shark, capable of zipping around at up to 30 miles per hour.  This species holds the speed record for long distance travel:  1320 miles in 37 days, an average of 36 miles per day.  Shortfin makos are also among the world’s most economically valuable sharks and as such are being heavily fished.  They are favorites among anglers for their tendency to leap out of the water and their meat is also highly valued.  As is the case for many sharks, mako fins are in high demand for the Asian delicacy, "shark fin soup."  Shortfin mako sharks now make up a significant proportion of the catch of the widespread Spanish longline fleet.

Makos are found throughout the world’s temperate and tropical waters.  IUCN recently declared mako sharks "globally vulnerable" to extinction.  Scientists will review the status of the Atlantic shortfin mako population in September and produce advice for the international Atlantic tuna commission to consider at their annual meeting in November.  You can help by downloading and sending in the Sherman’s Lagoon shark cartoon (see "Safeguarding Oceanic Sharks" entry on this blog ) which urges U.S. fishery managers to propose the first international catch limits for wide-ranging, overfished shark species, such as makos.

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Mistaken Identity

It's summer again, and with temperatures rising, so are the questions about shark "attacks."  While these incidents are traumatic for the victims and their families, the odds of being bitten by a shark are still exceedingly rare.  Reminders of the overall statistics can help us keep things in perspective.  The best source for this type of information is the International Shark Attack File (ISAF).  I happen to be at a meeting in Montreal with ISAF’s director, George Burgess. 

On Saturday, Burgess informed a group of scientists of the shark attack totals for this year, so far: there have been 37 unprovoked shark bites around the world; four of these were fatal.  Nineteen of these incidents (including one fatality) occurred in the U.S. 

According to ISAF, there were 71 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide in 2007; only one of the victims died, marking a 20-year low in fatalities from shark bites.  The mean number of annual deaths from unprovoked incidents from 2000 to 2007 was 5.0.  Just a few of the 400-plus shark species are implicated in the most serious attacks: they are usually tiger, bull or white sharks.  About half the world's shark attacks occur in U.S. waters, with one-third happening in Florida.

It is important to stress that humans are not part of any shark’s natural diet and attacks are usually the result of mistaken identity.  As leading shark researcher Dr. Chris Lowe said a few years ago in USA Today, "If sharks were intent on people for food, Waikiki would be a buffet."

Overall, the number of shark-human interactions is generally trending upward and is correlated to the amount of time humans spend in the sea.  As the human population and people’s interest in aquatic recreation grow, experts expect the number of shark interactions to increase.

George Burgess says, "It’s spectacular that hundreds of millions of people worldwide are spending hundreds of millions of hours in the ocean, doing things that are provocative to sharks, such as surfing, and yet there are so few deaths from shark attack.  The danger of a shark attack stays in the forefront of our psyches, but in reality the chances of dying from one are infinitesimal."

To learn more about sharks, shark attack, and the ISAF, visit the Florida Museum of Natural History's shark research web site.

PHOTO: David Doubilet/National Geographic/Getty Images

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Q&A With Sonja

Q: My favorite shark is the zebra shark. While at a SeaWorld camp, I was privileged to do a shark interaction with this amazing species. I went on a manatee expedition with Ocean Conservancy in February and was wondering if there was an opportunity to attend a shark expedition. I am very interested in sharks and would like to know of ways to help with their conservation. Thank you for your time, Michelle.
Posted by michelle, July 25, 2008

A: Thanks very much for your interest in sharks and support of Ocean Conservancy.   I'm sorry that at the moment we have no plans for expeditions involving sharks, but it's a fine idea; we'll be sure to give it some thought.

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Climate Change Equals Ocean Change

Climate change has emerged as the greatest environmental problem of our time, and the oceans are among the first victims.   Entire marine ecosystems are threatened by increasing temperatures, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and unprecedented changes in the distribution and abundance of sea life.

