Divers and sharks often have a special bond. Swimming with sharks is a dream for many underwater enthusiasts and in general, divers are well aware that shark numbers are declining worldwide. Anyone who feels attracted to this can indulge themselves again on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 February 2018 at the Save Our Sharks stand at the Duikvaker in the Expo Houten. The Save Our Sharks team will be on hand all weekend with a special photo exhibition to give visitors a glimpse of what happens in a year of shark conservation campaigning.

Irene Kingma, director of the Dutch Elasmobranch Association and project leader of Save Our Sharks in the Netherlands: “Over the past year, we have achieved several successes with the campaign for the protection of sharks in the Caribbean, and great strides have also been made with scientific research. . But there are also many challenges that we must tackle together. Through the photo exhibition, we hope to show people in an interesting way what our work entails and how we will continue to fight for the shark in the coming time.”

Crowdfunding for Sint Maarten
Much of the work of the past year has been jeopardized on the windward Dutch-Caribbean island of Sint Maarten by the devastating effect of Hurricane Irma. In addition to the major humanitarian disaster, it is becoming increasingly clear that the nature of the island, both underwater and above water, has also suffered a major blow. For example, much of the mangrove forests, an important nursery for young sharks, have been destroyed and the recipients of scientific research to watch shark migration have disappeared. Save Our Sharks has therefore started a crowdfunding campaign to bring shark conservation and ongoing research projects around Sint Maarten back to their previous level as quickly as possible. At the fair there will be an opportunity for divers to contribute to this action.

About Save Our Sharks
Worldwide, sharks are threatened by overfishing and habitat destruction. Sharks are also often 'just' killed out of stupidity and ignorance. Many species are threatened with extinction as a result. The number of sharks has also decreased in recent years around Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten. Island conservation organizations united in the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) felt the need to take action and approached the Dutch Elasmobranch Association (NEV) for their specific knowledge about sharks to participate in the project. The project, in which protection, information and research complement and reinforce each other, is financially supported by the National Postcode Lottery.