Tasmanian authorities concerned over rise of shark poachers
HOBART (TASMANIA)- Authorities of the Australian island state Tasmania are alarmed at reports and evidence of illegal activity in the state’s shark refuge areas. More and more fishers are posting photos of their catch while bragging on social media. In the past two years marine police have issued 27 shark-related finesContinue Reading
Sharks cause stressful lives for seals, new study finds
CAPE TOWN (South Africa)- A little added stress may be helpful to flee a dangerous situation, or to meet an approaching deadline. But what if you continuously live in stressful situations, where in the lurky cold waters the great white death awaits you? Researchers of the University of Miami (UM)Continue Reading
New Zealand can expect more great whites, scientists predict
INVERCARGILL (New Zealand)- With summer starting down under, scientists warn that New Zealanders face an influx of great white shark sightings in the coming months, as the warmer sea temperatures bring sharks and swimmers together. Great white sharks have already been spotted in New Zealand’s waters. A Kiwi surfer told Newshub he was surfingContinue Reading
New method for shark research: ‘No need to chase sharks anymore’
MANCHESTER (UK)- Forget about baiting, hooking and filming sharks for research. New methods are at rise. What about monitoring sharks through samples of seawater? Now a UK study, published in Scientific Reports, has shown it is possible to monitor these animals via environmental DNA (eDNA), whereby a sample of seawater can provide theContinue Reading
Tiger shark kills scuba diver
COCOS ISLAND (Costa Rica)- The pristine waters of Cocos Island, 340 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, saw their first ever shark attack when a 49-year old diver from the US was killed by a tiger shark this week. The woman, identified as a director at a New YorkContinue Reading
Stronger restrictions on overfishing mako sharks defeated at ICCAT
MARRAKECH (Morocco)- Bad news for the shortfin mako shark. Fishing nations gathered for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have failed to adopt recommended limits to protect shortfin mako sharks from overfishing or strengthen the regional ban on shark finning. The onlyContinue Reading
Remote coral reefs need protection for sharks
Shark diversity and abundance is highest in remote reefs, as far as 25 hours away from main cities. That’s the conclusion of an international study conducted in the New Caledonia archipelago. The authors urge to protect remote coral reefs, as only 1.5% on the entire planet – including a third ofContinue Reading