Rethink the Shark SOSF is committed to helping people rethink their preconceptions about sharks. For far too long humans have considered the shark to be the monster of our seas. However, statistics suggest differently. Every year 100 million sharks are caught globally, whereas in 2007 just one human was killed by a shark. This begs the question: Who’s the real predator? As apex predators, sharks are essential to the oceans; they regulate and maintain the balance of life. Unfortunately, this important role that they fulfill is rarely acknowledged; sharks have suffered bad press for decades. In 1975, the movie ‘Jaws’ had a profound effect on people. The ocean was no longer welcoming. It hid monsters in its depths and sharks have suffered from that misguided reputation ever since. The movie unintentionally turned the world against sharks. Nowadays, sharks are under ever-increasing persecution; millions are caught every year in long-line fisheries, either as by-catch or in targeted

fisheries. Most sharks are ‘finned’; whilst still alive, their fins are cut from their bodies, and the rest of the shark is dumped overboard to drown.The fins are destined for a dish served at banquets and weddings in the Far East; shark fin soup is a symbol of privilege and social rank, costing up to US $100 a bowl. It’s the rising demand for this status symbol dish that is driving many species of shark towards extinction.

Seas the Day In 2009 we ran the Seas the Day short film competition asking people to make their own marine conservation video to showcase the threats faced by our oceans. The winning entry came from Alishia Hemingway and Mike Masson. "Side Dish" highlights the crucial issue of bycatch in commercial fisheries. Each year, millions of tonnes of unwanted, untargeted marine animals are caught by modern, indiscriminate fishing gear. The WWF estimates that over 300,000 small whales, dolphins, and porpoises die from entanglement in fishing nets each year, making bycatch the single largest cause of mortality for small cetaceans. Over 250,000 endangered loggerhead turtles and critically endangered leatherback turtles drown annually on longlines set for tuna, swordfish, and other fish.

In Awe of the Shark Save Our Seas sponsors some of the leading shark researchers around the world. These are people who spend their lives studying a creature that is feared by many but understood by few. We asked them questions about their feelings towards sharks. Their answers might surprise you.

Shark Nets - A Save Our Seas Investigation SOSF Chief Photographer, Thomas P. Peschak undertakes a photographic investigation of the shark nets off the East coast of South Africa. It's believed the nets form a barrier but few realise they are indiscriminate killers. If we don't find ways to peacefully co-exist with sharks, we risk a total collapse of the marine environment.

Save Our Sharks Sharks are being killed at alarming rates around the world mostly to supply the demands for shark fin soup in the East. This situation needs to change quickly if we want to have any chance of saving our sharks before they're gone forever.

Scary? Think sharks are scary? Well, a world without sharks is far scarier.