Shark Focus

CAMPAIGN CORNERShark sighted and reported, Kuredu, Maldives. © Andrew Stansfield.The biggest ever splash sent ripples across Europe from the 10th to 18th ofOctober, as people united in celebration of European Shark Week 2009!An exciting array of events and activities ensuredan action packed week and demonstrated a deepcommitment by all those involved in helping tospread the word about shark conservation. In the UK;enthusiastic eggcase hunters searched the shores ofSussex; a group of artists plunged into the mysteriousdepths of our oceans to give us ‘Metamarine’, anart exhibition held in Bristol; a giant shark drawingmaterialised in Hull and participants in Scotland werethrilled as they came face to face with baby sharks andrays. There were shark quizzes, talks and trails, feedingdemonstrations, shark art and competitions, as well asthe opportunity to sign this year’s European Shark Weekpetition to call on Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero tohelp improve European shark finning legislation.HousekeepingThe last 3 months have shown that the recession is noteasing yet and the “green shoots of recovery” are notas visible as the chancellor would like us to believe.Everyone is being very careful with their finances anddonations to charities have dropped. According tofigures released by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)last week, “all charities are seeing a drop in income andif you donate directly to your charity, by far the mostimportant thing to do is select the Gift Aid option”.In light of the report I thought I would remind you aboutGift Aid. It is one of the easiest ways to increase yourdonations, yet the report shows “£750m worth of GiftAid goes unclaimed every year”. Gift Aid allows theShark Trust to reclaim the basic rate of tax on anymoney we receive from you. So a donation of £10using Gift Aid is actually worth £12.50 to us. Also, theGovernment has stepped in to allow extra relief of 3.2pper pound until 2011, meaning the charity receives anextra 28.2p in the pound. Contact the office for a form.Shark Trust support stretched way beyond the UK withCamel Divers in Egypt running activities including a sharkfact pub quiz. Over on Kuredu Island in the Maldives,Prodivers staff and guests launched Shark and Ray weekwith island wide activities, speciality shark dives andtraining courses.Tens of thousands of supporters across Europe havesigned the Shark Alliance petition, with over 8800signatures and counting on the Shark Trust websitealone. It’s not too late to add your signature!There’s still a chance for you to get involved and join usin celebrating European Shark Week! We have a range ofexciting resources available online, including an e-cardthat you can send to your friends, a thought provokingWe depend on regular income to support the work andprojects of the charity, so your ongoing generosity hasnever been so important to us, and everyone involvedwith the Shark Trust sends a very big thank you to all.In the build up to the festive season do take a look inthe web shop, we have lots of gifts to suit all pockets,and whilst picking up a bargain you are helping sharkconservation. Alternatively gift someone a membershipor an adoption, or make a donation on their behalf.Thank you all again for your continued support and Ilook forward to being able to report in the spring that notonly are there visible green shoots, but possibly lots ofleaves and maybe the odd flower.Sharon Green, Rich Hurst, Al Reeve, Hannah Tarrant© Shark Trust.animation on shark finning and a selection of fourwallpapers for your computer.It’s also never too early to start planning an eventfor European Shark Week 2010! For some inspirationalideas and to check out images from events that tookplace this year why not get online and view the EuropeanShark Week 2009 slideshow.We would like to say a massive thank you to all thoseaquariums, dive clubs, conservation organisations andindividuals who have contributed and made a differencethis year.www.sharktrust.org/eswGlenys HeafieldFinancial Administrator/Company SecretarySupporting the European Elasmobranch AssociationThe Shark Trust4 Creykes Court, The Millfields, Stonehouse,Plymouth PL1 3JBTel: (+44) (0)1752 672008/672020 Fax: (+44) (0)1752 672008Email: enquiries@sharktrust.orgWebsite: http://www.sharktrust.orgShark FocusIssue 36 November‐ 2009Features4 The Artisanal Shark Fishery of Southwest Madagascar12 Sharks in Focus 200914 White Shark Predation on Seals16 Elasmobranchs and the UK Biodiversity Action PlanRegulars6 Shark Hardtalk - Paul Watson8 Shark Trust and World Shark News9 Policy Page - UK Acts to End Shark Finning!10 Member’s Page11 Sponsored Events18 Junior Shark Fans19 Shark Trust Forum and Website informationEdited by the Shark Trust.Dispatch assisted by Telebizz. ©Shark Trust 2009Shark Focus is published three times a year in March, July and November. Copydate for the next issue is 31st January 2010. Shark Focus is copyrighted andtherefore those wishing to reproduce articles must first contact the Shark Trust. Theviews and opinions expressed by the authors in Shark Focus are not necessarilythose of the Shark Trust.Established in 1997, the Shark Trust works to advance the worldwideconservation of sharks through science, education, influence andaction. The Trust is the UK member of the European ElasmobranchAssociation and currently provides the EEA’s secretariat services.Trustee/Directors: Richard Peirce (Chair), Grant Bates, George Bowser,Roger Covey, Paul Cox, Sarah Fowler OBE, Heather Koldeway,John Nightingale, Brian Phillips and Christopher Pringle.Patrons: Nick Baker, John Boyle, Leonard Compagno,Marc Dando, Bob Earll, Bernard Eaton, Ian Fergusson, Mariella Frostrup,Loyd Grossman, John Gummer MP, Monty Halls, Martha Holmes, Kate Humble,Sir David Jason OBE, Simon Rogerson, Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch,Michaela Strachan and Ron and Valerie TaylorRegistered Company No. 3396164. Registered Charity No. 1064185.The Shark Trust is supported by: the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation,the Pew Foundation, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England,Defra, MFA,Fondation Ensemble, Environment Wales, Heritage Lottery Fund & Project Aware.Design: Fluke Art. www.flukeart.comBlacktip Reef Shark. © Alec Connah. Inset pic: Young Scalloped Hammerheads.© Fran Humber.EDITORIALAt the moment I’m late for all my writing deadlines. Being late for thisone means I can report on the Trust’s success at the end of October’sBirmingham Dive Show. It was one of our best yet with several thousandpounds being raised, this was entirely due to the energy of our staff andvolunteers, and the support and generosity of donors. This is not the place tolist you all, but you know who you are – thank you all very much. There’s noharm in repeating that it’s your support that enables our work to continue.2009 has been a year of great progress with important steps and legislationin shark fisheries management and conservation. In September thegovernment of Palau declared their whole EEZ closed to any shark fishing.In the Adriatic, Croatia took a European lead by passing really wide-ranginglaws protecting twenty-three elasmobranchs.On October the 12th many years of Shark Trust advocacy for the cessationof Special Fishing Permits (SFP’s) came to a successful conclusion withthe UK’s announcement that the provision of these permits will cease. Thismeans an effective end to “finning” as sharks will now have to be landedwith their fins naturally attached. The spotlight now remains on Spain andPortugal, because if they follow the UK this will bring about an effective EUfinning ban.The Diver Magazine/Shark Trust “Sharks in Focus” competition attracted340 entries from 26 countries, thank you to all our sponsors and entrants.The winning images are featured in the calendar which is available to allTrust members (see the back cover of this magazine).Everyone at the Trust and all the volunteers and supporters who know himare sorry to see that Al Reeve has decided to move on. He’ll soon be on aplane to Australia which, at this stage of a British winter, looks like a smartmove. I know you all join me in wishing Al all the luck in the world.John Richardson is Al’s replacement and he has settled in well and isalready making his mark, as has Hannah Tarrant who took over from NickSteel at the end of August.Our shop has got more to sell than ever before including some wonderfulstocking fillers and many other items for shark enthusiasts.Thank you all for your support during 2009.Richard PeirceChairman2 www.sharktrust.org/campaigns Shark Focus 36 Shark Focus 36 www.sharktrust.org 3

