School shark pup release
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The release of the School shark pups coincided with Sea Week (March 7-14, 2010). The release was a great opportunity to put the spotlight on these fascinating creatures, clearing up misconceptions and impressing on people the need to keep the species safe for future generations.
The Waitemata Harbour was chosen for the pups release because this is where they would have likely been born if their mother hadn’t come to Kelly Tarlton’s.The sharks – even once fully grown – will be no danger to the Aucklanders who enjoy the harbour and surrounding beaches
As apex predators, sharks play a vital role maintaining the continued health of our oceans and the other creatures within them. Sharks ensure the genetic fitness of other species by removing the sick and weak and keeping population sizes in check. If shark populations were to decline significantly then we would be likely to see dramatic chain reactions including rises and falls in other populations that could throw the oceans’ ecosystems into disarray.
School sharks are listed as “Vulnerable” within the subcategory of “Threatened” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Worldwide, humans kill 100 million sharks every year – that’s about three a second! With their low birth rates, slow growth and late maturity many sharks are now in danger of being wiped out and some experts have predicted that our grandchildren may never have the opportunity to see one.
To view the Shark pup media release, click here
Interesting facts:
Born about 30cm long, these School sharks will grow around 20cm per year until maturity. The maximum size recorded for a School shark is just under two metres. Tagging studies have shown that they can live to be at least 50. Females enter shallow bays and harbours in Spring and early Summer to have their pups. They don’t have maternal instincts and simply “drop” them and leave them to survive (or not) on their own. School sharks are thought to give birth every two or three years.
School sharks are a very widespread species and occur in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In New Zealand they are found around both islands and are commonly captured in shallow harbours through to water more than 500m deep.
"In the News"
Click on the links below to view media results of the surprise shark births.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10631221
