Shark Conservation Fiji Trip
Donation protected
Hello!
The trip you are funding is a two week trip to Fiji that will allow me to obtain my PADI and develop a more matured understanding of conservation. The link to the project is here:
http://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/volunteer-projects/conservation-and-environment/shark-conservation/fiji/
I set up this fundraising project in order to help me fulfil my dream to work in conservation.
Last summer I came across approximately twenty deceased lesser spotted cat sharks washed up in a harbour at low tide.
As an individual who is incredibly passionate about animals in general, the sight of any deceased animal is unpleasant. However, due to my keen interest in sharks, this was particularly upsetting. I reported my findings to The Shark Trust and had my presumptions confirmed. This particular species, while still abundant, is a victim of pointless killing due to the difficulty experienced when unhooking them.
They are not worth much commercially and have a rough, almost sharp, texture to their skin. For this reason, they are left to die and thrown over board. Unlike the Great White, who is critically endangered, this population of shark has not yet suffered from thoughtless human actions. While the numbers of this species is not at a concerning level yet, seeing their scattered corpses dotted around the sand highlighted to me the lack of respect we have for sharks in general. The act itself may not have resulted in the decline of a population (yet), but it demonstrated perfectly the lack of attention people pay towards their actions towards other species.
This experience motivated me further to try to source a way of becoming involved with species that really were on the decline. The voluntary trip to Fiji I discovered offered me just that.
This trip would enable to me to gain priceless experience and help out a group of animals that I feel so incredibly strong about. Sharks are incredibly misconstrued creatures and are in need of assistance; as humans, we are often guilty of giving our attention and sympathy to anthropomorphic creatures. When we think of conservation, we often think of the rainforest or a desperate polar bear scrambling off of a desolate ice berg.
While these are all incredibly important causes, they often shadow marine conservation issues. We may forget about the rise in sea water acidity, or the unsustainable fishing industry we have created. This trip will help me develop first hand experience of the interventions scientists are currently using to aid shark conservation. This will help me greatly in the future as it will allow me to recognise modern techniques in research; this will help me with my further studies.
My main career goal is to make a difference to the drastic decline in shark populations. I wish to research sharks as much as possible in the future in order to alter the way humans intrude on their natural behaviour. I truly believe that with more understanding, the fear and sometimes hatred of sharks will diminish. This fear is what sparks motivation for many culls that aim to save human lives.
I wish to study Marinebiology in the future; if I could apply to my desired university with this experience on my personal statement, it would make a lot of difference to my chances of acceptance. It would also allow me to demonstrate my passion through actions rather than words.
For someone who dedicates all of their spare time to caring for a range of my own amphibians, including endangered species, it would be a personal goal achieved, as well as an educational one, to attend a voluntary trip to help wild animals as well as the captive ones in my bedroom.
For those that know me, they will be aware of the fact that I am incredibly passionate about sharks. I am often reciting statistics regarding the amount of sharks that are killed each hour (10,000), developing further knowledge on sharks by watching countless documentaries, or discussing ethical issues regarding shark finning on online shark interest or study groups.
I recognise that I have a lot to learn about conservation and sharks as a whole, and this project is a humble request to anyone who wishes to support my desire to make a difference to this group of animals.
I want to thank you for taking the time to read this.
The trip you are funding is a two week trip to Fiji that will allow me to obtain my PADI and develop a more matured understanding of conservation. The link to the project is here:
http://www.projects-abroad.co.uk/volunteer-projects/conservation-and-environment/shark-conservation/fiji/
I set up this fundraising project in order to help me fulfil my dream to work in conservation.
Last summer I came across approximately twenty deceased lesser spotted cat sharks washed up in a harbour at low tide.
As an individual who is incredibly passionate about animals in general, the sight of any deceased animal is unpleasant. However, due to my keen interest in sharks, this was particularly upsetting. I reported my findings to The Shark Trust and had my presumptions confirmed. This particular species, while still abundant, is a victim of pointless killing due to the difficulty experienced when unhooking them.
They are not worth much commercially and have a rough, almost sharp, texture to their skin. For this reason, they are left to die and thrown over board. Unlike the Great White, who is critically endangered, this population of shark has not yet suffered from thoughtless human actions. While the numbers of this species is not at a concerning level yet, seeing their scattered corpses dotted around the sand highlighted to me the lack of respect we have for sharks in general. The act itself may not have resulted in the decline of a population (yet), but it demonstrated perfectly the lack of attention people pay towards their actions towards other species.
This experience motivated me further to try to source a way of becoming involved with species that really were on the decline. The voluntary trip to Fiji I discovered offered me just that.
This trip would enable to me to gain priceless experience and help out a group of animals that I feel so incredibly strong about. Sharks are incredibly misconstrued creatures and are in need of assistance; as humans, we are often guilty of giving our attention and sympathy to anthropomorphic creatures. When we think of conservation, we often think of the rainforest or a desperate polar bear scrambling off of a desolate ice berg.
While these are all incredibly important causes, they often shadow marine conservation issues. We may forget about the rise in sea water acidity, or the unsustainable fishing industry we have created. This trip will help me develop first hand experience of the interventions scientists are currently using to aid shark conservation. This will help me greatly in the future as it will allow me to recognise modern techniques in research; this will help me with my further studies.
My main career goal is to make a difference to the drastic decline in shark populations. I wish to research sharks as much as possible in the future in order to alter the way humans intrude on their natural behaviour. I truly believe that with more understanding, the fear and sometimes hatred of sharks will diminish. This fear is what sparks motivation for many culls that aim to save human lives.
I wish to study Marinebiology in the future; if I could apply to my desired university with this experience on my personal statement, it would make a lot of difference to my chances of acceptance. It would also allow me to demonstrate my passion through actions rather than words.
For someone who dedicates all of their spare time to caring for a range of my own amphibians, including endangered species, it would be a personal goal achieved, as well as an educational one, to attend a voluntary trip to help wild animals as well as the captive ones in my bedroom.
For those that know me, they will be aware of the fact that I am incredibly passionate about sharks. I am often reciting statistics regarding the amount of sharks that are killed each hour (10,000), developing further knowledge on sharks by watching countless documentaries, or discussing ethical issues regarding shark finning on online shark interest or study groups.
I recognise that I have a lot to learn about conservation and sharks as a whole, and this project is a humble request to anyone who wishes to support my desire to make a difference to this group of animals.
I want to thank you for taking the time to read this.
Organizer
Georgie Bull
Organizer
