Approaching 40
Since our last newsletter, three new organisations have joined the Shark Alliance, bringing the total to 39. We have just welcomed our first Portuguese member, APECE (Associação Portuguesa para o Estudo e Conservação de Elasmobrânquios, orPortuguese Association for the Study and Conservation of Elasmobranchs) and in June, Pacific Environment (USA, China) and The South Africa Ocean Conservancy also joined.
Take part in European Shark Week
 The Shark Alliance is proclaiming 8-14 October European Shark Week to highlight the dramatic decline in European shark populations, the role Europe plays in the global shark trade, and the threat that European Union's poor shark policies pose to sharks around the world.
Our member groups are organising a variety of events around Europe (see right). If you can’t make it to one of these events, there’s a host of things you can do throughout October from getting your friends to sign a downloadable fold-out fin, to taking part in a variety of on-line actions (see quick links right).
Shark Alliance calls on Portugal to promote EU shark plan
 On 11 September 2007, the Shark Alliance called on the Portuguese government - in its current role of President of the European Union (EU) - to use its influence to promote swift development of a sound Community Plan of Action for shark conservation. The conference was entitled Sharks at Risk: Building an EU Conservation Plan and was hosted by the Luso-American Development Foundation in Lisbon.
In a recorded statement prepared for the event, the Portuguese Secretary of State for the Environment, Dr. Humberto Rosa, said, “Shark conservation and marine biodiversity issues in general are very relevant for Portugal. That means that we want to keep fishing, we want to keep eating fish. That means that we need sustainability in fisheries.”
Release of IUCN Red List underscores urgency for conservation action
 A growing number of European sharks and rays are considered at risk of extinction, according to the newly released 2007 IUCN (World Conservation Union) Red List of Threatened Species. Experts have added 18 species of sharks (and closely related skates, rays and chimaeras) to the Globally Threatened Category bringing the overall tally to 126 - 22% of the species evaluated. That percentage is even higher for European waters, where a full third of such species are considered Threatened.
European shark and ray species added to the Threatened categories (Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered) this year include:
- Smoothback and Sawback Angel Sharks
- Great Hammerhead Sharks
- Blackchin and "Common" Guitarfish
Sharks in troubled waters
14 Aug 2007
Over a third of the 84 species of sharks and rays of the Mediterranean are endangered. The Great white, the basking shark and manta are endangered and protected species. Accidental captures (bycatch) and habitat degradation are the main threat factors. (In Italian)
fishing access be prohibited for the EU vessels targeting sharks until shark fisheries management measures are introduced for these vulnerable species.
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