Sharks! It's What's NOT for Dinner....

The planet's largest fish: the peaceful whale shark.

 Hold on to your hats folks, because Shark Week 2011 is on the horizon!  What started out as a series of highlights on the Discovery Channel has grown into an international celebration to showcase conservation efforts for what might be most misunderstood group of animals on the planet.  From Juliet Eilperin's Demonfish to stories in the news, everyone is talking about sharks.  This year, even singer Lady Gaga and SNL's Andy Samberg are teaming up to promote the event.  But, more significant than celebrity support is that these media-generated festivities can really create buzz that gives more meaning to scientific discovery, conservation triumphs, and even policy decisions in the eyes of the public.  Keep reading to learn more about some of the exciting shark news coming out this month.

The trouble of bycatch.

In a way, sharks really do have it tough.  Similar to many of our long-lived charismatic ocean creatures, their populations have declined globally due to ecosystem changes, direct harvest, bycatch, international management challenges, and pollution.  However, unlike dolphins and whales, for example, sharks have been demonized for decades AND eating them is not considered a moral taboo. More troubling, the global market for sharks is not driven by their meat but is motivated by the demand for only their fins, promoting over-exploitation and waste.  While none of this is new information, it deserves mention because as hard as shark-lovers try, it is difficult to convince the world that fewer sharks is actually a bad thing.

Despite this difficult situation, Chile and the Bahamas showed the world their appreciation for these apex predators by passing laws banning shark finning and making trade and possession of their precious fins illegal.  These two countries join a growing list of countries passing finning laws that includes Palau, Honduras, and the Maldives.  In many cases, these acts are not simply a national expression of compassion, but are evidence that the countries are acknowledging how valuable these animals are not just to their tropical ecosystems and food security, but mainly for the tourism industry. 

Sharks harvested for their fins.

Island nations are not the only countries working to protect sharks.  Aside from the large number of nonprofit organizations working on the issue in the U.S., NOAA also pursues research, conservation, outreach, and management.  These efforts largely amount to testing different fishing gear types to minimize bycatch, placing observers on fishing vessels, and developing international relationships.  However, not wanting to be left out of the digital social media age, NOAA jumped on the bandwagon and says, "wait, there's an app for that!"  That's right, NOAA released an android application so that anglers who release shortfin mako sharks can submit the timing and location of their catches with the touch of a few simple buttons.  Take a look at the data this tool has generated so far.

With technological advances and shifting international perceptions and moods, it seems that anything could be possible for these mysterious creatures.  Let's all think about ways that we can learn something new about them in honor of Shark Week!