Sharks day

Sharks day

FROM RECOVERY TO FREEDOM

 

On the Shark Awareness Day, together with the marine biologist Andrea Spinelli, the documentary filmmaker Marco Spinelli, and the content creator Dani Gallo, we went to the Valencia Oceanogràfic, the most important marine animal rescue centre in Spain and one of the largest in Europe.

A day dedicated to the animal that has always inspired us: the shark. A day of liberation and awareness towards a greater commitment to its protection. Today we give voice to one of the most important shark conservation and awareness projects that Fundación Oceanogràfic has been carrying out since 2017, in collaboration with the Lamna association.

Every year, the Oceanographic recovers more than 300 shark eggs that are accidentally caught in fishing nets. Thanks to the collaboration with citizens, fishermen, the Ministry and the University, an increasing number of sightings and accidental captures of the animal are reported, allowing the Fundación Oceanogràfic to start recovery and hospitalization protocols. After the hatching of the eggs, the juveniles are then reintroduced into their natural environment, the sea.

And this is precisely the most exciting journey we have made today, to celebrate Shark Day. After reaching the protected marine area of ​​the island of Tabarca, the oldest in Spain, we released 20 Catsharks into the sea, giving them a second chance at life.

The shark is the most fished species in the Mediterranean Sea: in the last 50 years, its populations in this area have decreased by 70%. Sharks, at the top of the food chain, are fundamental for marine ecosystems: their absence causes strong imbalances, including the reduction of coral reefs.

Today, we would like to thank those organizations which, like the Fundación Oceanogràfic Valencia, make a precious contribution to the recovery and care of sharks, and which carry out an important awareness campaign for their protection.

 

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