Terrifying Great White Sharks (let’s put the record straight)
Although England has harmless basking sharks, we don’t have great white sharks in England. They may look terrifying with their huge sets of teeth, but actually toasters kill more people each year.
Most shark attacks are when they mistake glistening surfboards for fish, and end up taking a bite of a human (who can bleed to death), but usually never eats a person, as we are not their natural diet.
Killing sharks is not just cruel, but plays havoc with ecosystems (in nature, sharks are predators of fish, and everything is kept in balance).
Many sharks are used to make shark fin soup (no taste, it’s just used for food decoration). The fins are cut off, and then the sharks are thrown back to sea, to die. Shark fins are illegal to import into the UK.
Some chip shops are now selling shark (labelling it dogfish), as cod is now so endangered, there are not enough stocks.
Also never buy shark teeth when abroad, as souvenirs.
Visit Bite-Back for ways to help all sharks across the world. This includes (if you eat fish) knowing which brands of tuna to avoid (some also are harming sharks and other marine creatures). You can also contact the charity to alert them of anyone selling shark.
The number of sharks being slaughtered every day – primarily for shark fin soup – is shocking, and it’s got to stop. It’s time the public learned to regard sharks as the lions and leopards of the oceans, and get right behind shark conservation campaigns, before it’s too late. Steve Backshall
If you sail a boat and spot a shark (or any marine wildlife), keep at least 100 feet away (or further away if possible for large creatures). If the creature approaches your boat, switch the engine off and slow your speed to 4 knots.
Never use jet skis or flash photography. If you dive or snorkel, enter the water gently, to avoid splashing, and again keep your distance – it’s their territory, not yours.
Choose Plant-Based Squalane (beauty, supplements, medicines)
They may be scary, but sharks form an important part of the ecosystem (toasters kill more people, and usually shark attacks are due to the creatures mistaking people or surfboards for fish).
They bite legs (which can of course lead to tragic death from blood loss). But they don’t eat people, we are not their natural diet.
Sharks are now endangered, and not least due to people killing them to make shark fin soup (leaving them to die, the fins are then used to decorate soup).
But also for the beauty, supplement and medicine industry. Squalane (also called squalene) is widely used for:
- Beauty products (mostly in Asia as UK brands are changing over due to consumer pressure). Mostly used for anti-wrinkle creams, deodorants, lip balms, lip sticks and sun protection.
- Supplements (this is the main use in the UK, in shark liver oil supplements). Most high street chains no longer sell them, but they are still legal to sell online, so boycott.
- Vaccines (it’s a main ingredient in many medical vaccines, so if you have a choice of ingredients, then ask your GP)
Killing sharks is not just cruel, but plays havoc with ecosystems (in nature, sharks are predators of fish, and everything is kept in balance).
It takes 3000 sharks to make just one ton of squalene, meaning almost 3 million sharks are killed each year. Just to take oil from their livers, to use in the beauty and pharmaceutical industries.
