At Deep Sea World, we’re proud to partner with Shark Trust, a UK charity dedicated to safeguarding sharks around the globe. With a focus on education, awareness and action, this esteemed organisation is making a difference to the lives of animals that are all too easily misunderstood.
Here, you can learn more about Shark Trust and their work in helping to protect shark numbers in the wild. We’ll also fill you in on our partnership with them and some of the ways you can show your support.
What is Shark Trust?
Shark Trust is a UK charity that is wholly dedicated to the conservation and protection of sharks, as well as their close cousins including skates, rays and chimaera. Established in 1997, the organisation is now among an elite group of international charities working to safeguard shark numbers through a combination of education, influence and science-backed action.
Based in Plymouth on the south coast of England, they have a small team that works tirelessly to spread the word about sharks and their importance within marine ecosystems. In 2006, it became one of the founding members of Shark Alliance, a group of European marine conservation charities whose efforts led to the introduction of the European Community Plan of Action for Sharks 2009.
What is Shark Trust doing to help sharks around the world?
A lot! Shark Trust takes a multi-pronged approach to helping to safeguard shark numbers, with its work predominantly focusing on three main areas…
- Discovery and action: Much of Shark Trust’s work involves shining a light on the important role sharks play in marine ecosystems, as well as the perils they face as a result of pollution, habitat loss, and human encroachment. Learn more about Shark Trust’s discover and action phase right here.
- Policy and conservation: Shark Trust is at the vanguard of the fight to preserve shark numbers, with a direct line to world governments and significant influence over environmental policy and decision-making. Their UK Fishing Advisories alone have had a massive impact on shark numbers in British waters.
- Partnerships and collaboration: Raising the awareness and funding required to safeguard shark numbers requires collective action and widespread collaboration, which is why Shark Trust has forged alliances with dozens of domestic and international partners – including us here at Deep Sea World.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of the work Shark Trust is doing to protect sharks in the wild, but it does give you a flavour of the areas of conservation they cover. Be sure to visit the Shark Trust website to learn more about their work and partner organisations.
Why are sharks endangered?
Often vilified and widely misunderstood; sharks have suffered no end of persecution over the years, which has seen their numbers decline in seas and oceans all around the world. Even today, headline news stories and Hollywood movies continue to defame and cast sharks in a negative light, impinging on the hard work of charities like Shark Trust.
The good news is, however, that shark numbers are, for the first time in a long time, all but stable. Due in no small part to organisations like Shark Trust, there’s also a growing awareness of the positive impact these animals can have in the marine habitats in which they thrive.
Still, there’s much work to be done to maintain shark numbers, particularly in a world where the impact of habitat loss, pollution, and overfishing continues to devastate marine ecosystems. That’s why the work of organisations like Shark Trust is now more vital than ever.
Why are sharks important?
Sharks are an integral part of oceanic ecosystems, which is why safeguarding their population is so important.
What many people fail to realise about sharks is their significance in the marine food chain and the lifecycle of our oceans. These animals actively help to keep our seas clean and prosperous, both by keeping prey animal numbers under control and feeding on sick, old, and diseased species.
Support Shark Trust at Deep Sea World
Deep Sea World is proud to partner with Shark Trust and we offer various ways for our visitors to show their support for this essential charity. Along with collection boxes dotted throughout our aquarium, we donate 50% of funds raised from our face painting sessions to the charity – with £779 raised so far in 2023 alone.
To learn more about the different ways you can support Shark Trust, be sure to take a look at the organisation’s get involved page, which highlights all of the different initiatives and activities available.
So, there you have it, a whistle-stop tour of the invaluable work Shark Trust is doing to safeguard sharks, and a look at some of the ways you can show your support. Head to our conversation hub for more information on the work we’re doing to support marine wildlife or tap here to book your Deep Sea World tickets today.