Page 68 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Sharks & Ocean Predators
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In British seas, the nearest thing we have to a great white
is the porbeagle shark. This species looks like a smaller because they have precious few friends, and are
fundamentally misunderstood animals in need of an
version of the great white, feeding on squid, and other image makeover. Secondly, because they are probably
fish and sharks, and shares some of the vulnerabilities the group of animals that has brought me the most joy

of its more iconic cousin. Porbeagles are long-lived, but and fascination throughout my life, through jaw-dropping
take a long time to mature. They may be pregnant for a and unforgettable encounters. And thirdly because their
year or more, and produce few young. This is a common biology, and our fishing practices, make them peculiarly

strategy amongst sharks and other apex marine predators, vulnerable. These are species that are vital to the wider
and has worked fabulously for them over the last 400 ecosystem health: it is essential that we do not lose sharks
million years. However, porbeagles now fi nd themselves from our seas.

facing a ruthlessly efficient hunter: us. The sharks have So what is the answer? We have all the science and

been overfished to the brink of extinction, mostly for research at our fingertips to know what we can and can’t

their meat and fish oil, and for their fins, which are used catch, but regulations need to be put in place to make sure

in Chinese shark fin soup. Fishermen searching for we keep our fishing at a sustainable level. History shows us

more commercially viable species kill many porbeagles all too often that unrestricted exploitation and unregulated
as accidental by-catch; indeed they are often sold as trade leads to population numbers crashing, potentially

‘swordfish’, which their meat resembles. Now critically never to recover. This is all too true for sharks; while some

BELOW The angel shark endangered in the North Atlantic, fisheries face decades protection and management has been secured for those
was heavily hunted in the of panic management to make sure paltry populations of most under threat, many species remain exposed to the
1980s, leaving its numbers
dangerously reduced, even this wonderful shark stand any chance of surviving. impacts of uncontrolled fi shing.
to this day Porbeagle sharks are not alone in their plight; angel We need to start acting now. Organisations like the UK-
sharks and common skate are functionally extinct in our based Shark Trust are calling on high seas management
waters, and overfishing of tope and spiny dogfi sh authorities and governments, demanding the adoption of

(once our most abundant sharks) has almost effective management for stocks before there’s a need
entirely depleted their numbers. to talk recovery plans. Campaigns such as Bite Back are
It’s a conservation nightmare that has aiming to bring an end to the selling of shark fin soup at

been repeated a thousand times through UK restaurants. Direct pressure onto supermarkets can
recent human history: not recognising that change what they choose to stock. Science-based catch
animals are close to extinction until it’s far limits would be sustainability in action, both for the species
too late to save them. and for the communities that rely on them.
The reasons I’ve chosen to focus If we lose the sharks, the mighty, mysterious lords of the

on sharks are manifold. Firstly, deep, our planet’s oceans will be infinitely poorer places.
“They are fundamentally misunderstood
animals in need of an image makeover”
Porbeagles prefer
cold water, generally
around one to 18
degrees Celsius
(33.8 to 64.4 degrees
Fahrenheit)

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