The effects of climate change on shark populations are difficult to predict in a specific way. Generally, we expect that some species will start showing up in places they didn't before (as they seek their preferred water temperature), and that the impact will be greatest for the shark species with restricted ranges and those that depend on special near-shore habitats, such as mangroves.

The disturbing effects of climate change are expected to intensify over time, unless we act now to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that the public recognizes this issue as our primary environmental challenge, and experts are working like never before on practical, cost-effective solutions.  Some governors and mayors are implementing solutions close to home, but leadership is still lacking at the national level, and drilling offshore and in the Arctic is certainly not the answer. You can help by urging your representatives in Congress to support legislation to curb carbon dioxide emissions and help move us away from drilling to faster, safer and cheaper solutions for our energy needs. Visit www.saveourenvironment.org to learn more and help.

PHOTO: Caribbean reef sharks cruise around a Bahamian reef. Credits: Brian Skerry/National Geographic/Getty Images

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Saving the Sand Sharks

I can remember being a kid on holiday at the Delaware beaches and asking about the sharks that fishermen would catch from the shore.  "That’s just a sand shark," I’d often hear.  Turns out that this generic term is used to describe a lot of different kinds of sharks, usually types of dogfish.  Today, the two main types of Atlantic dogfish – spiny and smooth – may still be disrespected, but are now of commercial value.  One has been seriously overfished, while the other could support a sustainable, commercial fishery (a rare thing for sharks), if restrictions come soon. 

Spiny dogfish are exceptionally slow-growing sharks whose meat is in demand for British fish and chips and German beer garden snacks.  Spiny dogfish females don’t reproduce until their teen years and then produce only about six young after a pregnancy of two years (!).  Ten years of unregulated fishing for pregnant females (because they grow larger and fetch higher prices than males) off the New England and Mid-Atlantic coast resulted in serious population damage that is now under repair through strict fishing limits.  European demand for dogfish remains strong, and fishing industry pressure to relax conservation measures for this underappreciated shark has never been higher.  In fact, Atlantic state limits still greatly exceed the levels advised by scientists.

At the same time, fisheries for smooth dogfish off the Mid-Atlantic region are growing.  This species is actually not really a dogfish but a "smoothhound," which grows quite rapidly for a shark.  Because they have a relatively high reproductive rate, smooth dogfish have the potential to support fisheries, if managed carefully.  At the moment, however, they’re the only commercially fished shark in the U.S. Atlantic that is not subject to fishing limits.  The good news is that there is support for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to begin regulating the smooth dogfish fishery.  This body will need to do a better job of following scientific advice than it has with the spiny dogfish to ensure a healthy future for the smooth dogfish and related fisheries.  You can help by writing to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (www.asmfc.org) and asking them to "do right by dogfish."

Photo: Spiny Dogfish, Getty Images

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Weird & Wonderful: Greenland Sharks

I was thrilled to see a new Dirty Jobs episode in this year's Discovery Shark Week lineup featuring one of my favorite cartilaginous fish, the Greenland shark. 

This mysterious species of cold, North Atlantic and Arctic waters is among the world's largest sharks.  Although Greenland sharks appear slow, are important predators in the marine ecosystem, feeding on a variety of fish and invertebrates, as well as seals and porpoises.  There are even reports of them snatching caribou from the edge of the ice!   

Although they are not the target of commercial fisheries, there are reasons to be concerned about Greenland sharks. Studies suggest this species grows especially slowly, at a rate of just 1 centimeter per year, and give birth to 10 or fewer pups per brood.   Greenland sharks tend to congregate around fishing operations and are often killed incidentally as "bycatch."   Although their meat is toxic and unpalatable to most, consuming it after rotting it underground is traditional in Iceland.  Recently, targeted, recreational fishing for Greenland sharks has emerged as a hot, new, extreme sport in the region.  Greenland sharks are also taken occasionally for their leather, liver oil and/or jaws.  Despite these pressures, there are no fishing limits or management programs in place to guard against overfishing of Greenland sharks.  The international fisheries body that governs fishing in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean has however highlighted them as a species for which more data are particularly needed. 