The Artisanal Shark Fisheryof Southwest Madagascar1Andavadaoaka2COMOROSToliara0 100 200kilometresAntananarivoThe indigenous Vezo populationof southwest Madagascar isreliant on coastal resources forfood and income. Blue Ventures’research site has been basedin Andavadoaka in the Toliaraprovince since 2003, a remotevillage 150 km north of Toliaraand 45 km south of Morombe.The Toliara region supportsMadagascar’s largest traditionalfishery, with over 20,000 fishersoperating in the province.¨IndianOceanby AuthorJob title.The Madagascan Shark Fin TradeAs the price and demand for shark fin has increased overthe last two decades, there has been a resultant increase inthe shark fishery in Madagascar. In 1987, recorded exportsof shark fin from Madagascar were just 3000 kg but by1992, they were almost 50 metric tons. Exports have sincefluctuated between 20 and 40 metric tons per year.The number of sharks taken by the local fisheries remainsunquantified due to the fact that there are numerous smallscaleartisanal fisheries located throughout Madagascar.Previous research on the artisanal fisheries of northwestMadagascar, carried out in 2000 by Earthwatch, highlighteda decline in shark numbers and the collapse of the localfishery.Job title.by AuthorIn October 2006 Blue Ventures initiated the first phase of ashark research and conservation programme in the regionof Andavadoaka, southwest Madagascar. This researchinitially monitored the status of shark fisheries in 11villages stretching 40 km northwards to Morombe. Afterthe success of the first monitoring programme, a secondmonitoring programme was started in May 2008 in the regionsurrounding the town of Morondava, approximately 200 kmnorth of Morombe, to incorporate important offshore islandswhere shark fishing is prevalent.The monitoring programme trains and employs local“sous-collecteurs” (data collectors) in each village.The sous-collecteurs are given measuring tapes andnotebooks to record biological and socioeconomic data foreach shark landed, along with digital cameras to create aphotographic log of the animals. The photos also aid speciesidentification that is complicated by the highly varieduse of local names. The project also monitors the sharkfin ‘middlemen’ (members of the community buying finsfrom the fishers and selling them to the Asian fin tradersin the larger towns and cities) in the region and recordthe number and quality of fins they collect, along withtheir village of origin.3by Fran Humberby AuthorJob title.The Recording ProjectThe aim of the project is to quantify the extent of theartisanal shark fishery and its economic importancewithin the region. It also aims to highlight the effectof the annual migrations of Vezo fishers along thesouthwest coastline, traditionally during the monthsof May to December. The Vezo fishers of Madagascarhave had a long tradition of migrating, which acted asa precaution to overfishing resources, and are widelyseen to be a semi-nomadic people. However rapidpopulation growth, widespread degradation of coral reefsand related marine ecosystems and the relatively recentarrival of external commercial markets have drasticallychanged the characteristics of migration. The strongdemand for shark fin has acted as a powerful driver formany migrant fishermen and the number of migrantstravelling longer distances to target shark-rich watershas increased dramatically in the last five years. A studyearlier this year on the Vezo migration by Blue Ventures’Garth Cripps revealed that the primary activity formigratory fishers is now shark and sea cucumber fishing.The project has already recorded nearly 6000 individualshark catches and includes members of approximately25 species. Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks (AkioViko) account for around 40% of the landed sharksrecorded. Data recorded by shark fin middlemen reveala potentially even greater shark fishery than currentlyreported by national export figures, with some middlemenemploying a group of assistants that sail from villageto village buying fins as they go. The scale of fins thesecollection trips can bring back were largely unexpected,with estimates from one trip at 6000 fins.The future of shark populations within this region are ofgrave concern. Whilst fin exports remain dangerouslyhigh there is little doubt in the fisher’s mind that sharkpopulations have declined in the region. Anecdotalreports reveal that fishers were once able to land largesharks in the lagoons directly in front of their villagesbut now they must lay their nets in the deeper watersof the Mozambique Channel, 5 - 20 km offshore, toland sharks. As with other fisheries in the region, theintroduction of new fishing materials, adapted to newuses by the Vezo, has helped to increase the efficiencywith which marine resources have been removed fromthe seas.No legislation currently exists to regulate shark fisheries, andfishing continues unreported and unregulated. However, futuremanagement measures must be appropriate. In a region wherethe average daily wage is less than $2/day and a kilogram offins can sell for between $20 and $80, we cannot expect fishersto adhere to purely conservation motives for reducing fishingeffort. Blue Ventures is aiming to reduce the impact on the localshark fishery not only through increased awareness in sharkconservation but also through the development of alternativesustainable livelihoods as part of a regional network of marineprotected areas.5by AuthorJob title.6Images:1) Vezo fisher on Mananja Island, Barren Isles,with shark meat drying in the background.Whilst the fins are the main impetus to catchsharks, the Vezo will consume the shark meatand use the liver to provide oil for cooking.© Garth Cripps.2) Map of Madagascar and study region.© www.flukeart.com.3) An estimated 6000 fins were collected on atrip by an assistant of the shark fin middlemanfrom Morondava. © Fran Humber.4) Local sous-collectors take photos of theircatch before they record the data.© Fran Humber.5) Vezo fisher on Mananja Island, Barren Isles,salting fins to preserve them to sell later on.© Garth Cripps.6) Bull shark caught in Bemakoba, north ofMorondava, brought back to shore in the localfishing boat (pirogue). © Garth Cripps.Fran Humber is the ResearchCoordinator at Blue Ventureswww.blueventures.org. She isalso currently studying for a PhDon the shark and turtle fisheries insouthwest Madagascar with theMarine Turtle Research Group atthe University of Exeterwww.seaturtle.org/mtrg. by AuthorJob title.44 www.sharktrust.org/campaigns Shark Focus 36 Shark Focus 36 www.sharktrust.org/campaigns 5

SharkhardtalkBy Richard PeirceInterview withPaul WatsonPaul Watson is the founder of the SeaShepherd Conservation Society, asometime controversial group which aimsto protect marine wildlife through directaction and sometimes confrontation.Paul Watson. © Wikimedia.The full version of the Paul Watson interview hasbeen posted in the members section of the websiteand will move into the public area in January.RP Paul, thank you for this interview.PW My pleasure.RP How long has Sea Shepherd been going, whydid you start it, what did you hope to achieve?PW I started Sea Shepherd Conservation Societyin 1977 after leaving Greenpeace. I got fed up withprotesting so I wanted to set up an organisationto uphold international conservation laws. SeaShepherd is an interventionist organisation goingafter illegal activities.RP What has Sea Shepherd achieved?PW We have been able to get results by shuttingdown pirate whaling operations around the world.Stopping seal hunts and interfering with illegalfishing. We have been in partnership with the rangersof the Galápagos to protect the National Park. Wehave intercepted and arrested dozens of poachers,so I think it has been very effective over the yearsand getting more effective.RP Paul, you say arrested. I am no internationallaw expert, how do you arrest someone if you are nota government?PW In the Galapagos we work in partnership withthe Ecuadorian federal police and the Galápagospark rangers. We have our own canine unit, andactually raid shark finning operations in partnershipwith the police.RP In the middle of the high seas the Shark Trustrecognises sharks have no protection, so how dowe classify an activity going on in the middle of anocean as illegal?PW We have all the international laws, treatiesand regulations we need to protect wildlife andhabitats in the ocean, the problem is that theseregulations are not being enforced. There is a lackof political or economic will to uphold them, that’swhere we come in. We may be vigilantes but we areintervening where there are established rules andregulations. We are powered to intervene by theUnited Nations World Charter for Nature which allowsnon-government organisations and even individualsto intervene to uphold these laws.RP So Sea Shepherd has a role because of thefailure of governments to do what they should bedoing?PW Yeah, if the governments were doing their job wewouldn’t have to be doing what