SRI Manta Study - Shark Fishing

Hey guys. Just got back from an eye-opening trip to Manta, Ecuador. The local fisheries there are apparently totally unregulated:

http://www.echeng.com/travel/manta/

dead blue sharks, manta, ecuador

I just had a look, Eric. Amazing and powerful images. I especially like the ones of the thresher sharks. Galling, but effective when used for conservation, especially when seen alongside your beautiful UW shots of living sharks.

Alex

Eric

Great, but hugely disturbing, photos - I haven't seen many of those beautiful creatures in the ocean yet and would have just been in bits to see them in that state... makes me very, very sad...

Mel

This is disturbing and very unfortunate.

Speaking as someone who was there to witness everything, it is truly a depressing thought - as I extrapolate the numbers of sharks being landed in all the small fishing villages across Ecuador, the rest of central and south america and ultimately the world. The images from Manta are both appalling and powerful and remind us that if we wish to continue seeing these beautiful animals through our lenses awareness and change must be initiated. It is through the critcal work of organizations like Shark Research Institute that these goals may eventually be accomplished. Please take the time to support conservation efforts so that future generations of soggy photogs can encounter free swimming sharks. SRI - www.sharks.org

As a postnote I went from Manta to Galapagos and it was an amazing foil to see hundreds of sharks healthy and swimming. It is important to point out that the Galapagos is a marine reserve and no fishing is allowed there. However, even there the sharks are under attack, as the national park service apprehended two illegal fishing vessels within the reserve boundaries during the week I was there. Considering the vast area of the reserve and the small enforcement force the Galapagos has, I only wonder how many boats are slipping in and out and successfully perpetrating shark poaching. Attached is a pic of a section of a school of Silky sharks taken off Darwin - hopefully this image of shark abundance will be able to be reproduced 10, 20, even 50 years from now.