Sharkophile

The latest shark news, photos and videos

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Mako sharks, guitarfish may get additional protections

The Mexican government will back an effort to add both shortfall and long fin mako sharks to to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora when the group meets during its annual summit in 2019. Additionally, the governments of Senegal and Sri Lanka announced they will support similar inclusion of […]

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Spreading shark fin awareness with animation

A conservation group has turned to a traditional form of art to combat a less-than-beautiful tradition. WildAid’s new public information campaign, which uses traditional Chinese cartoons, seeks to reduce shark fin consumption in mainland China. The campaign, which includes subway murals, billboards and online interactive animation, is running in Guangzhou, Guangdong, Fujian, and Guangxi provinces, where […]

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Sharkwater Extinction a memorial to Rob Stewart’s spirit

Rob Stewart’s mission will live on forever through films. The underwater videographer and conservationist taught the world to love and not fear sharks through his images. He founded the groups United Conservationists and Fin Free, while inspiring others to do the same. His documentaries have led to legislative changes and spawned the careers of dozens who wished to […]

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Satellite tracking may be key to more effective shark sanctuaries

A team of researchers from UC Santa Barbaras’s Marine Science Institute and the Bren School of Environmental Science found some surprising results after they affixed satellite tracking tags on 15 grey reef sharks off the coast of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of those 15 tagged sharks, eight of them were likely poached by illegal fisherman in […]

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Study: Demand for shark fin soup leading to population declines

A new study by researchers from the University of Hong Kong, the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia and WildAid Hong Kong, reveals that the decline in shark populations is directly attributed to “wealthy consumers’ growing appetite for fin soup,” according to a new study published in the journal, Marine Policy. “Sea Around […]

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Madagascar a playground for young whale sharks

By Nora Ward, Mongabay.com Whale sharks don’t need help being spectacular. The world’s biggest fish is impressive in nearly every aspect, growing as long as 12 meters (40 feet) and weighing up to 21 tons. Their enormous mouths contain thousands of teeth, and their backs feature constellations of white spots that make them look like […]

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The Conversation: Shark tourism can change your mind about much-maligned predators

By Michele Barnes, James Cook University and Sarah Ruth Sutcliffe, James Cook University Shark ecotourism can change people’s attitudes about sharks and make them more likely to support conservation projects – even after allowing for the fact that ecotourists are more likely to be environmentally minded in the first place. In our research, published in the […]

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Analysis shows some sharks still vulnerable to fishing pressure

A new study from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science found that despite the habitats’ of several vulnerable species of sharks being “relatively well protected from longline fishing,” there are still areas in the Southeast United States where the sharks continue to face fishing pressure. The new study, which focused on great […]

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Proper fishery management could slow risk of extinction for some sharks

A new study by the University of British Columbia found that effective fisheries management at a local level can reduce the probability of extinction risk for vulnerable species such as dusky sharks by as much as 63 percent. “Effective fisheries management plans, coupled with actions to limit greenhouse gas emissions, both separately, but especially in tandem, […]