For those of you are coming on our shark-tagging adventure this Thursday, but were unable to attend the saftey and information briefing today, we took a video for you to watch. So, if you are coming on the trip, please be sure to watch this before you come.
Finally, here is a brief summary of the presentation if you would like to re-read the key points:
Brendal’s Shark
Presentation
·
Art will give briefing about the actual boat
once we get there.
·
Be at the
dock at 7am!
·
Bring snacks and drinks; there will be a cooler
onboard.
·
Normally ends at 5:30pm, but it’s totally up to
us when we want to leave
·
Parents should be on stand-by to pick up kids.
·
Sharks get a bad rap; Jaws is not reality.
·
Normally, the types of interactions humans have
with sharks is diving, shark finning (shark fin soup), research
What makes sharks unique?
· They are chondrichthyes (Cartilage fish), slow to
reproduce
·
Sharks have survived 5 major extinctions, but
haven’t been threatened until people came along.
·
Sharks’ global conservation status
·
Big populations of sharks are in danger! Shark
fin soup and by-catch are the main threat. Populations are declining rapidly.
We kill 100 million sharks per year, and sharks kill about 5 people (by
mistake!)
What can we do?
·
Mitigate gear
·
Education! Like what we’re doing.
·
Working with fishermen
·
In order to give sharks legal protection, we
need research and information, and that’s why we tag sharks.
·
Porbeagles are an endangered species in Canada;
Makos are rare here too. We may not see these.
·
We will most likely see the Blue Sharks, as they
are pretty common in the area.
·
Shortfin Mako: the fastest fish in the ocean.
·
We might also see a Thresher Shark, which are
incredibly rare.
Take Home Messages:
·
Sharks are great predators, but they’re
vulnerable to increased mortality.
·
Large species in particular are declining in our
region.
·
This has probably led to cascading changes in
the ecosystem
·
Improving the conservation of shark species will
require creative new approaches.
·
Number 1
rule: Don’t go near the shark’s head and mouth!
We are super excited to see some of you on Thursday morning at the dock. :) Don't hesitate to contact us or Brendal (see earlier post) if you have any questions or concerns. For those of you who won't be joining us, don't worry, we'll take tonnes of pictures and post them here later.
Peace, Love, and Sharks!
-The IPYNC Staff
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