The Dirty Jobs episode will showcase the people who are enduring extreme conditions to collect that valuable information needed to conserve Greenland sharks.  Dr. Steve Campana, a shark specialist from Canada, was part of the featured expedition and offered me this wonderfully descriptive account:

"Two weeks of camping on the sea ice 20 km from shore, with the constant threat of the ice breaking up and us floating away.  Nothing to see but snow and ice in all directions.  Nights in a sleeping bag in an unheated shack at -25 deg C.  Frozen feet and hands while working.  A single burner Coleman stove for cooking.  And lots of Greenland sharks.  This is dream science:  the science I dreamed of doing as a kid.  It doesn't get any better than that!"

Catch the Greenland shark episode of Dirty Jobs on Tuesday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. 

PHOTO: Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe with a greenland shark caught during production of the Shark Week 2008 episode of Dirty Jobs. (Photo by DCL)

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Sonja Answers Your Questions

Q: How can I get involved and help shark conservation?
- Posted by Spencer, July 22, 2008

I have been a shark enthusiast since I was a little girl. I have been studying them for a long time. What can I do to get involved in helping save them?
- Posted by basketshark78, July 22, 2008

A: Thanks for your concern and willingness to act.  Support from people like you represents sharks' best hope for a brighter future.  The sad fact that so many sharks and closely related rays are overfished and underprotected around the world means that there are opportunities to educate and influence governments at all levels in all regions of the globe.   If you live on the U.S. coast, you can contact your governor and encourage a more precautionary approach to shark fisheries management.  In most countries, you can write to the national government officials responsible for shark conservation (usually fisheries and environment ministers; the secretary of commerce in the U.S.) and urge them to elevate the priority of shark conservation in national waters and internationally.  Of course, your senators and representatives can also do a lot for sharks.  For instance, have a look at the finning blog entry for details on helping move anti-finning legislation through the U.S. Senate.  Thanks again for your help.

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Safeguarding Oceanic Sharks

If you're tuned in to shark news, you may have noticed a lot of media coverage lately about the depletion of the world's wide-ranging, oceanic sharks.  Scientists are discovering and reporting that these fastest and sleekest of sharks can't out-swim today's fishing fleets.  In fact, according to the IUCN, this group of sharks has a particularly high percentage (about half) of species classified as threatened with extinction.  In the first study of its kind, the experts found that sharks like the thresher and shortfin mako are at risk due to targeted fishing for valuable fins and meat, as well as indirect "bycatch" in other fisheries.  Despite mounting evidence of decline and increasing threats to these species, there are no international catch limits for oceanic sharks.

To address this inadequacy, Ocean Conservancy teamed up with Sherman's Lagoon cartoonist, Jim Toomey, to encourage the U.S. government to propose the first international catch limits for sharks at upcoming fisheries meetings.  Jim created a special Sherman (the shark) postcard with a place for kids (or people like us) to draw their favorite shark; the card is pre-addressed with a conservation message for the head of the Fisheries Service.  You can help by sending in your Sherman postcard!  Just download it from the Ocean Conservancy's website.

PHOTO: Sherman's Lagoon postcard drawn by cartoonist Jim Toomey.

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Sonja Answers Your Questions

Q: Did you go to Greenland with the Dirty Jobs crew as a consultant?  Thanks for writing this blog. I love sharks
- Posted by Cherry, July 23, 2008

A: I did not get to go to Greenland, but I will be blogging about Greenland sharks and the potential threats they face in the coming days, so stay tuned!

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Playing Favorites

Today I'm discussing my favorite sharks, and yours, too.

