Here are five facts you might not know about sharks:
1) Sharks have inhabited planet Earth for approximately 400 million years

A whale shark swims in the warm water off the coast of the Philippines. © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace
And scientists are still discovering new sharks all the time.
In just the last three decades, scientists have identified nearly 250 new shark species. The latest is the American Pocket Shark, a shark smaller than the human hand that secretes glow-in-the-dark liquid from a gland near its front fins. Cute!
2) Nearly one third of shark species worldwide are endangered

Greenpeace
ship Esperanza in the North Atlantic ocean is investigating the
overfishing of sharks on transit to the Azores during the Pole to Pole
Tour 2019 © Kajsa Sjölander / Greenpeace
In June, Greenpeace found that fishing vessels in the North Atlantic were catching as many as 25,000 mako sharks each year. Vessels thought to be catching swordfish were in fact bringing in four times more shark than swordfish!
3) Sharks are targeted for their liver oil

Underwater view of a shark swimming in the Indian Ocean. © Will Rose / Greenpeace
Instead, products containing shark are found globally, and include nutrition supplements, cosmetics, and even pet food.
Many of these products are made from shark liver oil, which helps sharks to maintain buoyancy far below the ocean surface. For this reason, deep sea species such as gulper sharks, basking sharks and tope sharks are targeted for their liver oil.
4) There might be shark in your moisturizer

Juvenile sharks on sale at the public fishing port in Ranong, southern Thailand. © Chanklang Kanthong / Greenpeace
Although squalene can also be extracted from plants, shark oil is often a cheaper option.
But the toll on shark populations is severe. Research shows that producing one tonne of squalene requires liver oil from as many as 3,000 sharks.
5) It’s a systemic problem

Shark Fins on a fishing vessel in the Pacific Ocean © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace
At present, only around 1 percent of our oceans are fully protected, and there is currently no legal mechanism to establish ocean sanctuaries in the high seas. This leaves sharks and countless other marine animals at risk.
The good news is that governments are starting work on a global oceans treaty that has the potential to protect nearly a third of the high seas and would help shark populations to recover.
But a lot depends on whether we speak up. Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, and we need to make sure they’re protected.
Help us to push for a strong network of global oceans sanctuaries here.
Zhang Jing is a forest and oceans campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.
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Protect the Oceans
Here are five facts you might not know about sharks:
1) Sharks have inhabited planet Earth for approximately 400 million years

A whale shark swims in the warm water off the coast of the Philippines. © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace
And scientists are still discovering new sharks all the time.
In just the last three decades, scientists have identified nearly 250 new shark species. The latest is the American Pocket Shark, a shark smaller than the human hand that secretes glow-in-the-dark liquid from a gland near its front fins. Cute!
2) Nearly one third of shark species worldwide are endangered

Greenpeace
ship Esperanza in the North Atlantic ocean is investigating the
overfishing of sharks on transit to the Azores during the Pole to Pole
Tour 2019 © Kajsa Sjölander / Greenpeace
In June, Greenpeace found that fishing vessels in the North Atlantic were catching as many as 25,000 mako sharks each year. Vessels thought to be catching swordfish were in fact bringing in four times more shark than swordfish!
3) Sharks are targeted for their liver oil

Underwater view of a shark swimming in the Indian Ocean. © Will Rose / Greenpeace
Instead, products containing shark are found globally, and include nutrition supplements, cosmetics, and even pet food.
Many of these products are made from shark liver oil, which helps sharks to maintain buoyancy far below the ocean surface. For this reason, deep sea species such as gulper sharks, basking sharks and tope sharks are targeted for their liver oil.
4) There might be shark in your moisturizer

Juvenile sharks on sale at the public fishing port in Ranong, southern Thailand. © Chanklang Kanthong / Greenpeace
Although squalene can also be extracted from plants, shark oil is often a cheaper option.
But the toll on shark populations is severe. Research shows that producing one tonne of squalene requires liver oil from as many as 3,000 sharks.
5) It’s a systemic problem

Shark Fins on a fishing vessel in the Pacific Ocean © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace
At present, only around 1 percent of our oceans are fully protected, and there is currently no legal mechanism to establish ocean sanctuaries in the high seas. This leaves sharks and countless other marine animals at risk.
The good news is that governments are starting work on a global oceans treaty that has the potential to protect nearly a third of the high seas and would help shark populations to recover.
But a lot depends on whether we speak up. Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, and we need to make sure they’re protected.
Help us to push for a strong network of global oceans sanctuaries here.
Zhang Jing is a forest and oceans campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.
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