The world's most misunderstood creature?
Sharks are one of the oldest creatures on Earth. As apex predators, they play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem, keeping marine life in balance.
But they’re being slaughtered on a shocking scale.
Around 100 million are killed each year. If they disappeared and stopped regulating fish populations, then the ocean as we know it would be plunged into chaos.
We must save them, before it’s too late. Please donate now. With your help, we can tip the scales back in the sharks’ favour.
Why are sharks under threat?
Sharks are hunted for their meat, skin and fins, which are used to make products such as shark fin soup, lubricants and leather. Unfortunately, demand for shark fin soup is still extremely high and has even skyrocketed in recent years – largely due to the increased prosperity of countries that regard shark fins as a delicacy.
The trade is taking its toll. In one of their most crucial locations for example – Myanmar’s Myeik Archipelago – a recent study found 90% of fishers observed that numbers of sharks and rays were declining. That’s a story which we’re now hearing time and time again all over the planet.
Scalloped hammerhead and two Requiem sharks in roadside shark catch on Simuelue Island, Aceh, Indonesia C Rob Harris IPTC - Credit © Rob Harris / Fauna & Flora
Scalloped hammerhead and two Requiem sharks spotted in roadside shark catch - sadly this sight is all too common.
What would happen if sharks disappeared?
It is a terrifying prospect to imagine what could happen if they were to disappear – sharks have existed since the time of the dinosaurs and ocean life has evolved with them.
Sharks play a crucial role in the ocean ecosystem as apex predators, keeping marine life in balance. For example, by keeping certain prey numbers in check, they prevent overgrazing of seagrass, a plant that can store carbon at around 35 times the rate of tropical forests.
If sharks were to disappear the implications would be disastrous, not just for sharks themselves, but for the wider marine environment and the people who depend on it.
How is Fauna & Flora helping to save sharks?
Fauna & Flora is working with our partners to increase marine protected areas and vital no-take zones, allowing marine life in these areas to recover and flourish in the long term.
Our experts are working hard to encourage sustainable fishing practices and are helping to change negative attitudes towards sharks, as well as delivering vital training in how to remove hooks from them safely when they are caught accidentally.
We are also supporting crucial campaigns aimed at ending the consumption of shark fin soup, one of the biggest contributors to shark declines.
We must save sharks and maintain the delicate ecosystem that all marine life depends on. With your support, we can make sure the dedicated conservation teams working to protect them have everything they need.
£289
could help towards buying a boat, allowing wardens to patrol marine protected areas and make sure the wildlife that lives there stays safe.
£76
could support a training session educating communities on how to safely remove hooks from sharks.
£21
could support specialist surveys of marine areas, helping us to put action plans in place for species such as sharks.
Why Fauna & Flora?
Fauna & Flora have been protecting species all around the world for decades. If we can get the funding, we’re confident this approach can work because it’s done so before.
Black rhinos, mountain gorillas and many more species were once on the absolute brink of extinction. But people like you gave us the power to act and – while they’re not out of the woods yet – these species are now on a remarkable journey to recovery.
It is only through your support that we can put our proven methods and experience into practice and help save so many more species.