Basking Shark Workshop August 2009
Basking shark (Photo: SOSF)
Save Our Seas Foundation Basking shark workshop brings together leading scientists to tackle shark conservation Issues.
The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) and the SOSF-funded Project Basking Shark are sponsoring a workshop on the ecology and conservation of the world’s second largest fish, the Basking Shark. The main aim of the workshop is to discuss the conservation significance of the recent discovery that basking sharks cross whole ocean basins made by researchers at Project Basking Shark.
The meeting will take place from the 2nd to 6th August in Port Erin on the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea, mid-way between Britain and Ireland. It will be hosted by the Department of Environment of the Isle of Man Government and by the Manx Wildlife Trust’s Basking Shark Watch.
Basking sharks, despite their gargantuan size (up to 15 metres) and iconic status, were heavily exploited during the mid 20th century for their livers, which were processed to extract an oil called squalene. More recently, baskng sharks world-wide have been caught up in the demand for shark fins to supply the Asian demand for shark-fin soup.
The species is now protected through Western Europe, with indications that numbers may be increasing. Dr Mauvis Gore, a SOSF biologist leading the Project Basking Shark, states, “The extent of their recovery, however, will be affected by the ocean basin crossing discovery. Migrating across the globe to favoured temperate coastal waters in Europe, North America and the southern hemisphere, the sharks may be protected in some waters but may cross into dangerous territories where laws and measure to protect them are not in place.”
Some of the worlds foremost marine researchers will be attending this workshop in the hopes of formulating a collaborative plan that will better protect these gentle giants.
Workshop Contact:
For further details of the workshop please contact:
Dr Mauvis Gore of Project Basking Sharks Scotland,
mauvis [at] saveourseas.com
Media Contact:
For more information, media interviews or photographs please contact:
Cheryl-Samantha Owen
sam [at] saveourseas.com
Download the provisional programme | Download the flyer | Download the registration and call for papers | Download travel information |
Further details of the workshop, which will be held in the coastal town of Port Erin, can be obtained from Dr. Mauvis Gore of Project Basking Shark Scotland (mauvis@saveourseas.com), or Jackie Hall of Manx Basking Shark Watch (Inter.Tech@btinternet.com), or Dr. Fiona Gell of the Isle of Man Department of Environment (Fiona.Gell@gov.im). Further information including a conference brouchure will be published on a workshop page on the Save Our Seas site as well as the Manx Basking Shark Watch site (www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.com).
The Save Our Seas Foundation is a non-profit organization that establishes and supports scientific research and educational projects focused on the need to protect our world’s oceans. Its initiatives provide key information about the importance of maintaining the delicate ecological balance in marine ecosystems. In particular, SOSF aims to learn more about the role sharks and rays play as top predators and the devastating consequences of removing them from our seas.
Using knowledge based on sound science, SOSF aims to inspire people to appreciate the intricate nature of how we are all bound to the health of the sea. Teaching the children of today to be custodians of our marine world tomorrow, it implores every generation to act now and make a difference.
The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) and the SOSF-funded Project Basking Shark are sponsoring a workshop on the ecology and conservation of the world’s second largest fish, the Basking Shark. The main aim of the workshop is to discuss the conservation significance of the recent discovery that basking sharks cross whole ocean basins made by researchers at Project Basking Shark.
The meeting will take place from the 2nd to 6th August in Port Erin on the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea, mid-way between Britain and Ireland. It will be hosted by the Department of Environment of the Isle of Man Government and by the Manx Wildlife Trust’s Basking Shark Watch.
Basking sharks, despite their gargantuan size (up to 15 metres) and iconic status, were heavily exploited during the mid 20th century for their livers, which were processed to extract an oil called squalene. More recently, baskng sharks world-wide have been caught up in the demand for shark fins to supply the Asian demand for shark-fin soup.
The species is now protected through Western Europe, with indications that numbers may be increasing. Dr Mauvis Gore, a SOSF biologist leading the Project Basking Shark, states, “The extent of their recovery, however, will be affected by the ocean basin crossing discovery. Migrating across the globe to favoured temperate coastal waters in Europe, North America and the southern hemisphere, the sharks may be protected in some waters but may cross into dangerous territories where laws and measure to protect them are not in place.”
Some of the worlds foremost marine researchers will be attending this workshop in the hopes of formulating a collaborative plan that will better protect these gentle giants.
Workshop Contact:
For further details of the workshop please contact:
Dr Mauvis Gore of Project Basking Sharks Scotland,
mauvis [at] saveourseas.com
Media Contact:
For more information, media interviews or photographs please contact:
Cheryl-Samantha Owen
sam [at] saveourseas.com
Download the provisional programme | Download the flyer | Download the registration and call for papers | Download travel information |
Further details of the workshop, which will be held in the coastal town of Port Erin, can be obtained from Dr. Mauvis Gore of Project Basking Shark Scotland (mauvis@saveourseas.com), or Jackie Hall of Manx Basking Shark Watch (Inter.Tech@btinternet.com), or Dr. Fiona Gell of the Isle of Man Department of Environment (Fiona.Gell@gov.im). Further information including a conference brouchure will be published on a workshop page on the Save Our Seas site as well as the Manx Basking Shark Watch site (www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.com).
The Save Our Seas Foundation is a non-profit organization that establishes and supports scientific research and educational projects focused on the need to protect our world’s oceans. Its initiatives provide key information about the importance of maintaining the delicate ecological balance in marine ecosystems. In particular, SOSF aims to learn more about the role sharks and rays play as top predators and the devastating consequences of removing them from our seas.
Using knowledge based on sound science, SOSF aims to inspire people to appreciate the intricate nature of how we are all bound to the health of the sea. Teaching the children of today to be custodians of our marine world tomorrow, it implores every generation to act now and make a difference.