From: Scualo1@aol.com
To: sharkman@sharkmans-world.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 7:14 PM
Subject: photos

Hi Sharkman,

This is a short story of sharks that live in Balinese waters.
There are all types, i.e. Threshers, Makos, Reefs, Whites etc. The boats come to beach and everybody who's got a restaurant is there to meet 'em. They check the catch, weigh it, butcher it and cook it. That's the short and sad story of sharks living in the Indonesian archipelago as fishermen find it a lot easier to catch them instead of going for the traditional catches of smaller fish, therefore also spending the least time at sea and making the most of it. Very sad indeed my friend.

Unfortunately some people who try to educate these fishermen have not succeeded so far and is doubtful whether they will, as long as there's a consumer's demand for their meat and jaws and teeth. When I took the pics, 6/7 sharks had been landed and they did not hang around too long either. I was there again the day after and the same happen again!! I also spotted some tiger sharks jaws drying up under the intense sun, and some collector from down under haggling for the best price, usually about 10 dollars a piece, just to be sold in western markets, specially the USA, at great profits.

Will this end with the demise of the King of the sea? Most probably not. Anyway I hope these pics are of some good to you.

All the best,.
DINO

click on images to enlarge

This E-mail deals with the feelings of an Ex-fisherman.

Thank you for sending it Johan

Hi Sharkman,

It's almost 3 o'clock in the morning but I lost track of time as I wondered of in your incredible site. Never seen anything like it!! Nice pictures and very educational but above all : you can read your "sharkpassion" in every page.

I come from a country where we are not so familiar with great sharks namely : Belgium.

As you know Belgium is situated at the North Sea and the only sharks we'll ever meet here are "doggie's" or a few other small species. Nevertheless they're small : they still are beautiful creatures.

As it is not so evident to encounter any huge sharks here with us you probably wonder where my fascination for these animals is coming from. Well I have to make a confession : I'm a fisherman or rather I was a fisherman (not professionally!). I travel around the world and try to catch as many different shark species I can simply because I'm really fascinated by these beautiful animals.

And very important with my hand on my heart I may say that until now I NEVER killed one!! However, as the years are passing I find it harder and harder to put the bait on the hook because I'm starting to realize that I rather like to see them in their natural habitat. Not struggling with a hook in their mouth...

That's why websites like yours are very important : they give people as myself the necessary conviction of stopping chasing these animals and learn to love them free swimming where they belong : in the open sea.
I'm starting to get diving lessons and will put my fishing gear away... forever!

The horrible things I witnessed already on my journeys, I can't describe them. Mostly from Japanese "longliners" (Guinée-Bissau where the beach was laying stuffed with skeletons of huge sharks just with their fins chopped off!). Or England (Cornwall) where they slaughter enormous amounts of Noseshark (Porbeagle) every year or Gran Canaria or Ireland or...

There is still much to do to stop these crazy killings but from now on you can count me in!

If we could only let other people think about the consequences and the impact fishing and slaughtering of our beloved sharks has on the fragile balance of sea life it would already be a success.

Once someone told me : " I don't care if whales disappear I probably never see one anyway."
Can you comprehend such idiotic thoughts??? They don't realize that oceans were the beginning and will also be the end, if wasted, of all life as we know it. So if anyone has a little bit of common sense he will realize that sharks are a crucial part as top-predators in their habitat.

Just imagine their are no more sharks near Dyer Island : the amount of seals would be enormous. Result : a lot of diseases in the seal population, disappearing of all available fish what leads automatically to extinction of other species or uncontrollable weed growth...

I can't stop writing... Let's hope we can convince some more people of the importance of protecting sharks. It won't be easy but it's worthwhile and...they earn our respect.

I will recommend your site everywhere and will do all I can to save these unique animals from being wiped out.

Keep up the good work, I will do anything I can for our friend the shark in this region.

Happy diving and thank you again for sharing all that valuable information with everyone!!!

Johan De Vlieger.