Milestones & Achievements

2010

  • Following the deferment of the April 2010 UAE expedition, the SCS board agreed to send our Gulf scientific advisor to the UAE to continue the extensive research work already carried out.

  • March - The Qatar government issued a decree giving total protection to the critically endangered Green Sawfish in its waters. This decision was made at the suggestion of SCS following two expeditions to Qatar in 2009.

2009

  • In October the 3rd Ardriatic expedition succeeded in its aim of gathering evidence of a Blue shark nursery area and the data has been passed to Alen Soldo (SCS Scientific Advisor) to enable him to work towards implementing an effective fisheries management policy for sharks in the region.

  • September saw the publication of the first SCS newsletter and opening of the SCS online shop.

  • In September a small SCS team visited Qatar and in talks with the Qatar Ministry of Environment (Dept. of Fisheries) suggested the following conservation measures:

  • - Mandatory release and reporting of all Green Sawfish;

  • - An annual 3 month (Feb 15 - May 15) ban on the landing of all sharks and rays;

  • - Closure to all fishing in the same period for a 2 mile area near Al Alia island. This is the nursery area for Whitecheek and Milk sharks discovered on the April expedition.

  • - The Qatari Ministry of Environment agreed to work with SCS toward implementing all of the above suggestions.

  • SCS April Qatar Expedition - this expedition continued the work which was started in Kuwait in 2008 and by the end of the expedition:

  • - 6 new species had been confirmed present in the Gulf;

  • - Over 300 hours chumming achieved;

  • - Over 3500 sharks and rays had been processed and recorded in the markets;

  • - SCS started lobbying for protection for the Green Sawfish, an annual 3 month ban on elasmobranch landings and a yearly 3 month closure of a probable Whitecheek and Milk shark pupping/nursery ground.

  • Release of Sharks in British Seas on DVD. The first film made about Britain's sharks - SCS were major contributors to the film.

2008

  • RPSC morphed into the Shark Conservation Society (SCS)

  • SCS Kuwait expedition marked the first shark research work carried out in the Arabian Gulf, which resulted in:

  • - initiating compilation of the first researched list of shark and ray species present in these waters;

  • - the discovery of a possible new species (still awaiting confirmation);

  • - helping to trigger new laws in Kuwaiti waters to restrict shark fisheries.

  • 2nd Porbeagle expedition continued producing a Porbeagle map of the north Cornish coast, and scientific paper was published based on the results of the satellite tagging carried out by the Society in 2007 (Pade)

2007

  • 1st Cornwall Porbeagle shark expedition achieved:

  • - the first satellite tagging of Porbeagles in the eastern Atlantic;

  • - the first good quality underwater footage of Porbeagles;

  • - the first good quality still photographs of Porbeagles.

2006

  • 2nd Adriatic shark search expedition reconfirmed 2005 results and recorded and filmed large Blue sharks in the central Adriatic.

  • Massive publicity accompanied the launch of UK shark cage diving, and this was successfully used by RPSC to further awareness of the need for shark conservation.

2005

  • Our 1st Adriatic shark search expedition confirmed highly depleted shark numbers and:

  • - helped Dr Alen Soldo achieve protection for the Great White shark in the Adriatic;

  • - resulted in the publication of a scientific paper on Blue sharks (Soldo, Peirce);

  • - a highly acclaimed documentary film was made of this expedition, which was screened across Europe and hailed as a milestone conservation film.

  • RPSC supporters helped in the first pilot project leading to the successful launch of cage diving in the UK in 2006.

2003

  • 3 week shark search expedition off Devon and Cornwall generated more media interest than any other pervious 'shark event' in the UK. For the 3 weeks TV, radio and newspaper coverage was used to increase awareness of the plight faced by sharks and the depletion of sharks off Devon and Cornwall.

2001

  • RPSC paid for the building of a prototype propeller guard for use by South African White shark cage diving operators.

2000

  • RPSC financed the re-commencement of the tagging of all sharks caught by the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain.

1999

  • The SCS forerunner, Richard Peirce Shark Conservation (RPSC), was founded.

Copyright © 2008 Richard Peirce