HEROES WORLD JUNE 2022

09 HEROESWORLD other watersport enthusiasts who spend time in the sea every year, that is a very low rate. It is safe to say that sharks do not pose a major threat to humans. Humans, on the other hand, are quite lethal to sharks. Every year, at least 150 million sharks are killed by the fishing industry. Yes, that’s correct: 150 million. They are deliberately targeted and sold for food or medicine (although the medical properties of the resulting products are questionable). Even the cosmetics industry takes a share. On top of that, sharks often end up in fishing nets and on surface longline fishing hooks as bycatch. The body of a shark is barely worth a hundred US dollars. A single kilogram of their sought-after fins, on the other hand, sells for three times as much. They are sold as a luxury delicacy, particularly in Asian countries. Shark fin soup is served as a high-status dish at weddings and other festivities, with a single plate costing more than 100 US dollars. But the meat of the fins is tasteless – as is the method used to extract it. “Shark finning” refers to the practice of cutting the fins off live sharks before discarding their bodies back into the ocean. The animals sink to the bottom of the sea and suffocate slowly over the course of several hours. Not only is this method horrifying and cruel, it also harms the ocean’s ecosystem. Sharks and other cartilaginous fish, of which there are around 1,160 known species, have an important function: they keep the sea healthy and intact. The impact of sharks is especially clearly visible in places where they are being hunted. Coral reefs often show permanent damage, and biodiversity is much poorer. Countries that protect sharks as an endangered species reap great benefits, as reefs and fish populations can recover, which helps tourism. There are countries which have recognized the positive influence and economic value of sharks. The Bahamas, for instance, is one of the world’s top ten destinations for diving with sharks. The Bahamian islands are home to nearly everything that makes my marine biologist’s heart skip a beat: tiger sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, bull sharks and, of course, hammerhead sharks. “When I was a little boy, I dreamed of free-diving with a big hammerhead shark. Their heads, their agility and their beauty have always captivated me. In 2019, I finally got my wish! That feeling of entering the sharks’ habitat without diving gear and simply taking in their beauty is totally indescribable. A huge creature, physically superior to me in every way, accepts me into its habitat and simply lets me be. It was a perfect moment for me,” Robert recounts. While most people would experience nothing but horror in that situation, it was a long-awaited dream come true for Robert: free-diving with a hammerhead shark just once in his life. This stunning female is five meters long and perfectly peaceful. Robert’s presence does not seem to disturb her at all. “I have been to many places all over the world. I’ve seen sad, horrifying things. Very rarely do I see a region where animals and nature are thriving. Those are very special moments to me that remind me why I do what I do.” Robert Marc Lehmann: Marine biologist, photographer and cameraman, environmental activist and author

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