We NEED sharks.

All of these pictures were posted by Shark Guardian on Facebook on 7th May 2019.  With the following words

These are sharks caught LEGALLY using fishing nets on the Great Barrier Reef. This shouldn't be happening in our world but IT IS. There are at least four sawfish on this boat and they are one of the MOST ENDANGERED sharks. This is not okay. If this is as repulsive to stomach to you as it is to us, the smallest thing you can do is sign the petition below to try and remove the three remaining industrial sized gill nets from the water. Humane Society International Australia have won battles with the Australian government before, and they will do it again. If this isn't bad enough can we also point out that the sharks on these boats will have their fins removed and sold into the shark fin trade. Australia, can we also point out that sharks are NEEDED to keep your reef HEALTHY, just a reminder as you seem to have forgotten!

Shark conservation has become an increasingly important practice due to the negative effects of human activity on these amazing creatures. Human actions include overfishing (for shark fin soup), capture and killing for souvenir purposes, and practices that protect humans-something that is increasingly common with the advent of movies which sensationalise the danger of sharks.

This sensationalisation of sharks has led to many dive ‘experiences’ which further threaten their normal way of life, both in the wild through baiting and through capture and captivity in shark tanks.

Like all marine species, they are also victim to bycatch, capture in ghost nets, and marine debris-particularly plastic. An endangered species is defined as a population of a living species that is in danger of becoming extinct because the species has a very low or falling population, or because they are threatened by varying environmental or prepositional parameters.

One Third of all shark species are considered either Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered as listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. 70-200million sharks are caught each year and in some areas have seen up to a 90% decline in their population.

​These incredible creatures play a vital role in many marine ecosystems-some of which support human survival

The time to ACT is NOW, so what are you going to do to protect our oceans?