Shark Focus www.sharktrust.org THE MAGAZINE OF THE SHARK TRUST Issue 43 March 2012 Demonised Darlings Addressing the Plight of the Cownose Ray A Most Peculiar Fish Insights into the Rarely Encountered Sawfish The Maldives The Times They are a’ Changing... Continuing Threats to South Africa’s White Sharks plus all your Shark Trust and EEA news Supporting the CAMPAIGN CORNER Supporting the European Elasmobranch Association THE SHARK TRUST 4 Creykes Court, The Millfields Plymouth PL1 3JB Tel: (+44) (0)1752 672008/672020 Fax: (+44) (0)1752 672008 Email:
[email protected] Website: http://www.sharktrust.org EDITORIAL A recent visit to South Africa reminded me of the depressing reality that the struggle to ensure a future for wildlife on our planet will not and cannot ever end. We’ll win Shark Focus a battle here and a skirmish there but the war will never be over. Twenty-one years Issue 43 March‑ 2012 ago South Africa passed a law protecting the White Shark. Despite this law, and Features despite the huge revenues generated by eco-tourism, the sharks now face increasing pressure from illegal targeted angling, and a possible nuclear power station 4 Demonised Darlings: Addressing the Plight of the Cownose Ray development that activists fear will seriously degrade the marine environment in the As Europe debates the future of the European Shark presentation on behalf of over 60,000 British citizens Shark Trust and SEA LIFE London aquarium celebrate the 5 A Quick Guide to Marine Ecology Dyer Island area (see page 18). Finning Regulation, the Shark Trust demonstrates the who have joined the Shark Trust and UK Shark Alliance fantastic British support for amending the EU finning ban.