Shark Stewards is a founding member of the Sabah Shark Alliance in Malaysia to create shark sanctuaries and save sharks.
The Semporna Islands of Malaysia are home to over 60 species of shark, from the extremely rare and elusive Borneo and hammerhead shark to the largest fish in the sea, the graceful whale shark.
A third of all open ocean shark species are threatened with extinction. Some species of sharks such as the hammerhead have declined as much as 90% in the last 50 years. Sharks are an apex predator and have been around for over 400 million years and have maintained prey diversity and shaped the coral reef systems into what we see today. Without apex predators the marine biodiversity as we know is collapsing.
Sharks are being systematically wiped out around the world and an extinction of many species is very likely in the coming years if current fishing trends and attitudes towards this beautiful and misunderstood creature don’t change, and change fast. In Sabah and Semporna, many species are encountered on a daily basis. We are one of the lucky places that can still say that we can ‘prevent’ their decline instead of having to ‘reintroduce and rehabilitate.’
By signing this petition in support of a Semporna Shark Sanctuary you are not only signing for the future of these incredible creatures for future generations, but securing the health of one of the most bio-diverse marine ecosystems in the world and the future economy for the thousands of people who make a daily living from ecotourism in the region.