The plight of the ocean's Blue Sharks was highlighted in
the Britain's Sharks ITV documentary presented by Ben Fogle and Ellie Harrison on Good Friday. The idea behind this Crowdfunder campaign is to take the Shark Trust's No Limits? campaign into Europe, and create a series of impactful pop-up Blue Shark events in targeted European cities. By doing this we aim to gain the support we need to boost the political will to end uncontrolled shark fishing in Europe and beyond, and we know the Crowd can get us there.
*Of all the sharks landed by EU vessels from the Atlantic and Med; UK, France, Spain and Portugal account for 95%
Blue Sharks, like too many other shark species, continue to be fished without catch limits. This means that shark fisheries are not being adequately controlled to allow for sustainable management. Sustainable seafood is part of our everyday life now yet currently sharks remain outside of the drive for sustainable futures.
The Shark Trust's No Limits? campaign, launched by BAFTA-winning English naturalist and campaign ambassador Steve Backshall in 2014, was established to end unsustainable shark fishing in Europe, setting the standard for the rest of the world to follow.
Our pop-up events will take the No Limits? campaign into the heart of key European cities this summer, engaging the public and securing political support for the EU to deliver effective Blue Shark management.
By October it will arrive in the European Parliament, Brussels, presenting the case and cementing the support of Members of the European Parliament.
Back in the UK, No Limits? will urge Member State
s to further commit to stopping uncontrolled shark fishing on the high seas.
Our funding target is set at £15,000, but we are aiming to reach our ultimate total of £30,000 to achieve everything we want to this year. This is what we'll do with the money:
- £15,000 will allow us to create impact, engage the press and public in London and deliver a substantial package to the European Parliament in Brussels in October.
- £20,000 will extend the roadshow to Madrid along with language translation to allow placement of campaign
materials in key public buildings for three months.
- £30,000 will allow us to cover four countries, including the key shark fishing states of France, Spain and Portugal.
Every penny counts, the more we get, the more buzz we can create and the further we can take the No Limits? campaign. Pledge your support, and help us spread the word on social media.
Almost one in every three sharks recorded from global fisheries is a Blue Shark. The last decade saw a three-fold increase in Blue Shark landings from the Atlantic – 80% of which were landed by EU vessels, Spain alone responsible for 82% of the EU haul. Ever-increasing pressure is clearly not sustainable and continuation of this level of fishing, without management, will lead to problems not only for the species but also for those people who rely on our oceans for food security.
* Blue Sharks represent 27% of sharks that are caught, landed and recorded to at least family level
in 2014 (FAO).
This is a far from hopeless situation. We know how to safeguard the future of these beautiful and vital animals: success is within our grasp if European nations act now to impose effective, science-based catch limits on their vessels in the Atlantic.
Today we have a choice about whether Blue Sharks retain their rightful place in our ocean but, without significant change now, we could see them go the way of other now-endangered species.
Thanks to the overwhelming support of the public, the UK is now leading the call within Europe for catch limits for European vessels and beyond, but we have to make sure that European citizens have a single voice. We need to take the No Limits? campaign into Europe, through a series of pop-up events in key cities over the summer of 2016. We will extend the political will for change and demonstrate that people across the major fishing countries all agree that No Limits makes No Sense. Let's end uncontrolled shark fishing, NOW.
Available until 25 April on ITV Hub, Britain's Sharks sees Ben Fogle and Ellie Harrison go in search of Britain's whales and sharks. In an ambitious operation, Ben and Ellie return the body of a humpback whale to the sea and reveal how the death of these marine giants can trigger a feeding frenzy to match. With over 200 blue sharks attending the feast, it marks the greatest gathering ever in UK waters.