PUBLIC AWARENESS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE: "Save the sharks, Save the ocean"

THE PROJECT: SAVE THE SHARKS, SAVE THE OCEAN is a photographic educational exhibition aiming to contribute to overall shark protection by raising awareness about the conservation status of these animals, their role in the ecosystem, their wide consumption and possible associated health risks for humans.

THE MESSAGE:THE SUCCESS OF CONSERVATION INITIATIVES IS NOT SOLELY RELIANT ON THE COLLECTION OF ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION, BUT EQUALLY ON PUBLIC ADHERENCE TO PROTECTION PROGRAMS.

WHERE DO THE FUND GO:The funds raised will be used to support the costs of printing and of the entire exhibition. 

If we'll manage to exceed the necessary budget, part of the proceeds will go to support more exhibitions in other cities. Postcards will be sold during the exhibition to support scientific researches.

Some of the prints will be available for private purchase with the artist.

WHERE AND WHEN: The first exhibition will take place in Milan in 2022. Date and place will soon be released.

ABOUT SHARKS AND THEIR ENVIRONMEMNT: 

•Sharks are a keystone species that play a crucial role in maintaining the stability of marine ecosystems.

•Sharks strongly influence the abundance of other species and maintain a balance with competitors, ensuring ecosystembiodiversity. Sharks help eliminate the weak and the sick, which keeps the ecosystems healthy.

•Through their migrations, sharks also help cycle nutrients between different locations in the depths and shallows. 

•By maintaining the biodiversity, health and ecosystem balance, sharks preserve ecosystem services (food, clean air, clean water, flood and erosion control…), which humans rely on. 

Even with this incredible example of evolutionary success, today, sharks are one of the most threatened vertebrates with at least a third of the 500+ species now vulnerable to extinction.

Globally, 100 million sharks are killed annually for their meat, fins, gill plates and liver oil. The low reproductive output of this slow-growing species is clearly no match for the fishing industry. 

Europe plays a major role in the global shark catch and trade, with Spain being the world’s top exporter, Italy the top importer.

Shark meat is sold as frozen steaks at food retailers. However, a good part of consumers are ignorant to the fact that it is shark meat. 

Marine pollution has drastic implications for the survival of sharks and puts our health at risk, as seafood represents a source of pollutants for human consumers (Boldrocchi et al. 2019, 2020).

EXHIBITION CURATED BY:

Beatrice Colombo Serri

Freelance Photographer, Film Producer and Artist Illustrator, with a Masters degree in Performance Design & Practice from the Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London

Dr. Ginevra Boldrocchi

Shark Ecologist, PhD

Researcher at the University of Insubria, with an interest in habitat use, trophic ecology, movement patterns of sharks and marine pollution