we are doing.RP Say the U.N. had a Navy which was enforcingsome of these international regulations and theselaws and agreements, then would Sea Shepherdhang up its hat?PW If there was an international body that wasupholding these regulations then there wouldn’t be aneed for what we are doing.RP I’ve watched the film Sharkwater, one of thethings that impressed me was what I thought wasvery good investigative journalism in Costa Rica.Also in the same film were sequences showing theguys out in these pathetic little leaky longlinerscatching sharks. The question here is would SeaShepherd be better off going after the big fat catsashore, smoking their cigars, protected by theirmachine gun toting bodyguards, or chasing the littleguys at sea who couldn’t exist without the big guys?PW Well there’s something to be said about that,but it comes down to practicality. Where do youintervene? In Ecuador we do go ashore, we do smashdown doors and enter places and seize contrabandshark fins, we do arrest the big guys. I don’t care ifthey are pathetic little boats with poor fishermen,the fact is that they are inside the boundaries ofNational Parks and Marine Sanctuaries and thereis no excuse, including poverty, for being in thoseareas.RP So in Ecuador arresting people on land meansthat the Ecuador government approved. Why didn’ttheir own police do it?PW That’s a good question. The police plead thatthey don’t have the resources, for instance wefinance the entire Galápagos canine unit, we’veprovided the patrol boat, we help fund a surveillancebarge. In Costa Rica we provided the Cocobarinrangers with their rifles and equipment, evengenerators and small boats.RP Let’s just clarify that. You said ‘provided theguns’, I am sure Sea Shepherd don’t want to beseen as gun runners so I guess you provided thefunding?PW No, we bought them the rifles.RP What would you like your legacy to be? Howwould you like to be remembered?PW Well I think that what I am most satisfied andhappy with are the results we obtained. For instancethis year our intervention against Japanese whalingin Antarctica saved 305 whales from being killed, 500whales the year before, and 500 the year before that,these are real tangible results. That’s what gives methe most satisfaction.RP Was it 305 whales, from where does that come,is that an estimate or is that what the Japanesewould have caught had they been unmolested?PW Out of the Japanese quota, that is the numberthey didn’t take. The Japanese came back and said‘we fell short on our quota by 305 which we couldhave got if it wasn’t for Sea Shepherd’s intervention’.RP In the film Whale Wars a Greenpeacespokesperson claims that your [Sea Shepherd’s]boarding of the Japanese ship put their work back.How do you respond to that?PW Well I don’t know how it’s going to put theirwork back – they weren’t there. I think it might beputting their profits back. Greenpeace raises aboutUS$30 million a year to intervene against whaling,but don’t do it. Greenpeace is just another whalingorganisation, they are in the business of makingmoney off whales, that is why I left them and theyare our biggest critics, they disagree with what weare doing. I don’t really care, my clients are whalesnot people.RP I phrased that question badly. What Greenpeaceclaimed was that they are already in discussionwith the Japanese, and that the Japanese gotannoyed over your intervention and so it put thosediscussions back.PW Well it doesn’t matter. Greenpeace have beenin discussions with the Japanese since 1972 and ithasn’t done much.RP Is Paul Watson a qualified captain or not?PW Well I think after 300 voyages I’m certainlya qualified captain. I’ve taken more voyages tothe Southern Ocean than Scott, Amundsen andShackleton combined and never had a single mishap,never lost any crew members, never had any crewmembers injured and I’ve gone through all sortsof weather. Now do I have a captain’s certificate,a commercial certificate, absolutely not. And thereason I don’t have that is that if I had one theywould take it away from me. As for training, I wastrained at the Norwegian/Swedish merchant marine,at the Canadian coastguard, I was first officer onall of the original Greenpeace voyages, and I’ve gota hell of a lot more experience than your averagecaptain. So what does that actually mean, are youa qualified captain? I think that by experience andby ability yes I am. Do I have a silly little piece ofpaper from some government saying that I am, no Idon’t. I find it ludicrous that some skipper of some60ft pisspot sailing boat off Newfoundland who hasnever been more than 100 miles offshore, actuallyquestions my competency.RP You mentioned you hadn’t lost anybody andyou hadn’t had anybody injured, yet what you dois by definition sometimes bound to be hazardous,do your volunteers absolve Sea Shepherd from anyresponsibility for their safety?PW They sign a waiver, but I also ask everycrewmember, are you ready to risk your life to savea whale, are you ready to die for a whale, and ifthey say no then I don’t want them. When peoplesay that’s asking an awful lot, I say “well I don’tsee how it’s any different than joining the army andfighting for real estate, I think it’s a far more nobleendeavour to risk your life to protect a whale ormarine habitat than it is to protect some Sheikh’s oilwell in Iraq”.RP Do you have a qualified doctor onboard?PW Yes we always have a qualified doctor and nurse.We have a medical team and in addition have at leasttwo or three crewmembers who are paramedics orEMT’s.RP OK, now Greenpeace are critical of you andfrom what you said earlier you obviously haven’t gotan awful lot of time for Greenpeace. Are there anyother conservation organisations in the world thatSea Shepherd would like to work with or see anybenefit in working with?PW We work with a lot of organisations. I feelthat the strength of this movement is in smallorganisations and individuals. I don’t have muchtime for big organisations, I call them feel-goodorganisations, you join them to feel good, they areso bogged down in bureaucracy that they never getanything done. We work very closely with groups likethe Earth Island Institute, we work in collaborationwith the people who made the movie The Cove, whichis the Ocean Preservation Society. There’s a lot ofgroups we do work with but we seldom, in fact wenever work with the big organisations. When I leftGreenpeace in 1977 I said goodbye to bureaucracyand I haven’t returned since.RP Given your direct action views, do you seenegotiation as being a route to conservation goals?PW I believe that the strength of any movementhas to lie in diversity of approaches whether that islitigation, legislation, education, direct intervention,it all works towards the same end. I do believe thatthere is a role for those kind of negotiations forpassing laws and everything. I don’t believe that bigorganisations actually do that job very well. I wasa director of the U.S. Sierra Club for three years,one of the oldest and the largest environmentalorganisations in the country. I just could not believehow that organisation couldn’t get anything donebecause of the obstacles the bureaucrats constantlyput in front of them. After three years I had no ideawhat we were actually spending the money on.RP What about politically? You’ve got your contactsin places like Ecuador, but do you feel Sea Shepherdshould be more involved at the UN level, and withthe big governments in the world?PW No I think there is a need for people to do thatbut that’s not our role. We are very specific in whatwe do, which is at-sea, direct intervention, going outand saving lives and protecting habitat, but thereis certainly room for other organisations to do that.I think if we are going to save the oceans we needhundreds of thousands of organisations, and millionsof individuals working on different issues rangingfrom plankton to the great whale, and we should allagree to disagree on tactics, and work in cooperationtowards solving the big picture.RP Your volunteers really believe in what you aredoing. What proportion of them keep coming backtrip after trip?PW We have a very large number of people whokeep coming back. I’ve had over 4000 crew membersvolunteer over the years, and some of them havebeen on for a few weeks, and some of them havebeen on for a few years.RP There was a question when there was a brushbetween you and the Japanese whether you wereshot or not. Can you clarify what happened?PW When we encountered the Japanese there werefour warning shots and the Japanese governmentactually informed the Australian government thatthey had fired shots. When it was reported that I hadbeen shot they actually said that no shots were fired,so they reversed that story real fast. The controversyover whether I was shot or not shot is a difficult onebecause of course I know I was shot, but how do youprove