Shark Awareness Day

Today is Shark Awareness Day

Shark Awareness Day is every July 14th, and was founded to raise awareness and clear misconceptions about sharks, rays and skates.

Sharks are among the oldest inhabitants on the planet, fossils of ancient sharks have been dated as far back as 420 million years ago and modern sharks have existed for at least 100 million. Despite this, shark numbers have declined by roughly 70% in the last 50 years, due to overfishing, fishing nets and culls.

Contrary to popular belief, sharks are not cold-blooded killers. In Australia only three people are killed by sharks a year on average, you're more likely to be killed by a horse or a cow. In comparison, we lose an estimated 100 million sharks each year.

Rays and skates are closely related to sharks, all three belong to a group called elasmobranchs, which encompasses over 1200 species. These animals have skeletons made of cartilage instead of bone, which allows for incredible flexibility. Sadly, more than one third of species in the elasmobranchs family are at risk of extinction.

Rays and skates have found themselves under pressure as well, global warming, overfishing and the complications that stem from coral bleaching are affecting their numbers worldwide.

Sharks and their cousins are vitally important for marine ecosystems both at home and worldwide. So please, educate yourself about these incredible animals and the threats they face. Each person able to correct and clear misconceptions about sharks is needed to safeguard their survival.

Further Reading:

https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/sharks-deserve-our-fascination-and-protection-commentary/

https://sharkstewards.org/international-shark-day/

https://www.sharktrust.org/blog/shark-awareness-day

https://www.oceanlifeeducation.com.au/guide-to-shark-and-ray-awareness-day-in-australia/

Image Credit: Gerald Schömbs on Unsplash