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A Conservation and Species Informant

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100

Million sharks are killed every year by humans

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71%

Decline in sharks and ray populations since 1970

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391

Species of sharks and rays are found critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable

Ways to Help Sharks
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Raise Awareness

Educating about sharks and their importance to the ocean ecosystem helps debunk the perception that they are only people-eating monsters but so much more. Awareness can change fear into empowering people to save sharks from extinction.

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Use Your Voice

Fight to save sharks by supporting and pushing for legislation that condemns unsustainable overfishing, illegal fishing, the finning of sharks. Instead ask your government and corporations to protect shark habitats, opt for sustainable fishing and get rid of unnecessary shark products.

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Be Informed

We have lost touch with where our food and products come from and what they actually contain. So, do your best to stay informed on what fish products might be mislabeled or unnecessarily contain shark. Research can help you support the most sustainable practices

Who We Are

Shield the Sharks is dedicated to the education of shark conservation and preservation. Our mission is to raise awareness of sharks' declining populations and how that would affect the balance of the ocean. We are raising awareness through social media to help combat fearful perceptions of sharks in order to save them!

Why Sharks?

The IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species update ran the alarm since over one third of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction now. Sharks are crucial to the ocean’s ecosystem, biodiversity and to our economies. Sharks keep fish populations from increasing too much, they spread important nutrients to coral reefs and around the ocean, even into the deep sea from the surface. This allows the ocean and marine life to thrive thus allowing us opportunities for healthy and sustainable fishing or tourism.

The project started with overcoming the fear of sharks by learning about them and debunking the age-old rhetoric that they are to be feared. The reality that they are more scared of us and are more threatened by human activity than we are of them made this an important topic to raise awareness for.

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Important Petitions

#BanSharkFinning

Ask your politicians to ban the trade of shark fins in the U.S. Although shark finning is prohibited in U.S. waters, the country still has a market for shark fins.

Protect Tope Sharks

List Tope sharks under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Overexploitation of this species is leading to their extinction. Keep updated on DTA's progress.

Say No to Shark Fins

As many as 73 million sharks are traded throughout the world to satisfy the hunger for shark fin soup. Ask the U.S. to support the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act. 

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