it. I did ask the Australian federal police todo a forensic analysis of the bullet proof vest andthe bullet itself, but they refused saying it was outof their jurisdiction. I did an interview on camerawith Animal Planet just prior to that and you can seeeverything is intact, no bullet hole or anything, thensuddenly there was a bullet hole in the mustang suitand they are prying the bullet out of the vest. It wasall caught on camera, now they can say that it wasrigged, but I can tell you that Animal Planet is notgoing to take the risk of rigging something like that.They certainly wouldn’t be party to any kind of fraud,as for proving it, we can’t really do that.RP Paul on camera, the weapon that wasdischarged, was that seen?PW No it was actually a fair distance. I did havethe bullet looked at and it was a shotgun shell but ithad been pretty much spent by the time that it hitme. I don’t believe that they tried to kill me directlybecause the shotgun shell is not a weapon of choicefor a sniper, I just think it was one of those fourshots, but just by chance.RP It is often said that Sea Shepherd’s approachis counterproductive in terms of what otherconservation organisations are trying to achieveand that Sea Shepherd doesn’t really get involved inadvocacy. How do you respond to that?PW Well we don’t have any interest in gettinginvolved with advocacy, if that’s what other peoplewant to do then that’s fine. It probably helps that weare working mostly in complimentary directions. Ithink that our hard-line approach sometimes makesit easier for the moderates to carry on with theirnegotiations. I think that there has got to be more toattract world attention than petitions and meetingsand writing letters and I feel that we can see realresults, we go out there, we actually save lives. Nowwhen people say it is counterproductive, I don’t thinkthat any of those 305 whales that we saved this yearwould view that as counterproductive.RP I am going to quote you something that youwon’t like, but it gives you the opportunity torespond in like fashion. Something straight off theinternet, Sea Shepherd were described as a bunchof inept comedians putting themselves at risk andachieving nothing.PW Well of course a lot of people like to say thatwe are achieving nothing, but we are saving livesof particular animals, so we are certainly achievingsomething, and like the 305 whales we have savedthis year, the 500 whales we saved last year, itcertainly means something to those whales. If peopledisagree, then that’s their problem. I don’t reallycare what people think about what we do, we are notin the business of making people happy.RP Paul thank you very much for talking to us.PW Thank you.6 www.sharktrust.org/campaigns Shark Focus 36 Shark Focus 36 www.sharktrust.org/facts 7

Sharks in Focus 2009stunning shark shots from around the worldThe Shark Trust has been overwhelmed by the standard of photography submitted tothis year’s competition; some truly awe inspiring moments have been captured onboth camera and film.The winners of Sharks in Focus 2009 were announced at the Birmingham DiveShow on Saturday 24th October, where the top 35 images were also exhibited. Allwinners were chosen by renowned underwater photographers, marine biologistsand authors Alex Mustard and Tom Peschak and TV presenter, polar explorer andpassionate diver Paul Rose.Overall WinnerAlec ConnahPatterns of Predation’- a young Blacktip Reef Shark makes its presence felt.(Backdrop to these pages and cover image.)4. Shark Culture: Fear or revere them.The iconic image of a shark depictsspeed, power and menace, whilst in somecultures sharks are honoured as gods.Sijmon de Waal.5. Shark Showreel: Short films capturingunderwater antics, sharks underthreat and some simply fantastic sharkencounters. Duncan Brake – Tagging aTiger. See online at www.youtube.com/user/sharktrustukThe winning images can be viewedonline in our Shark Gallery, as can allother entries for Sharks in Focus 2009.Also don’t forget to visit the Shark TrustYouTube Channel where you can see allShark Showreel entries.Category 1 winner, Shark!Alexander SafonovWobbegong Shark.It took some time to create a proper lightscheme to make good portrait of this highlycamouflaged nocturnal creature.Category winner 2, Best of BritishAndrew PearsonCalm conditions following several daysof severe storms had triggered a hugespring plankton bloom in the cove.The bay was alive with lots of largeBasking Sharks gorging on the feast.Category winner 3, EndangeredFiona AyerstBullshark caught in net,Kwa-zulu Natal, South Africa.Category winner,YouthMorten BeierIn the Open - Oceanic Whitetip in the bigblue moving slowly and self confident inits right environment.Natural light, 10,5mm, f10, 1/40s, ISO200.Category winner 4, Shark CultureSijmon de WaalA group of first time shark free divers peersomewhat nervously at curious Blacktipsgathered around the RIB.This years categories are:1. Shark! - Bursting with shark personality,these images celebrate the magnificenceof sharks, skates and rays throughoutthe world. Alexander Safonov.Morten Beier also won the Youthcategory with an image in this class.2. Best of British: Be dazzled by thephenomenal diversity of sharks, skatesand rays in British waters.Andrew Pearson.3. Endangered: Overfishing, habitatdestruction and the curio trade havebrought many species of shark to thebrink of extinction. Giving profile tothreatened species is a vital step insecuring their conservation. Fiona Ayerst.The Shark Trust believes that the profile ofthese mysterious and much maligned animalscan be bolstered through the increased publicawareness that still and moving images canprovide. All entries into the competition willcontribute greatly to shark conservation.Watch out over the next couple of monthsas these images and the shark personalitiescaptured will be appearing throughout thewebsite, brightening up your screens.Huge thanks to all our sponsors for theircontinuing support.12 Go to www.sharktrust.org >>> shark photo competition to see all the images Shark Focus 36 Shark Focus 36 Go to www.sharktrust.org >>> shark photo competition to see all the images 13

White Shark Predation on Sealsby Antonin BlaisonUnderstanding predator-prey dynamics is integral to describing the behavioural ecology of species and will allow us tobetter understand ecosystem dynamics. Whilst predator-prey interaction is becoming well known in terrestrial ecosystems,it remains largely unknown in the marine environment. This is despite the fact that some of the most amazing interactionsbetween predator and prey species occur in the oceans, bringing into play some of the most powerful animals of the world:an 8m Orca sliding up the beach to catch seals and then wriggling back into the water (described as the strategy of ‘beachstranding’), or a 5m White Shark using the spectacular breaching technique in which it explodes clean out of the water tocatch seals.Shark predation can take many forms, each spectacular in its own way. From the slow swimming Basking Shark at the surface,mouth open to filter zooplankton from seawater, to the fast swimming pattern of the Mako Shark which can increase itsswimming speed to over 50 kph to hunt big fish, or the Tiger Shark attacking yearling birds whilst they train themselves to flyand often land on the water. However, arguably the most impressive shark predation remains seal hunting by White Sharks.An impressive shark attackIn certain sites in the world, White Sharks leap partially or completelyout of the water with near vertical strikes to catch a seal in their jaws.This extraordinary behaviour is part of a hunting strategy which can bedivided into five stages; detection, identification, approach, subjugationand consumption. White Shark subjugation and consumption are themost understood and studied phases, due to the relative ease withwhich these behaviours can be observed from the surface. Indeed, themajority of studies on White Shark predation on pinnipeds are basedon observations of feeding events and decoy experiments. Thanksto these observations, White Shark attack scenarios were revealed.A White Shark patrolling for seals will swim a few metres below thesurface. Once it visually locates the prey, it rapidly ascends, inflicting asingle massive bite to the seal, generally on the lower part of the body.Analysis of bite scars on elephant seals and sea lions suggest thatWhite Sharks prefer to predate upon juvenile and sub-adult pinnipedsrather than adults. The majority of attacks occur at dusk and dawnwhen light intensity is low. These specific light conditions should allowsharks to be camouflaged thereby reducing a pinniped’s ability tovisually identify patrolling White Sharks.Cape Fur Seals on Seal Island, Mossel Bay, South Africa.