There has been a lot of media coverage lately about one of the world's most popular sharks: the great white.   We're hearing false reports of white sharks in Australian lakes and off Martha's Vineyard, while researchers in other parts of Massachusetts and off Monterey, Calif., head to the coast to investigate confirmed reports of captured young white sharks -- both dead and alive.   This remarkable species clearly invokes both fear and fascination in people.  The fascination -- and the fact that white sharks are naturally rare and therefore vulnerable -- have combined to support exceptionally strong conservation action for the species.  In fact, white sharks are among the most protected sharks in the world, as well as the favorite species of many a shark enthusiast.

White sharks fascinate me too, but I have a real soft spot for sharks (and related rays) that are perhaps less charismatic yet still highly worthy of conservation, such as the beleaguered spiny dogfish and oft-overlooked thorny skates.  I'm partial to some big, exciting species too --  like the enormous basking shark, the mysterious Greenland shark and all kinds of wacky-looking sawfish.   

So, what about you?  What shark gets your interest?  I welcome your posts about your favorite species of shark or ray and any questions you have on their conservation status.

PHOTO: Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), Falmouth Bay off Cornwall, England. (Photo by Mark Webster / Getty Images)

 Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

New Shark Conservation Rules Take Effect

Today, new shark fishing rules, developed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, take effect in the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.  The long-awaited measures include significant cuts in commercial fishing quotas for some of the region's most seriously overfished shark species, such as sandbar and porbeagle sharks.  These species are in demand for not only their fins, but also for their high-quality meat.   Scientists estimate that these populations will need 70-100 years (respectively) of low fishing pressure to recover from their current depleted state.   It is not yet clear if the Atlantic dusky shark – another seriously overfished species for which fishing was prohibited in the late 1990s – is making significant progress in its estimated 100- to 400-year recovery.

As mentioned yesterday, today is also the first day under a stronger Atlantic and Gulf shark finning ban; fishermen in this region are now required to bring sharks to the dock with their fins still attached, to ensure none were finned.   The sharks most likely to fall victim to shark finning, in the U.S. and around the world, are usually species with good-value fins, but low-value meat (such as hammerhead and blue sharks).

The new U.S. Atlantic rules hold lessons for other shark fishing countries: that the fins-attached strategy for ending shark finning is a measure whose time has come, and that mismanagement of shark fisheries can take many decades to repair.   Conservationists are urging governments in other parts of the world, particularly Europe, to take notice.

PHOTO: A sandbar shark. (Photo by George Grall/ National Geographic/ Getty Images )

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

Progress in the Battle to End Shark Finning

No shark conservation blog is complete without a discussion of what's being done to stop shark "finning" -- the wasteful and indefensible practice of slicing off a shark's fins and discarding the body back to the sea.  Shark fins are in high demand for "shark fin soup," which is considered a status symbol in Asia.  Shark finning has been banned by many (still not most) fishing nations and by most international fisheries bodies, but the means used to enforce the bans vary widely.   Ocean Conservancy has been working with groups like the Pew Environment Group (www.pewtrusts.org) and the Humane Society (www.hsus.org) to strengthen U.S rules on shark finning. 

Most shark scientists and conservationists agree that the best way to ensure an end to finning is to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea.  This "fins-attached" strategy takes the guesswork out of enforcement and can help in identification of species caught.  Costa Rica has been a champion of this method, thanks in large part to the conservation group Pretoma (www.tortugamarina.org).  Most finning bans, however, are still enforced through a complicated fin to body weight ratio. 

The "fins-attached" strategy is now at last gaining momentum.  It was encouraged by the United Nations last fall and will take effect for U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico fisheries on July 24.   Over the last few months, thanks to Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, the U.S. House of Representatives developed and adopted a bill to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea, close other loopholes in the national finning law, and encourage shark conservation in other countries.  For the bill to become law, the Senate needs to take similar action.  You can help by contacting your senator and expressing your support for a stronger U.S. finning ban.  With improved national legislation, the U.S. will be well positioned to press for stronger finning bans and shark conservation programs around the world.

PHOTO: Fisherman holding knife and dorsal fin from hammerhead shark. (Photo by Jeff Rotman/ Getty Images )

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.