The Shark Trust
The Shark Trust
“Without sharks, marine eco-systems face an uncertain future. The Shark Trusts vision is a future where sharks, skates and rays thrive within a globally healthy marine ecosystem.”
Established in 1997, the Shark Trust started as a tiny operation working from a single desk in Newbury. By 2000, this had grown to a small team with a shop set up in a room that was originally designed as an ice cream parlour outside the newly-built National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, UK.
Twenty years on the organisation has grown a little in size and a lot in terms of reach and influence. Still based in Plymouth (Britain’s Ocean City), a city with a rich heritage in fisheries and marine science, the trust now works at international level to push for the changes that we need to safeguard the future of all sharks, skates and rays (and not forgetting the chimaeras).
Initially set up to be a voice for UK sharks and rays, the Trust team from the outset worked alongside the UK Government and an ever-growing network of partners to protect and manage sharks in British waters. The UK is now internationally recognised as a champion for shark conservation and the trust strives to use its influence to effect change further afield.
Volunteer with the Shark Trust
You don’t need to be a shark expert to volunteer with the Shark Trust, all you need dispassion and enthusiasm. There are a couple of ways that you can get involved.
Outreach Events:
The Shark Trust attends many outreach events and exhibitions each year, if you’re over 18 and would like to help out please get in touch with the trust.
The Great Eggcase Hunt:
In recent decades several species of skate and ray around the British coast have dramatically declined in numbers. The empty eggcases that wash up on to our beaches all year round are an easily accessible source of information on the whereabouts of skate and ray nursery grounds. The identification of these critical areas will enable the Shark Trust to propose conservation measures. You can help by organising eggcase hunts in your local area and reporting your findings on the Shark Trust website. They would also love to receive any eggcases or images of egg cases that you find. To find out more about the great egg case hunt please see the volunteering page on the Shark Trust website.
On a short walk along the mouth of the River Ore we found 4 egg cases. The advice from the Shark Trust is to bring your finds home then soak them in water for at least 2 hours before identifying them. This will allow them to rehydrate and return to their original size.
We identified 3 separate species from our finds – 2 small spotted catsharks, a spotted ray and a thornback ray.
Once you have identified your egg cases you can submit your finds using the form on the Shark Trust website
If you have had any experiences with sharks or have any images that you would be willing to let the Trust use on their website then please get in touch with them as they are always looking for information to add to their website. They are currently asking for supporters to donate high quality images at high resolution (300 dpi) of a selection of shark species to be used on the Shark Trust website and print work. Images of the following shark species would be greatly appreciated: Nurse Shark, Goblin Shark, Sandbar Shark, Silky Shark, Greenland Shark, Thresher Shark, Nursehound, Smoothhound and Bramble Shark.
For more information about the Shark Trust and all the work they do please visit www.sharktrust.org
Established in 1997, the Shark Trust started as a tiny operation working from a single desk in Newbury. By 2000, this had grown to a small team with a shop set up in a room that was originally designed as an ice cream parlour outside the newly-built National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, UK.
Twenty years on the organisation has grown a little in size and a lot in terms of reach and influence. Still based in Plymouth (Britain’s Ocean City), a city with a rich heritage in fisheries and marine science, the trust now works at international level to push for the changes that we need to safeguard the future of all sharks, skates and rays (and not forgetting the chimaeras).
Initially set up to be a voice for UK sharks and rays, the Trust team from the outset worked alongside the UK Government and an ever-growing network of partners to protect and manage sharks in British waters. The UK is now internationally recognised as a champion for shark conservation and the trust strives to use its influence to effect change further afield.
Volunteer with the Shark Trust
You don’t need to be a shark expert to volunteer with the Shark Trust, all you need dispassion and enthusiasm. There are a couple of ways that you can get involved.
Outreach Events:
The Shark Trust attends many outreach events and exhibitions each year, if you’re over 18 and would like to help out please get in touch with the trust.
The Great Eggcase Hunt:
In recent decades several species of skate and ray around the British coast have dramatically declined in numbers. The empty eggcases that wash up on to our beaches all year round are an easily accessible source of information on the whereabouts of skate and ray nursery grounds. The identification of these critical areas will enable the Shark Trust to propose conservation measures. You can help by organising eggcase hunts in your local area and reporting your findings on the Shark Trust website. They would also love to receive any eggcases or images of egg cases that you find. To find out more about the great egg case hunt please see the volunteering page on the Shark Trust website.
On a short walk along the mouth of the River Ore we found 4 egg cases. The advice from the Shark Trust is to bring your finds home then soak them in water for at least 2 hours before identifying them. This will allow them to rehydrate and return to their original size.
We identified 3 separate species from our finds – 2 small spotted catsharks, a spotted ray and a thornback ray.
Once you have identified your egg cases you can submit your finds using the form on the Shark Trust website
If you have had any experiences with sharks or have any images that you would be willing to let the Trust use on their website then please get in touch with them as they are always looking for information to add to their website. They are currently asking for supporters to donate high quality images at high resolution (300 dpi) of a selection of shark species to be used on the Shark Trust website and print work. Images of the following shark species would be greatly appreciated: Nurse Shark, Goblin Shark, Sandbar Shark, Silky Shark, Greenland Shark, Thresher Shark, Nursehound, Smoothhound and Bramble Shark.
For more information about the Shark Trust and all the work they do please visit www.sharktrust.org