© Oceans Research 2008.A true hunting strategyHowever, these studies were limited by technology and involved only predationevents, so shark behaviour was largely unknown during precedent phases ofshark attack. New technologies allow scientists to get a deeper insight into sharkbehaviour. Studies were carried out on the search, detection, and approach phasesof an attack and the impact of the environment on these behaviours. Following theshark’s movement below the surface at night was the main challenge. Acoustictelemetry is most often used to obviate this difficulty. This technique consists oftagging sharks with an acoustic transmitter. Then a hydrophone and an ultrasonicreceiver are used to monitor and decode incoming signals emitted from the shark’stag. This enables researchers to follow shark movement even when it is impossibleto have visual observation.A few years after the appearance of this technology, the hunting behaviour of WhiteSharks began to be better understood and several theories were formulated. WhiteSharks appear to adopt specific behavioural strategies when they begin to huntpinnipeds. Several scientists even defined an ‘island patrolling’ behaviour whichseparates White Shark behaviour around a seal colony from movement along theshore during other activities such as resting, travelling or fish hunting. White Sharksfocus their efforts searching for prey in a specific area called the ‘high risk predationarea’. This area is often located where pinniped movements are the most numerousaround the colony. During this ‘island patrolling’ behaviour, two swimming patternswere observed; vertical oscillations and horizontal on-offshore. Vertical oscillationsconsist of a lot of up and down movements in the water column; horizontal onoffshoreis defined as back and forth movements perpendicular to the shoreline.Depending on the observation site, one or both of these swimming patterns wasreported. These patrolling strategies should increase the probability of encounteringseals in all three dimensions of the marine environment.Nocturnal hunting behaviourIn 2001, a scientific team demonstrated that White Sharks patrolled near SealIsland equally during day and night. However, natural White Shark predations onpinnipeds were never visually observed during the night. So the question was stillopen; if sharks patrol around a pinniped colony at night, are they able to hunt atnight? It wasn’t until 2005 that this question was answered. In Mossel Bay, SouthAfrica, researchers working on White Shark behaviour recorded the first series ofWhite Shark predations at night. Sharks were able to breach on seals under thecover of darkness. If this discovery answers one question, it also raises lots of newones. Is White Shark hunting of seals by night exclusive to Mossel Bay or does ithappen in other places? How are they able to hunt at night? Do the sharks changetheir patrolling strategies at night?The most recent studies on shark movement patterns are starting to answerthese questions. Preliminary results show that White Sharks tend to change theirswimming behaviour between day and night whilst they patrol at Seal Island. Sharkswimming depth profiles illustrate that they seem to swim closer to the surface,moving in the upper part of the water column at night, whilst they swim near thesea bottom during daylight hours in a linear swimming depth pattern. Swimmingcloser to the surface and amplifying their movements in the water column at night,White Sharks could detect pinnipeds with a greater precision and increase theirchance of encountering seals whilst visibility is reduced. A previous study on atracked juvenile White Shark in southern California, using a light sensitive archivaltag, suggested that White Sharks can use moonlight to see at the surface during thenight. A night-time observation in Mossel Bay of two White Sharks pursuing a groupof seals at the surface seems to confirm these preliminary hypotheses.This however, is only the beginning and the hypotheses will need dedicated testingin future studies. Further studies could investigate the source/level of light that isrequired for White Sharks to hunt pinnipeds at night. Whilst scientists thought theinteraction between White Sharks and seals had started to be well understood, therecent discovery of successful nocturnal hunting behaviour could change our visionof this apex predator. White Sharks are just starting to betray their secrets.Above: You can clearly see the crescent-shaped set of teeth wounds made by a White Shark onthis fur seal.Below: Setting up the VEMCO V16 TP-5L continuous acoustic transmitter ready to be tagged to aWhite Shark. © Oceans Research 2008.Above: Using the VEMCO VR100 ultrasonic receiver which is connected to a VH110 directionalhydrophone. © Oceans Research 2008.14 www.sharktrust.org/facts Shark Focus 36Shark Focus 36 www.sharktrust.org/news 15

Ventral view diStribution1Lateral view Lateral view Ventral view diStributionVentral view CdiStribution2Lateral view CLateral view Ventral view diStributionLateral view Ventral view diStributionLateral view CdiStribution1common nameidentification3 No anal fin .colourcommon namecolourcommon namecolour2identificationcephalopods.2 & 3identification2common namecolour2identification3 No anal fin .common nameidentification3 No anal fin .colourNo markings .Isistius s p. .common nameidentificationcolour2 No dorsal spines.3 No anal fin .333Ventral view CddVu1Lateral view CVentral view CdiStributiondiStributionLateral view 1diStriButionLateral view diStributionDorsal view diStribution2332common namecolourcommon nameidentificationcolourtemperate waters .3common nameidentificationcolourPure white ventra lycommon nameidentification3 No anal fin .colourcommon nameidentificationcolourNo eyespot pa tern.Ventra ly white .mo luscs .1identification3333323Ventral view Ventral view Ventral view Vuntcr243diStributiondiStribution2Dorsal view diStributionCanary Isles .Dorsal view diStributionDorsal view Dorsal view 1413common nameidentificationcolourcommon nameidentificationcolourMax TL: 120cm .common nameGolfrog (Ne).identificationcolourcommon nameidentificationcolour223125Ventral view Ventral view rJiVentral view enVentral view 1Protection of Elasmobranchsunder the UK BiodiversityAction PlanWhat is a BAP?The UK-wide Biodiversity Action Plan – or UKBAP – is the UK government’s response tothe 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity,a product of the ground-breaking Rio EarthSummit. Following unprecedented globalconsensus by 159 governments, the conventioncame into force in 1993, making it the firstinternational treaty to provide a legal frameworkfor biodiversity conservation. One particularelement of this framework required eachsignatory nation – including the UK – to createand enforce a strategy to conserve and enhancebiological diversity.Biological diversity, shortened neatly tobiodiversity, is a lynchpin of conservationbiology. Simply defined as the variation oflife forms within an ecosystem, biodiversityis also used as a yardstick – a means ofmeasuring the health of biological systems.Often associated more closely with terrestrialecosystems, understanding and maintaining thebiodiversity of coastal and marine ecosystemsis equally important – perhaps more-so, ascomparatively less is known about them.After wide-ranging consultation the firstUK BAP was launched in 1997, creatingan inventory of the nation’s biodiversity,identifying those species and habitats urgentlyrequiring conservation management andlaying out detailed plans for their protection.A decade later, in 2007, the first full review ofpriority habitats and species was undertaken,altogether listing 1,149 UK species and 65 UKhabitats as priorities for conservation action.Once identified as a priority, the Joint NatureConservation Committee begins a review ofeach species or habitat, listing key action pointsfor research, conservation and protection.Implementation of this devolves to LocalBiodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs), with eachLBAP identifying local priorities and determiningthe contribution they can make to the deliveryof targets at the national level. GenerallyLBAP’s conform to county boundaries, withall biological data and information relevant toeach plan accessible to all stakeholders via theLocal Records Centre.Anyone interested or involved in the conservation of the UK’s naturalenvironment will more than likely encounter the enigmatically named BAP.BAP’s – or Biodiversity Action Plans – have evolved into the primary tool for theidentification, protection and management of marine (and terrestrial) speciesand habitats seen as priorities for conservation action throughout the UK.Elasmobranchs & THE UK BAPFrom the original UK BAP, listing only the Basking Shark andCommon Skate, the 2007 review listed a further 13 elasmobranchspecies requiring priority conservation: great news for themany shark, skate and