Bite- Back

[chomper]

BITE-BACK'S NEW APPROACH TO SHARK CONSERVATION
Never before has there been such an urgent need for shark conservation.

Shark populations are being decimated at a rate of 270,000 sharks each day across the world simply to keep up with consumer demand. It is a rate that can no longer be sustained without fear of stocks collapsing, forcing the potential extinction of some shark species closer by the day.

Whilst it is hard to believe that Britain has any fascination with eating shark, the UK’s fastest growing shark and marine conservation organisation, Bite-Back, has revealed that 3290 tonnes of shark is consumed across the country each year. To give it some perspective, that’s roughly the equivalent in weight to 2200 Ford Fiestas.

Perversely, against this backdrop, shark meat is being popularised by ‘celebrity’ chefs, trendy restaurants and even supermarkets and, as such, Britain is compounding the worldwide problem of over-fishing, the single biggest threat to the marine environment.

Over-fishing is decimating shark populations

Put very simply, the fishing industry is being forced to catch sharks faster than they can reproduce, purely because more people want to eat it. The problem is so out of control that marine scientist Ransom Myers recently announced that stocks of some sharks have plummeted to just 10% of levels recorded in 1950.

Yet it is crucial to Bite-Back’s success to remember that over-fishing is a phenomenon that only exists because too many people are eating too few popular fish.

Traditionally shark conservation groups have attempted to tackle the issues of over-fishing for shark by lobbying government. Bite-Back is disappointed to argue that shark conservation might never reach the top of a political agenda.

Bite-Back is looking to establish a different agenda. It is an agenda that encourages retailers and consumers to actively manage the oceans, by choosing not to sell or buy shark meat and fins and therefore altering the dynamics of the supply and demand principle.

Whilst Bite-Back is not the only shark conservation organisation to encourage consumers to avoid eating shark meat and fins, it is the first organisation to directly challenge its inclusion by retailers on menus and fish counters.

Bite-Back believes the way forward for shark conservation efforts is to harness the support and passion of the diving community and concerned consumers and together apply pressure on the restaurants and retailers that sell shark, to stop.

By simply removing shark from menus and fish counters, the retail industry can ease the pressure on vulnerable species, promote shark conservation and help manage the oceans responsibly.

Bite-Back has proved that this new and upfront approach to shark conservation can capture the imagination of the diving community and concerned consumers and deliver high profile results.

Only last year 24 restaurants in the Wagamama chain removed shark from the menu and ASDA de-listed shark in 190 stores across the UK as a result of intervention by Bite-Back and supporters of shark conservation.

If sharks are only being killed at a rate of 11,250 an hour to keep up with consumer demand, then the answer for shark conservation in 2005 is to remove demand and the option to buy shark meat and fins and the first place.

It can be done. Bite-Back is doing it.

[Sam]

Hmmm... I wonder if dogfish would be a delicacy? There are plenty of them around in the spring.

[Pier_man0909]

they used to make fish and chips out of them.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by chomper

3290 tonnes of shark is consumed across the country each year.

Yeah, and that's metric "tons" too!

Dogfish is on the dinner table for many larger species. We need to have a balance of everything that swims in the seas.
Yep, we have a good supply of them and Skates at this time.

Skate is appearing on the menus of more and more restaurants now. It's only a matter of time before we see them decimated too.

A delicate balance, sure wish we could attain it and keep it....
Fin soup, ya gotta' be kidding...... YUCK!