How do you identify a shark? Save Our Seas Supported Scientist Demian Chapman sent us an update about a new website that addresses this intriguing subject.
His team developed a guide for law enforcement personnel and customs agents to be able to distinguish fins of oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and three species of hammerheads from other species in trade. This guide (versions in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic) is primarily designed to help with the implementation of ICCAT and other RFMO protections for these species, as well as CITES appendix II listing should the votes be there in March 2013. The team are currently developing an app for this as well. In any event, it is all part of their efforts to improve international management for oceanic whitetips.
You can see Demian’s video about tagging oceanic whitetip sharks here:
http://youtu.be/207s61M_AQc