ray species reeling from the impact ofoverfishing, by-catch and other unsustainable practices. Successtoo for the Shark Trust and supporting conservation groups, whohave championed these important yet often poorly understoodspecies, pushing for their recognition in the UK BAP process.Elasmobranch species identified inthe UK BAP: see opposite pageYou could be forgiven for not realising some of these speciesare frequent visitors to our waters, yet Blue, Shortfin Makoand Porbeagle Sharks have been targeted in UK, EU andinternational fisheries. At the same time sharks which havegraced our plates for generations, such as the Spiny Dogfish,have experienced acute population decline as a result ofincreased fishing effort and ineffective management. Spare athought too for the less charismatic skate, ray and deepwatershark species: Sandy and Undulate Rays as well as White Skatepopulations are in serious decline, as are Gulper and KitefinSharks – again the result of the same ineffective fisheriesmanagement.The Shark Trust & the UK BAPThe Shark Trust played a key advisory and lobbying role inincreasing the number of elasmobranch species included in the2007 UK BAP review, and remains a key advisor for the CommonSkate and Basking Shark Species Action Plans. As we approach2010 the Trust continues in these roles, working to delivereffective UK, EU and international shark protection and fisheriesmanagement, and in doing so promoting the conservation andenhancement of UK marine biodiversity.Several flagship Shark Trust projects are also committed toachieving these objectives. The hugely successful Great EggcaseHunt, now in its 7 th year, continues to generate a wealth ofinformation on the distribution of shark, skate and ray speciesaround the UK coast. Similarly, the Trust’s Basking Shark Projectgenerates invaluable data on the presence of these magnificentgiants in UK and European waters. Other important projectsinclude the development and promotion of Codes of Conductfor anglers and divers, as well as for Basking Shark encounters.Alongside these projects, the Shark Trust continues to deliverinnovative and engaging public outreach programs, supplyingeducation resources and information on the role of elasmobranchsin UK waters, as well as their conservation status.Essentially, each project aims to raiseawareness of shark, skate and ray species.Without the information generated by projectssuch as these, we wouldn’t have the baselinedata necessary to understand just what it is weare trying to conserve. Conversely, through theefforts of the Shark Trust and its supporters,conservation biologists are able to assess thesuccess of initiatives aimed at reversing declinein many elasmobranch populations.Within England much of this work isfunded by a grant from the Countdown 2010Biodiversity Action Fund, a major NaturalEngland conservation project aimed at haltingthe loss of biodiversity by 2010. With thisfunding the Trust continues to fill gaps inthe knowledge base for the most threatenedelasmobranch species, while developinglinks with local and national stakeholders topromote sustainable fishing for non-threatenedspecies by updating and improving fisheriesmanagement tools.Identification in SpeciesProtectionThe key to managing any fish species, particularlythe more vulnerable ones such as those on theBAP list, is identification. If a species cannot beconsistently and reliably identified, fisheries data,angling records and sightings cannot be used to helpprotect it with any confidence. Accurate fisheriesstatistics for elasmobranchs are rare as they havehistorically been divided into large, almost arbitrarygroups such as ‘sharks’ or ‘skates and rays’. Thisis beginning to improve but to aid in compliance,identification materials must be made available to alllevels of the fishing industry.As you may have seen in Shark Focus 35, theShark Trust is producing identification guides for theelasmobranchs of the British Isles. The skate andray guide is now complete and will be distributed tofisheries managers and enforcement officers in thenear future. The shark guide is in the final stages ofcreation and will be available soon. If you would liketo find out more about the elasmobranch species ofthe British Isles, please visit www.sharktrust.org/id.UK BAP SpeciesScientific nameDalatias licha (Bo nate re, 17 8)Scientific nameGaleorhinus galeus (Li naeus 1758)Gulper Shark Centrophorus granulosusScientific nameCentrophorus granulosus (Schneider, 1801)Southwest England to South Africa including theMediterranean Sea. Reported from North Carolina,Kitefin Shark Dalatias lichaeast atlantic: Scotland to Camer on including the westernMediterranean.West atlantic: Georges Bank to the northern Gulf of Mexico.Tope Galeorhinus galeuseast Atlantic: Iceland to South Africa , including theMedite ranean .1 1Gulper Shark, Rough Shark, Squale – Chagrin Commun(Fr), Quelvacho (Es)northern Gulf of Mexico, Madagascar, Mozambique,Taiwan and Australia .1 Long gr oved spines dorsal spines.2 1st dorsal fin larger than 2nd.Olive grey to brown dorsally.Similar but lighter ventra ly.Juveniles may be lighter with dusky white tips ondorsal and caudal fins .Gulper Shark, Centrophorus granulosusMax. size: 150 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2006).NE Atlantic Red List: Critically Endangered.Populations may have decreased by 80-95% in the NE Atlantic.biology and SizeBorn: 30–42cm. Mature: ~95cm , 60–80 cm .Max TL: 150cm .Believed to have the lowest reproductive potential ofany elasmobranch.Though to prey on hake, lanterfish, squid, epigonidsand other invertebrates .Kitefin SharK, Black Shark, Darkie Charlie, Seal Shark,Squale Liche (Fr) Carocho (Es)indian Ocean: South Africa and Mozambique.Pacific Ocean: Japan to New Zealand and ou to Hawa i .1 Short, blunt snout.Greyish black to red brown.Poorly defined black spots on back.Fin margins white or translucent. Black ti ped caudalfin .biology and SizeBorn: 30cm. Mature: 1 –159 cm , 7–121cm .Max TL: 180cm .Opportunistic f eder preying on a huge varietyof teleosts, elasmobranchs, crustaceans andFast, pelagic species such as bonito have b enrecorded in stomach contents .Tope, Soupfin Shark, School Shark, Flake, Greyshark,Pe ny’s Dog, Schna per Shark, Sharpie Shark, Sw etWi liam Shark, Vitamin Shark, Requin-hâ (Fr), Cazón (Es)Worldwide in temperate seas except western Atlantic andwestern Pacific .1 Tiny 2nd dorsal fin, same size as anal fin.2nd dorsal fin directly above anal fin.3 Very large cauda lobe .Blue/grey dorsal surface.Sometimes light brown.Paler/white ventral surface .biology and SizeBorn: 30–35cm . Mature: 120–170cm , 130–185cm C. Max TL: 193cm , 195cm C .F ed on a wide variety of bony fish, elasmobranchesand squid . Do not appear inclined to scavenge .Segregate by sex, except during mating periods .guP Vu ne atl: crne atl medLeafscale Gulper Shark Centrophorus squamosusScientific nameCentrophorus squamosus (Bo naterre, 17 8)Iceland to South Africa into the western Indian Ocean.Known from New Zealand, the Phili pines and Japan .LeafscaLe GuLper shark, D epwater Spiny Dogfish,Nilson’s D epsea Dogfish, Squale-Chagrin de l’Atlantique(Fr), Quelvacho Negro (Es)Leafscale Gulper Shark, Centrophorus squamosusMax. size: 158 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2003).NE Atlantic Red List: Endangered.Population declines of 80-90% have been recorded in someareas of the NE Atlantic.1 Moderately long snout.2 Large dorsal spines.Uniform grey or grey-brown.No markings or pa terns .biology and SizeMature: 137–158cm , 103cm . Max TL: 158cm .Diet is unknown but presumably fish and cephalopods .5–8 young per litter although size at birth it unknown .guQVu ne atl: en ne atlPortuguese Shark Centroscymnus coelolepisScientific nameCentroscymnus coelolepis (Bocage & Capello, 1864)east atlantic: Iceland to Sie ra Leone, including westernMediterranean. Namibia to South Africa.1 21Portuguese shark, Portuguese Dogfish, Siki Shark,Pailona Commun (Fr), Pailona (Es)West atlantic: Newfoundland to Virginia.Pacific: Japan to New Zealand .1 Tiny dorsal spines.2 Sma l dorsal fins, 2nd largest.Portuguese Dogfish, Centroscymnus coelolepisMax. size: 120 cm.Red List: Near Threatened (2003).NE Atlantic Red List: Endangered.Adults 7 juveniles uniform black/brown.Bluish black when ver young.biology and SizeBorn: 30 cm. Mature: 1 0 cm C, 70 – 86 cm .Max TL: 120 cm C, 90 cm .F ed predominantly on bony fish, other elasmobranchsand cephalopods.Cetacean meat has b en recorded in the diet. It is notknown if this is scavenged or taken in the manner ofLarge declines have been observed but data is lacking due toconfusion with other deep-sea species.Basking Shark, Cetorhinus maximusMax Size: 1220 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2000).NE Atlantic Red List: Endangered.Historically very heavily fished for its liver oil and meat, now