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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Mini-sub to probe behaviour of basking sharks

Basking sharks are one of the three shark species protected under CITES. They are the second-largest shark alive (after the whale shark) yet are gentle filter-feeders. Only 8,200 of them left!
We need to protect these unique sharks before they disappear!

The ocean is one big watery plane. Exploitive fishing practices in any region can affect populations miles away. Stop eating shark fin!
Mini-sub to probe behaviour of basking sharks
15 January 2009, By LOTTIE RAY, Isle of Man Today

THE Isle of Man is to host a conference on basking sharks this summer following four years of ground-breaking research.

The Island's basking shark population has received worldwide attention since a shark tagged in Manx waters crossed the Atlantic in 2007. It was previously believed basking sharks on this side of the Atlantic were a completely different group to those off the Americas.

Manx Basking Shark Watch (MBSW) plans to join the Shark Alliance, a group of scientists calling for worldwide protection for all shark species.

'Every year tens of millions of different sharks are killed for their fins, so people can eat shark fin soup,' said Jackie.'This is a very cruel practice. The fins are cut off and the shark is thrown back into the sea to die a slow and painful death.'

It is estimated there are now only about 8,200 basking sharks left.

'We are close to losing them,' said Jackie. 'This practice must be stopped and our tagging work lends power to the scientific argument against it.'

Our evidence that these sharks cross the Atlantic has put a whole new light on the urgent need for worldwide conservation measures to be taken.'

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