Shark fishermen to shark guides

In 2012, I first travelled to Oman. Witnessing the daily slaughter of sharks along the coast, I decided that something has to change, otherwise there will be no more sharks, and no sharks will mean a collapse in the marine eco-system. A marine eco-system that the poor coastal communities rely on for their daily survival. The challenge then became more than just about saving sharks.

After discussions with the local shark fishermen, I had an idea. An idea built upon what I knew and loved and from what the fishermen had shared with me. As a diver I love sharks, and here are people who know better than anyone how to find them! All I need to do now is convince them that there is a lot more value in a live shark than a dead one.

Scuba eco-tourism is about more than just the money collected from diving, its about the businesses that feed into the dive destination. The flights, the transportation, the hotel, the restaurants, the tourist souvenirs, the tours etc. All these can be developed if you have something that divers want to come and see, and divers want sharks!

With shark populations being decimated globally, the chances of an encounter with these apex predators is becoming harder and harder so here is my mission.

I have just arrived back in Oman to begin Phase Two, but I need your help. I need to raise funds to begin this project and likely more further down the road, but for now step by step. I am looking to raise £5,000 to begin Phase 2.

Any donations will be greatly received and well used for this project and hopefully the seeds that we plant here may be the duplicated in other locations where fishermen are killing sharks.

Thank you

AVI