themost protected shark species in European waters.Kitefin Shark, Dalatias lichaMax Size: 180 cm.Red List: Near Threatened (2008).NE Atlantic Red List: Vulnerable.When commercially fished in the Azores, landings fell by 98%in just 7 years.Tope Shark, Galeorhinus galeusMax Size: 195 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2005).NE Atlantic Red List: Data Deficient.One the most widely fished shark species in the world, nowsubject to strict limits in English and Welsh waters.Iluustrations © Marc Dando.Scientific nameCetorhinus maximus (Gu nerus, 1765)cyo nt ne atl: enne atl medBasking Shark Cetorhinus maximusEast atlantic: Ru sia to Senegal, including theMedite ranean. Namibia to South Africa.West atlantic: Canada to northern Gulf of Mexico.Brazil to southern Argentina.Basking shark, Bone Shark, Elephant Shark,Hoe-Mother, Pélerin (Fr), Peregrino (Es)East Pacific: Gulf of Alaska to Gulf of California and ou toHawa i. Ecuador to southern Chile.West Pacific: Australia and New Zealand. Japan, KoreanPeninsula and China .1 Large gi l slits almost encircle head.2 Huge subterminal mouth.3 Dermal denticle gi lrakers .Grey, grey/brown, blue/grey to blackish dorsa ly.Similar though sometimes lighter ventra ly.Often i regular white blotches ventra ly.Sometimes lighter stripes and spots on flanks .biology and SizeBirth: 1–1.7m. Mature: 4.6–6.1m . Max TL: 12.2m .Pa sive filter f eders preying on copepods, barnacles,decapoda, stomatopod larvae and fish eggs .Gestation period unknown but estimated from 1–3.5years .Size at birth unknown but believed to be 1–1.7m .bSK Vu ne atl: enne atl medScK nt ne atl: Vune atl medgag ne atl:ne atl medScientific nameIsurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1810)Scientific nameLamna nasus (Bo nate re, 17 8)Scientific namePrionace glauca (Linnaeus 1758)Scientific nameSquatina squatina (Li naeus, 1758)Angelshark Squatina squatinaIceland and Norway to North Africa, including theMedite ranean and Black Seas. Range now much reduceddue to fishing pre sure .Porbeagle Shark Lamna nasusNortheast Atlantic from Iceland and Ru sia to Moroccoand Madeira, including the Medite ranean.Northwest Atlantic from Newfoundland to South Carolina.Circumglobal in temperate waters (30 – 60 S) of thesouthern hemisphere .Shortfin Mako Shark Isurus oxyrinchusCircumglobal in temperate and tropical seas. East Atlanticfrom Norway to South Africa, including the Medite ranean .Shortfin Mako Shark, Isurus oxyrinchusMax Size: 394 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2008).NE Atlantic Red List: Vulnerable.Blue Shark Prionace glaucaCircumglobal in temperate and tropical waters. Norway toSouth Africa in the East Atlantic .Spiny Dogfish Squalus acanthiasEast Atlantic: Murmansk to Iceland, south to West Saharaincluding the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Cape Coastof South Africa .West Atlantic: Gr enland and Labrador to Florida, Cuba,Uruguay and Argentina .East Pacific: Bering Sea to Chile, excluding the tropics .West Pacific: Bering Sea to New Zealand, excluding the tropics .biology and SizeBorn: 68–70cm. Mature: 275cm C, 2 0cm . MaxTL: 394cm .biology and SizeBorn: 58–67cm. Mature: 2 0–219cm C1 5–1 7cm . Max TL: 365cm .Biology and SizeBorn: 35–50cm. Mature: 221–323cm ,182–291cm . Max TL: 383cm2 1Shortfin Mako Shark, Mako, Short-fi ned Mako, BluePointer, Mackerel Shark, Blue Dynamite, Taupe Bleu (Fr),Marrajo Dientuso (Es)1 Streamlined with pointed snout.2 Large 1st dorsal and pectoral fins.3 Tiny 2nd dorsal, anal and pelvic fins.4 Lunate caudal fin with single k el .Meta lic blue dorsa ly.Ventra ly white, including snout and mouth.Distinct demarcation line betw en surfaces .Can raise its body temperature above that of thesurrounding water, a lowing i to operate in colderExtremely fast, f eding on pelagic species such astuna, Bonito and Swordfish. Take a wide variety ofteleost and elasmobranch fish and cephalopods .Marine mammals have b en reported and may bemore important for larger specimens .In the North Atlantic declines of 33-50% have been reported, butrecording is inadequate due mainly to confusion between species.Porbeagle Shark, Atlantic Mackerel Shark, Blue Dog,Bo tle-nosed Shark, Beaumaris Shark,Requin-Taupe Commun (Fr), Marrajo Sardinero (Es),Tiburón Sardinero (Es), Tintorera (Es)1 Large 1st dorsal fin with white fr e rear tip.2 Secondary k el on caudal fin.3 Tiny pelvic, anal and 2nd dorsal fin .White fr e rear tip of 1st dorsal fin.Dark blue to grey dorsa ly.Pale to white ventrally.Adults can be darker ventra ly in the southernhemisphere .Porbeagle Shark, Lamna nasusMax Size: 365 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2005).NE Atlantic Red List: Critically Endangered.Still fished commercially in the northeast Atlantic despitemassive declines in populations. Now protected by catch limitsand a maximum landing size.Blue Shark, Prionace glaucaMax Size: 383 cm.Red List: Near Threatened (2000)Blue Shark, Blue Dog, Blue Whaler, Peau Bleue (Fr),Tiburón Azul (Es)1 Pectoral fins long and curved.2 1st dorsal fin closer to pelvic fins than pectoral fins.3 2nd dorsal fin equal in size to and directly aboveanal fin.4 Caudal fin non lunate .2 3Dark blue on the backMeta lic blue on the flanksLi ters of 4–135 pups have b en recorded. Pups remainin inshore nursery areas for the first few years of life .O portunistic f eders preying predominantly on pelagicteleost fish and cephalopods, although elasmobranchs,seabirds and cetaceans (po sibly ca rion) have a lb en reported .One of the most heavily fished shark species. As it is highlymigratory, localised management is likely to have little impacton global declines.Spiny Dogfish, Squalus acanthiasMax Size: 124 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2006).NE Atlantic Red List: Critically Endangered.Scientific nameSqualus acanthias (Smith & Radcli fe, 1912).Spiny DogfiSh, Spurdog, Piked Dogfish, Dogfish, BlueDog, Darwen Salmon, Rock Salmon, Spring Dogfish,Victorian Spo ted Dogfish, White-Spo ted Dogfish, Aiguillatcommun [Fr], Mielga [Es].1 Large dorsal spines.2 1 dorsal fin originates behind pectoral fr e rear tips.Rows of white spots on flanks.Slate grey to brown dorsally.Pale grey to white ventra ly .biology and SizeBirth: 18 – 30 cm. Maturity: 83 cm 60 cm . Max:124 cm 1 0 cm . Highly variable regiona ly .Feed predominantly on bony fish in the NortheastAtlantic. Crustaceans and mo luscs are also important,particularly when young .18 – 2 month gestation period, one of the longestrecorded for any vertebrate .Once the most abundant shark in the North Atlantic, over-fishinghas caused population declines of around 95%.AngelshArk, Monkfish, Angel Fi dle Fish, Angel PuffyFish, Angel Ray, Angelfish, Fiddle Fish, Ange de MerCommun (Fr), Angelote (Es).1 Dorsoventra ly fla tened.2 Pectoral fins not fused to the head.3 Large dorsal and caudal fins .Grey to red-brown dorsa ly.Sma l white spots and sca tered dark blotches .Pa tern of light lines in some populations .biology and SizeBirth: 24–30cm. Mature: 28–69cm , 80–132cm .Max TL: 183cm .Li ters of 7–25 pups have been recorded aftergestation periods of 8–10 months .F ed predominantly on teleost fish, particularly flatfish.Also eat other demersal fish, skate, crustaceans andAngelshark, Squatina squatinaMax Size: 183 cm.Red List: Critically Endangered (2006).Extremely rare around the UK, it has been declared extinct inthe North Sea and appears to be vanishing from other parts ofits range.Skate and Ray ID guides supported by:dgSagnSma ne atl medPor Vu ne atl: crne atl medBSH ne atl medVu neatl:ne atl med blKcr ne atl med blKScientific nameDipturus batis (Li naeus, 1758).Scientific nameLeucoraja circularis (Couch, 1838).Scientific nameRaja undulata (Lacepède, 1802).Scientific nameRostroraja alba (Lacepède, 1803).Common Skate Dipturus batisFormerly widespread in European seas. Range reduced tonorthwest Scotland, Celtic Sea, northern North Sea andrarely the western Mediterranean Sea .Sandy Ray Leucoraja circularisNortheast Atlantic from Moro co to Norway and Iceland.Also found in the western Medite ranean .Undulate Ray Raja undulataSenegal to the southern and western coasts of the BritishIsles including the western Medite ranean. Eas to theWhite Skate Rostroraja albaBritish Isles to South Africa and into the IndianOcean , including the western Medite ranean Sea .COMMON SKATE, Blue Skate, Grey Skate, Fla per Skate,Gla troche (De), Pocheteau Gris (Fr), Ra za Bavosa (It),Raia Oirega (Pr), Noriega (Es), Vl et (Ne).1 Row of 12–18 thorns on tail.2 1–2 thorns betw en dorsal fins.3 Long, pointed snout .Dorsal surface olive grey/brown.Variable pa tern of light spots and dark blotches.Ventral surface black in juveniles, grey in adults .biology and SizeBorn: 21 –29cm . Mature: ~150cm .Max TL: 285cm .F ed on a variety of crustaceans, teleosts andother skates .Longevity of 20–1 