Tuesday, August 24, 2010

MANTAS & MOBULAS BEING USED AS SHARK FIN SOUP FILLER

According to the Times Online (UK) - the London Times - at
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6345512.ece , the falling shark population is prompting Asian chefs to look for manta rays & mobula rays to meet the voracious demand for shark fin soup. Until recently, they have been hunted only by subsistence fishermen, who harpoon them. But in the eastern Indonesian port of Lamakera, catches of manta have rocketed from a few hundred to about 1500 a year. "Mantas and mobulas are being used as shark fin soup filler," said Tim Clark, a marine biologist at the University of Hawaii. The cartilage is being mixed with low-grade shark fins in cheap versions of the soup. So divers, next time you're in Indonesia, raise a little hell about manta fishing.”

An interesting view on shark attacks

The web page found at http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/pets-animals/stories/infographic-shark-attacks gives an interesting view on shark attacks. Divers continue to be of little interest to sharks with the number of divers being attacked by sharks remaining low whilst the number of surfers being attacked rises steadily. Surprisingly, the number of swimmers to be attacked continues to fall.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Shark skin harbours deadly bacteria


Source: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/07/28/2966480.htm

According to recent research in the Journal of Zoo & Wildlife Medicine, sharks along the east coast of North America harbour colonies of deadly, drug-resistant bacteria like Staphylococcus and E. coli. Visit http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/07/28/2966480.htm for further details.