SharkLab Malta is an organization who's objective is to protect sharks, rays and skates. They do this by research and public education around the Maltese islands. Their primary goal is to protect sharks. These predators are important parts of the marine ecosystem but they are becoming increasingly rare and face extinction. SharkLab Malta do various research activities such as snorkel and dive searches which allows them to observe local species and examine more closely the habitat where they continue to hold on.
RESEARCH:
SharkLab Malta has been doing research on the development of several egg-laying shark species that live in the Maltese waters. The research includes hatching sharks from egg cases recovered from the fish market. They release the hatched sharks back into the Mediterranean to help numbers of these species to increase. This is very important research as many species of sharks are disappearing form the waters.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
SharkLab is expanding and they are looking for new members who want to make a difference!
Sharks are cartilaginous fish. There are at least 300 types of species of sharks. Some sharks are some of the most efficient predators in the ocean. They are important parts of the marine eco system but are becoming rare and, in many cases, face extinction. Sharks have survived 5 major extinctions but they still rank among the most endangered animals on the planet. Why?
Part of the Circle
Sharks are important and are on top of the food chain. They keep populations of other fish healthy and and prevent them to over populate to keep balance in their habitats. They go after the old, sick, or slower fish keeping that population healthier so that those prey species don’t cause harm to the ecosystem by becoming too populous. Sharks also regulate the behavior of prey species, and prevent them from overgrazing habitats. If sharks are eliminated the ecosystem will lose its balance.
Example by Shark Savers: In the Atlantic a shark population was destroyed. The cownose rays population overgrew (a shark prey) and ate all the scallops ending a 100 year old scallop fishery.
Sharks in Trouble
Sharks face extinction mostly due to shark finning. Sharks are caught and their fins are chopped off and although the fins are of high value their bodies are not and the sharks are thrown back into the ocean, alive, to drown... Thousands of sharks die each year due to finning. We don't need it, its inhuman, not even nutritious...Stop finning and help the sharks.
Videos
Fin soup shark is a delicacy in Asia, however this industry is driving the killing and waste of hundreds of millions of sharks a year. Watch what divers in Singapore had to say about this.
Do we need to eat shark fin soup? Watch why you do not need and shouldn't do it.
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