Let’s face it, sharks have a bad rep. Ever since the blockbuster movie Jaws, people have been terrified of sharks and swimming in the sea because of them. Well sit tight, because in today’s blog, we hope to open your eyes and your hearts with some cold-blooded facts about these beloved animals and a little about the shark conservation that goes on to support them.
- Number one, did you know the odds of getting attacked and killed by a shark are 1 in 3,748,067? 1 in 3,748,067!!!
- How about the fact that you are actually more likely to die from fireworks or being struck by lightning than you are getting attacked by a shark
Interesting huh? Let’s see. It was fireworks night last weekend in the UK, and not once did I hear anyone say they weren’t going outside, just in case they got attacked and killed by a firework. My point exactly.
The sad truth is this. Sharks kill approximately 6 humans each year. That figure is worldwide.
But the real killers are us humans.
With over 100 million sharks killed every year by humans. That’s approximately 11,000 sharks killed every hour. Many of these sharks are killed due to shark finning.
Our friends over at Sugar Shark love sharks as much as we do. Because of their shared love for sharks they have created an awesome product with the mission to help save sharks and support shark conservation everywhere while inspire others to love sharks as much as they do.
This is why they created Sugar Shark.
Sugar Shark, Helping to Save the Sharks
Simon Schneider and James Stawicki are both avid divers lucky enough to regularly be in the presence of these beautiful animals, sharks. However, it wasn’t until they started sharing these amazing encounters with their friends, that they both realised that the most frequent response and questions they were asked were “Weren’t you scared?”, “Aren’t they really dangerous?” or “Didn’t they try to attack you?”.
With this kind of reaction, they knew they had to change people’s perception of sharks. They figured that the best way to spread the word would be by selling a unique fashionable item, so they gave us the Sugar Shark Bracelet. Along with the sale of this bracelet and using social media they plan to inspire others by sharing people’s positive encounters with sharks. And it’s working!
With firm beliefs that education is the key to the solution of this problem, they believe that if they can change people’s opinions of sharks they would be able to use this a leverage to following up with helping educate people in and around Asia about the truth behind shark fin soup.
What is Shark Finning?
Shark finning is the process of cutting off the fins of a shark and then discarding the body, often when the shark is still alive, at sea. This wasteful and cruel practice is currently the greatest threat facing sharks, contradicting all principles of sustainable shark fisheries management and conservation.
Tens of millions of sharks are caught each year for their fins – an upper estimate proposes that the fins of as many as 73 million sharks are traded annually.
If you are unfamiliar with what shark fin soup is, and the acts and consequences of shark finning then please please take the time to read into shark finning. I would also recommend watching Gordon Ramsey’s Shark Bait documentary. It’s a hard watch, but honestly, we need to know what really happens to help prevent it from continuing. Join the campaign, help save the sharks and stop the unsustainable trade in shark fins.
Bringing Sharks into Everyday Conservation
The guys at Sugar Shark are both so passionate about supporting the cause as sharks have always taken a special place in their hearts. Let’s hear a little from them.
Simon Schneider has always been a lover of sharks, even from a young age. He says “From childhood memories of watching shark documentaries in awe to spending hours playing with a miniature Great White in my bathtub, sharks were always there. To this date, sharks inspire me in my approach to daily life, and this is my opportunity to both share what sharks have given me in my life with the world, as well as give something back to these amazing animals.”
James Stawicki has been scuba diving from a very young age, it’s no wonder why he is so passionate about these animals. He says “Being a diver since the age of 8, the marine environment has always been a weak spot of mine. I remember my first trip to Marsa Shagra on the Red Sea, where I constantly nagged my dad to go diving with me so I could find a shark. 13 years later, not much has changed. As a kid I even donated parts of my birthday money to an anti-shark finning project, and I now want to take this to the next level.”
Together they have made it their mission to bring sharks into everyday conservation. Not only to shine light on this global issue but to also save our sharks from extinction.
The bracelet is available to ship worldwide and comes in three different colours; blue, red and green. By purchasing the bracelet, Sugar Shark will donate 10% of its profits to WildAid in order to help support shark programmes and fund their heroic efforts to save our sharks.
Join the mission today and help shine light on this global issue and bring sharks into everyday conservation. We can help save our sharks from extinction. We just need to act. With like-minded people making small contributions, we can make a big difference.
What are you waiting for? Get your Sugar Shark bracelet here and help save the sharks!
Sharks, you’re awesome.
Simon and James, you guys are pretty cool too! Keep up the great work and shark conservation!
If you are as passionate about marine life and conservation as much as we are, be sure to check out Project Ocean for more ways you can help show your support.
