Theater of the Grotesque-A Family Shark Kill?

We're still trying to drill down the "when and where" of this Tiger Shark kill and the images keep getting worse. We had seen some of these but not all. Kudo's to Trules Jemtland for finding this full image suite online. Nice bit of detective work.

If this is the Bahamas-which is likely, these images could still serve a media purpose leading the way for fisheries changes in the Bahamas. These,sadly, are the kind of images that do effect change and garner "sympathy for the devil".

On a personal note, this is a crime, made worse by the fact this was a gravid female. The pile of bloody shark pups is something we hope we never see online again.

Warning:These images are graphic.



TIGER SHARK MARCH 2008

South Africa-Sharks-Nets-Conservation?

From the folks over at Beqa Adventure Divers blog this morning this is a serious issue. As with all shark conservation issues this one has many actors. The fact remains that shark protection nets and drum lines are an antiquated 60's solution to a modern ocean and to shark conservation.

It is using an indescriminate "anvil" to squash a "mosquito", we can do better. In the end it will be up to South Africans to ensure their own sharks survival and for the local shark diving operations to show leadership by addressing this head on. They are not alone, this is an issue facing commercial shark diving operations worldwide-loss of sharks:

The English version of Jérôme's shark film carries the following dedication:

To Ella and Mathilda
victims of man's madness

This is in reference to a recent spate of Tiger Shark fatalities in Aliwal Shoal.

Very tragic and very stupid, too, as South Africa benefits from a thriving Shark Diving Industry and has much to loose indeed in terms of reputation as an Ecotourism destination but also, in terms of tourism revenues and related employment opportunities.

The incidents have caused much uproar among Shark aficionados - but I fear, not much beyond that. I hope I'm wrong. In that respect, the comment by one "Anonymous" on a South African blog may have been prophetic. The author is clearly an insider and probably someone with a pedigree of getting things done (I got my suspicions...). He evidently also knows of the harmonious, dispassionate, un-opinionated, pragmatic and never controversial world of Shark Conservation, as witnessed by his choice to remain unrecognized - and by the ensuing comments!

This is what he wrote.

"Look guys,this is what? 3-5-6-7-8 dead Tigers this year alone?

If you cannot figure it out let me suggest the following things that can be done by YOU today to get some traction on this as neither you nor Julie-let's saver some sharks-really have a clue.

• Start a damn website, go after the sharks board by highlighting who's on the damn board and why they are there in the first place. Any dirt on those folks? Find out!
• Get some help from a qualified NGO like say, PEW Trusts, not Shark Savers as that whole message on a pizza box thing plus blog posts equals shark hopelessness 101.
• Start making some real noise. You guys have hosted some of the top UW photographers over the past 5 years, leverage those guys to make some damn noise. Are they just in it for the image and money? If so shame on them, get them to start some action.
• No shark petitions, they are as useless as third teats.
• Local media, hit them up for action. Surely, in all of the media you have, there has to be a friendly shark voice. Find it!
• Create and post at least 10-2 min PSA's on You Tube, yes 10, and get your dive buddies to spread the word and that means all those photographers you know as well.

If you cannot get some action from your own home waters then stop posting this crap. DO something better than this. These are YOUR damn animals and YOU have to make changes not the rest of the planet. Good luck."

Good Point!

Question is: what has happened since?

Is everybody over there (as in local dive operators, NGOs, etc.) working together and has dialogue been sought with the Authorities? As in, finding solutions?

Squalene "The Other Shark Killer"

Squalene found in sharks livers, is perhaps the second most sought after raw product of sharks. Where the value of the animal is almost worthless compared to just its liver. Used in high end cosmetics millions of animals each year are killed just to acquire their squalene. Unfortunately this poor use of sharks gets almost no media attention compared to the well covered and ongoing eco disaster of shark finning. Here's a graphic example of why the shark conservation community should focus in 2009 on the twin killers of sharks, finning and squalene harvest.

This gravid female Tiger shark is having her liver carefully harvested while near term pups litter the ground in the UAE. This is a scene being replayed in thousands of small ports all over the planet right now. The bigger the shark the more squalene a fisherman can harvest leading to the one time "targeted kills" of entire breeding populations:

Why "some people" should never dive with sharks

Not photo shopped, not funny either.

Why filmmakers feel the need to use very dead Tiger sharks in films and or television shoots is beyond us.

This kind of reminds us of a similar rant we soapboxed a few weeks ago concerning another Tiger from another shoot at another time. Of course that film was shot by Italians in 1979 so you have to forgive them...they knew not what they were doing.

As for this guy, clearly he knows not what he is doing either. If you're going to ride a dead Tiger (click image for full horror) ensure the crew has kept it in the ocean so it does not dry up as badly as this one did. Makes for a more credible scene.

Really now, where's the professionalism here?

Mark Addison Terrible Day For Sharks

Mark Addison runs Blue Wilderness shark diving in the Ailwal Shoal Marine Protected Area.

Today was a dark day for Tiger shark conservation at that site as he and his team discovered three stunning animals caught in fisherman's nets.

One of the smaller animals was "rescued" by Mark but the blow to this dive site is something you cannot even begin to imagine.

We'll keep you updated as to the next steps to be taken here. Overall it's been a tough week for sharks, highlighting the global need from Australia to South Africa for local protections and initiatives for sharks.

Here's the email we got this afternoon:

Dear all,

Today was a tragic day for the tiger sharks in the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area. Two animals were killed in the shark nets at Scottburgh this morning and we were able to free another little girl later in the day.

Kind regards
Mark

Blue Wilderness Dive Expeditions
see us at: www.bluewilderness.co.za
or call us: +27 (0)39 973 2348
fax: +27 (0)86 648 5072
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