0 years .Common Skate, Dipturus batisMax Size: 285 cm.Red List: Critically Endangered (2006).NE Atlantic Red List: Critically Endangered.Extremely rare around the UK, it is considered extinct in the NorthSea and appears to be vanishing from other parts of its range.SANDY RAY, Sandy Skate, Leather Ray, Faroese Roker,Raie Circulaire (Fr), Sandroche (De), Raya Falsa Vela (Es),Ra za Rotonda (It), Zandrog (Ne).1 Slender tail only slightly longer than body .2 Closely spaced dorsal fins with no thorn in betw en.3 Dorsal surface spinulose .4–6 symmetrical creamy spots on each pectoral fin.Dorsal surface light brown (sandy) to red brown .Ventral surface white .biology and SizeF ed on various benthic invertebrates andsma l bony fish .Females lay their e gs on soft substrates from Augustto November .Sandy Ray, Leucoraja circularisMax Size: 120 cm.Red List: Vulnerable (2008).Considered rare, catches in the northeast Atlantic have declinedin recent years. Rarely recorded from English and Welsh waters.Undulate Ray, Raja undulataMax Size: 100 cm.Red List: Endangered (2008)UNDULATE RAY, Painted Ray, Undulate Skate,Raie Brune te (Fr), Raya mosaica (Es), Ra za ondulata (It),1 1 row of 20– 5 thorns on midline in males,3 in females.2 Anterior disc margin undulates strongly.3 2 interdorsal thorns .Dorsal surface light yellow to black.Pa tern of dark, wavy bands bordered by rows ofwhite spots.Other larger white spots present.Ventral surface white with darker margins .biology and SizeBorn: ~14cm. Mature: 75cm , 73cm F.Max TL: >1 0cm .Juveniles f ed mostly on sma l crustaceans, mo luscsand fish. Adults specialise in crustaceans .E gs are laid from March to September .Heavily fished in southern Europe, declines have been observedbut details are uncertain.WHITE SKATE, Bordered Skate, Bo tlenosed Skate, BurtonSkate, Spearnose Skate, White-Bellied Skate, Raie Blanche(Fr), Bandroche (De), Raya Bramante (Es), Ra za Bianca (It).1 Long snout with broad base .2 Tail slightly shorter than body .3 Median row of ~15 large thorns, rarely reaching firstdorsal fin.4 Strong row of thorns either side of tail lower edge.5 One thorn betw en dorsal fins .Dorsal surface grey/blue in adults, red/brown injuveniles.Pa tern of numerous light and dark spots and blotches.Ventral surface white with darker margins .biology and SizeBorn: 29cm . Mature: 130cm , 120cm F .Max TL: ~200cm .Primarily piscivorous, juveniles also f ed oncrustaceans .E gcase incubation period ~15 months .White Skate, Rostroraja albaMax Size: 200 cm.Red List: Endangered (2006).NE Atlantic Red List: Critically Endangered.Historically targeted, fisheries have always collapsed when thespecies becomes commercially extinct locally.Shark ID guides sponsored by:rJbrJurJacr ne atl medVu lc med: enne atl medne atl meden neatl: cr ne atl med16 www.sharktrust.org/ID Shark Focus 36Shark Focus 36 www.sharktrust.org/ID 17

JuniorShark fansLydia’s shark finning petitionHello, my name is Lydia Hayes and I am 10years old. I have just taken part in getting peopleto sign a pettition to stop shark finning. I likesharks becuase of the way they look and swim.I often watch them on the TV. Most sharks donot hurt people. I do not understand why peoplewant to hurt sharks? As part of my Gold Awardfor the Somerset Wildlife Trust I needed to talkabout something I feel very strongly about. WhenI heard about shark finning it made me veryangry. I dont like the fact that people kill sharksfor their fins. Sharks have not done anything topeople. When a shark is caught people cut offtheir fins while the shark is still alive. Next, theythrow it back in the water and it drowns becauseit cannot swim without it’s fins. I think this isreally horrible and it needs to be stopped. Peoplethink sharks are vicious and they are not. Theydo not deserve to be treated like this.At the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth© Lydia HayesEuropean Shark Week Colouring CompetitionIt’s not too late to enter, simply download the drawing template fromwww.europeansharkweek.org and get creative!You can download the Pocket Guide to HelpingSharks from the European Shark Week websiteat www.europeansharkweek.org. It’s full offascinating facts, games and lots of ideas forthings you can do to help sharks. Also, don’tforget to visit the downloads section of the SharkTrust website for lots more games, puzzles andactivities.Shakey the Shark and his helpers collecting signatures inBlackpool © Blackpool Sealife Centre.Shark QuizTest your shark knowledge1) Which is the biggest fish in the ocean?a) Greenland Sharkb) Great Hammerhead Sharkc) Blue Whaled) Whale Shark2) What is a shark’s skeleton made out of?a) Boneb) Matchsticksc) Cartilaged) Adamantium3) How many teeth do many sharks getthrough in their lifetime?a) Over 20b) Over 200c) Over 2,000d) Over 20,0004) The smallest shark in the oceana)Fits in the palm of your handb) Lives in the intestines of whalesc) Swims backwardsd) Communicates using a series of belches5) How many shark species live in the watersaround the UK?a) Noneb) 5-15c) More than 156) Which is the fastest shark in the world?a) Thresher Sharkb) Blue Sharkc) Great White Sharkd) Shortfin Mako SharkAnswers6 d The Shortfin Mako Shark, can reach speed of over30 km/h.5 c There are around 19 sharks that are commonly seenor are at least occasional visitors to our waters.4 a Fits in the palm of your hand and is called the SpinedPygmy Lanternshark.3 d Over 20,000 – throughout their life, sharks continuallylose teeth and grow new ones. Many sharks haveat least 5 rows of teeth in their mouths at any onetime.2 c Cartilage, the same material as the top of your ears!1 d The Whale Shark, thought to grow up to 20 metreslong!How did you score?Shark Trust ForumSome highlights from hot topics, discussed in ourShark Forum over the last couple of months:The Shark Forum is open for all members and non-members to discuss anythingshark related.Jaws 5The Jaws 5 trailer turned out to have been put together by a fan, but the effects of theoriginal film are still being felt almost 35 years later. While it undoubtedly gave sharks abad reputation, and may be partly responsible for the widespread fear of them, it would befair to say that an entire generation of marine biologists were first introduced to sharks bySteven Spielberg.Forum comments:“Jaws 5 is coming…Before you get too worried it is a Steven Spielberg film.”“I did some surveys in Florida of public/tourist opinion on sharks last year and those who said theywere afraid of sharks All, I say All, mentioned Jaws.”How do you figure dogfish are endangered?While the Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) is at serious risk of extinction in theNortheast Atlantic, there is controversy over populations in the Northwest Atlantic. Manyfishermen feel that an abundance of Spiny Dogfish, which are managed through strictquotas, is damaging the wider fishery and threatening their livelihoods. Managers andconservationists are concerned that not enough is known about the dynamics of thepopulation and are reluctant to allow fishing pressure to increase.Forum comments:“The IUCN Red List status for Spiny Dogfish in the N.W. Atlantic is Endangered with populationsdecreasing, and globally they are also listed as vulnerable.”“NMFS biomass estimates are well short of what’s actually out there swimming around as usual.Dogfish are a menace to fishermen & fish from the Maine/Canadian border to North Carolina.”“Yes, there are plenty of MALE spiny dogfish but very few females. This skewed sex ratio (I think itis around 4:1) means that the population is far from safe as there aren’t enough females to producethe next generation…they still haven’t recovered…”The End of the Line - The new movie, inspired byCharles Clovers bookReleased earlier this year, ‘The End of the Line’ is a documentary film looking at the stateof fisheries around the globe. It concentrates particularly on Bluefin Tuna but comes tosome startling and eye-opening conclusions about fish stocks around the world.Forum comments:“I enjoyed the film, it’s definitely worth a view. Well shot and very informative, go see it.”“It’s a damning indictment on how humanity is plundering the oceans.”Members AREA LoginDetailsUsername: Guitar, Password: SharkPlease Note: These membership login detailsare shared by all Shark Trust members, thereforewhen logged in under these details no itemsshould be purchased from the Shark Shop,username and password details should not bechanged, and the Shark Forum shouldn’t be used.(Please note the Shark Trust takes noresponsibility for the content of third party blogs.)In the next issue ofShark FocusShark HardtalkBasking Shark GeneticsThe Latest Shark Research profiledat the European ElasmobranchAssociation ConferenceShark Trust News and CampaignActivities18 www.sharktrust.org/forum Shark Focus 36Shark Focus 36 www.eulasmo.org 19