It is with great pleasure that I share here an article that my friend Vinicius J. Giglio, Adjunct Professor at the Federal University of Western Pará, Oriximiná Campus, recommended!
On May 8, 2024, Bori Agência published an article demonstrating the fragile balance that populations of the water-bellied shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) presented in the region of Arraial do Cabo, RJ. It is estimated that since 1954 more than 70% of the population has disappeared.
The data comes from a study from the federal universities of Fluminense (UFF), Santa Maria (UFSM) and Oeste do Pará (Ufopa) published in the journal “Neotropical Ichthyology”.
“Fishermen reported six species of sharks, all categorized as threatened according to national and global lists, such as the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature”, explains Carine Fogliarini, study leader and researcher at UFSM.
I had the opportunity to meet Doctor Carine de Oliveira Fogliarini in person during a Biology week in Santa Maria, RS a few years ago, when I went there to talk about the situation of sharks in a Divers for Sharks lecture and mini course. And by the way, what a beautiful party there was after the events, congratulations to the organizers!
In fact, in my opinion and also of Divers for Sharks, if there are not MANY more STRICT PROTECTION AREAS in Brazil and around the world, the future of sharks will be that we will de seen at museums, documentaries and occasional aquariums with their last living individuals. In Nature? Approaching ZERO.
The results of the study point to the need for more effective ecosystem protection policies, expanding the involvement of local communities. The researcher defends the promotion of sustainable tourism, with effective fishing management, in places like Arraial do Cabo. “A live shark is worth much more than a dead animal where tourism to see these animals exists. Several countries have banned shark fishing due to the risk of species collapse and the importance of these animals for balancing food chains.”
And I couldn’t agree more!
Read the full article in the original post below: