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Socialise and Mobilise… for Sharks
As apex predators, sharks act as vital ecosystem stabilisers – maintaining a balance between smaller predators and other prey species. Studies have shown that when shark populations are impacted, it has widespread ramifications for the rest of the ecosystem.
On the eastern seaboard of the United States for instance, the decimation of large sharks led to a population explosion among smaller sharks, rays and skates. These n turn virtually wiped out scallops and other shellfish, leading to a deterioration in water quality because the shellfish were no longer there to filter the water.
This is just one example of a food web being ripped apart due to overfishing of apex predators which closely regulate population numbers, as well as weeding out diseased and weak fish. Scientists term the effect created by removing an apex predator a “trophic cascade” – referring to the run-down effect through all levels of the food chain.
The major reason for this catastrophic loss of shark species is the shark finning industry and particularly trade in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, where shark fin soup is considered a status symbol and sign of wealth. But younger generations of Chinese are slowly starting to embrace change by refusing to serve the dish at weddings and other functions, while the University of Hong Kong has banned shark fin soup from its campus. Despite these efforts, though, to date there has been little to no impact on the operations of this billion dollar trade as it hurtles out of control towards the destruction of the world’s oceans.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) like the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on South Africa’s northeast coast are being set up all over the world as conservationists and marine biologists lobby to create MPAs, introduce legislation banning shark finning and the sale of fins, and educate decision-makers about the central importance of sharks to the health of the oceans.
The more expansive a MPA is, the more effective it will be, by covering larger areas of an animal’s home range. Many sharks are pelagic, though, meaning that they wander vast expanses of the world’s oceans. So the only effective way to protect sharks is to actually protect them. The world needs a conservation watchdog for its oceans. Governments and the private sector are unlikely and, in many cases, unwilling, to drive this forward; the impetus must come from the general public.
Work Travel SA’s Indian Ocean Reef Conservation Volunteer Programme document the population dynamics of large species such as sharks, manta rays, turtles and endangered species like Potato Bass, while educating foreigners about marine ecology so that they take away a newfound understanding of and respect for marine ecosystems and how they function.
Social media can also help with both education and activism, and numerous online campaigns are continuously on the go. One mass email campaign last year eventually convinced a Hawaiian politician to stop stalling a bill banning the sale of shark fins in the US state; a number of other islands, states and cities have since followed suit.
Social media can also help to educate people about atrocities committed by the shark finning industry (never mind commercial trawlers and longlining). Join one or more of the many shark conservation organisations on Facebook, such as The Global Shark Conservation Initiative, or a dedicated Marine NGO like Oceana; even better, link up with South African groups committed to saving our sharks, such as Sharklife, who aim to educate the general public and create awareness of shark conservation issues.
If you are still not convinced, think about what your reaction would be if, instead of sharks, I was talking about lions, Bengal tigers, or polar bears. Sharks may not translate well into cuddly toys, but they deserve our respect and understanding. This doesn’t include chopping off their fins and throwing them back into the ocean as an immobile stump, to drown while sinking slowly to the seabed.
Africa’s Big Five – Which One is Your Favourite?
The phrase “Big Five Game” was coined by white hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot.
Which member of the ” Big 5″ do you long to see? The good news is that you won’t have to choose should you volunteer at our Big 5 Conservation Project!
The Lion
Better known as “King of the Beasts”, the lion is a must-see on any tourist’s (or local’s) list. Magnificent in stature this (really) large cat has incredible power and hunting abilities.
The African Elephant
The African elephant is the largest land mammal and perhaps the continent’s most charismatic creature. Visitors to Africa’s wildlife reserves and wilderness areas are captivated by the power and grace of these magnificent animals and by their apparent sensitivity and compassion.
The White Rhinoceros
Perhaps the first thing people wonder about the white rhinoceros is why it has its name. It is certainly not white in colour and actually has the same skin tone as its cousin, the black rhino. In fact, the name is thought to have been derived from the Dutch word “weid” meaning “wide” – in reference to the animal’s broad, wide mouth. The white rhino is a grazer; its low-hanging head and humped shoulders help it to eat grass.
The Black Rhinoceros
The black rhinoceros is smaller and more aggressive than the white rhino. It has a hooked lip, carrying its head high on its shoulders. It is a browser of short woody trees and shrubs, using its pointed upper lip to grasp leaves and twigs. Its grey, wrinkled skin varies in colour due to the mud and dust in which it frequently wallows to cool down and protect against flies and sun.
The two species of African rhino are similar in height, averaging about 1.6m at the shoulder, but the black rhinoceros has roughly half the mass of a white rhinoceros, weighing in at a demure 1000 kg.
The African Buffalo
Closely related to the domestic cow, the African buffalo is one of the most successful and perhaps ecologically important mammals on the African continent. Buffalo are completely dependent upon surface water, so are absent from arid and semi-arid regions. Not surprisingly, however, they provide good meat and few now survive beyond the borders of wildlife reserves and other protected areas. Buffalo are also hosts for several diseases which are lethal to domestic cattle and so have been eliminated from areas suitable for ranchlands.
The Leopard
Few animals possess the mysterious aura of the leopard. Like the lion, the leopard has been held in awe by generations of people across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Although an infrequent man-killer, leopards elicit fear and dread among rural people whose domestic animals may be at risk from these cunning predators. The leopard is the most adaptable of the large predators and may still be found in close proximity to man, even, sometimes, on the outskirts of large cities. It is able to survive in just about any environment (The body of a leopard was once found in the snowfields on Mount Kilimanjaro at an altitude of some 4500 metres!)
Volunteer at our Cats and Dogs Project
South Africa is famous for many things including its wildlife, wine, cricket, rugby, different cultures and history. The animals that receive the most interest from tourists are the Big 5 (the Black Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo). No tourist (or local) should miss out on seeing these magnificent creatures in action in places such as The Kruger National Park, Addo Elephant National Park or Welgevonden Game Reserve.
Sadly, there seems to be little interest in homeless, domestic animals which live on our streets. In townships especially we see a great overpopulation of dogs and cats. The reason for this is simple; everyone enjoys the company of an animal but not everyone can afford to pay for the sterilisation of his/her pet. We are therefore previledged to have organisations such as Animal Welfare (located in the Helderberg region close to Cape Town), which offers shelter for these homeless animals as well as a mobile clinic. However, these organisations cannot run on thin air. Animal Welfare desperately needs constant food and money donations as well as extra sets of hands in the form of local and international volunteers to assist in the day-to-day running of this worthwhile operation. Without this assistance, organisations such as these will cease to exist.
The volunteers support the staff members of Animal Welfare wherever they need help. These tasks vary from feeding of puppies during the early morning to cleaning of animals, playing with animals or building of shade areas. Last week I was at Animal Welfare and saw the placement of a very young Jack Russell Terrier. I was busy with my yearly project visit and one of our volunteers was busy cleaning and preparing the puppy for his check up with the vet later that day. The puppy was approximately 25cm and was too cute. The happy ending to this story is that the puppy found a new home very quickly, only one day after my visit which made me very happy. But who could say no to this cute little puppy?
Written by Antje Kohnle – Cape Town volunteer coordinator
A Cape Town “To Do List” – through the eyes of a (once foreign) Volunteer Coordinator
Here are some places in Cape Town I visit frequently. They are a mixture of very well known tourist “spots” as well as some less known places.
The Prince of Frogs
Summer time in the bush means lots of rain, plenty of birds in all their feathered beauty, small antelope running around and at night a cacophony of frogs calling. Just as we do research on the different bird species, identifying them on call and on sight, so you can also identify frogs on their calls. We decided after some good rains that it was time to survey the reserve’s puddles and streams for the various frog species.
“Frogging” involves getting your feet wet and possibly the rest of you as you accidentally fall in the stream hunting your quarry. Armed with a headlamp, small net, frog field guide and the calls loaded on an i-pod we are off to see how many of the reserve list we can find in the field.
Recently we started at a small stream close to the camp listening to all the different calls and ticking off the easily identifiable ones like Bubbling Kassina, Common River Frog and Banded Rubber Frogs.
Then we are off, often on hand and knees through the undergrowth at the water’s edge and, after 4 hours, with sloshing shoes and most of us still relatively dry we tally up our scores…
We found 13 species (of the previously surveyed list of 16 species) but we also added two species that have not been recorded yet, the Natal Sand Frog (only on call though) and the Flat-backed Toad. The mega special was the Giant Bullfrog, a near-threatened species due to habitat destruction; one forgets how big these frogs really are. All in all it was a fun evening out and provided excellent data for the reserve!
Attached are photos of the Giant Bullfrog. Below find the list of species seen/heard on the frogging night.
Written by Gerhardt Lorist
Research / Volunteer Coordinator
Big 5 Conservation/ Welgevonden
20 Feb 12 | Fun Stuff, Gap Year Tips, General Volunteering, News, Wildlife Volunteering | Read on | Comments (0)Why Volunteer Abroad?
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