cc` !DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> My Dragon's Lair Sharing is the reason for my being...: White Shark Trust

My Dragon's Lair Sharing is the reason for my being...

Altered and added new content 10-4-07 Important 5-4-07 No longer Child safe because of the links inside sites included here. Adult Humor is posted here. Template errors still. E shows wrong, and Netscape shows mostly correct. Activly learning HTML to correct and improve. Be it fun or serious I hope you enjoy and take away with you what I find to share. LI

Monday, July 23, 2007

White Shark Trust

Found cause of the fantastic photo in entry below that Snopes said was real. Sure it is!
Although the Trust has no funding, there is still a live site and has fantastic shark connections.

Michael Scholl, Founder and Trustee of the White Shark Trust, has been conducting different research projects on White Sharks since 1997 at Dyer Island. Unfortunately there was no infrastructure in place or available to support or conduct proper scientific research.

From 1998 to 2002, Michael Scholl has been working and developing his initial projects, and funding from individuals, companies and organisations worldwide have started to support these projects. The need for a registered Trust therefore became a necessity in order to attract and manage the dearly needed funding for:

  • the continuation of the ongoing field research;
  • the development and funding of diversified research projects;
  • the development and funding of educational programmes.

Extract from the Deed of Trust:

" The primary goal and object of the White Shark Trust is to utilise the resources at its disposal to undertake and support research, education and conservation projects in respect of Great White Sharks (Carcharodan carcharias).

The main goals of the White Shark Trust are:

  1. To establish a fund in the Republic of South Africa for the purpose of receiving grants and donations from international sources as well as sources within the Republic of South Africa;
  2. To manage and disburse such funds in the furtherance of the objectives of the Trust;
  3. To promote dialogue between various research, conservation, education and Government bodies concerned with management, research, conservation and education concerning the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias);
  4. To assist in providing relevant advice on the management of the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias);
  5. To obtain the support for the objectives of the White Shark Trust from local residents living around concentration hotspots for the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), including Mossel Bay, Dyer Island / Gansbaai and False Bay in particular;
  6. To obtain the support for the objectives of the Trust from the established tourism industry involved with the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) located at Mossel Bay, Dyer Island / Gansbaai and False Bay in particular;
  7. To ensure that effective action is taken in all matters affecting the welfare and preservation of the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias);
  8. To promote educational opportunities for the general public, schools and the tourism industry;
  9. To conduct and support scientific research projects and field expeditions with regards to the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias)."

The White Shark Trust is a registered Trust # IT792/2002 under the laws of South Africa.

The White Shark Trust is a registered NonProfit Organisation # 022-168-NPO under the laws of South Africa.




The End of the

White Shark Trust

Research Internship

Lack of funding and sponsors signified the end of our independent field research work on board the dedicated research boat Lamnidae, as well as the end of the popular and successful Field Research Assistantship at the end of 2005. Unfortunately, due to continued lack of funding, the end of 2006 corresponds to the end of the Research Internship which ran during 2006.




The End of the

White Shark Trust

Research Internship

Lack of funding and sponsors signified the end of our independent field research work on board the dedicated research boat Lamnidae, as well as the end of the popular and successful Field Research Assistantship at the end of 2005. Unfortunately, due to continued lack of funding, the end of 2006 corresponds to the end of the Research Internship which ran during 2006.

White Shark Trust Epilogue or Intermission?

(Update 1st of February 2007)

Despite considerable and continuous efforts to locate and secure the required sponsorship and funding during the past few years, the White Shark Trust and Michael Scholl were unfortunately unable to secure the necessary funds to continue the field research and the general activities of the Trust.

Hence the White Shark Trust ceased its activities in South Africa for an undertermined period of time. Michael Scholl decided to relocate to his home country of Switzerland for the present time in order to work on the photographic identification database and the research accumulated over the past decade. Check out his blog: http://www.michaelscholl.info/

The Great White Shark photographic identification research project and its associated population structure and dynamics research project started in October 1997 and continued for nearly a decade until January 2007. It is a shame that the longest continous research project on any population of White Sharks in the world had to come to an end due to lack of funding and lack of support from the South African authorities.

But so is the fate of many research projects and for many colleague scientists around the world unfortunately. It is a shame that our successful assistantship and internship programs had to come to an end. We welcomed over 120 field research assistants over a period of five years. Michael continues to seek funding to further future Shark research and conservation projects and hopefully again resume the White Shark Trust activities.

The 1997 to 2007 period represents an amazing era of discoveries (e.g. Nicole, South Africa's Great White Shark book), hardships (e.g. Authorities, Salmon Farm battle), and most importantly, countless wonderful memories (illustrated partly in our Photographic Gallery), and encounters for Michael, his wife Tracey, their colleagues, friends, assistants, all the people and all the Sharks who shared their lives during that time.

The White Shark Trust and Michael Scholl also wish to express their most sincere thanks to all the and private donations that enabled the White Shark Trust and made these research and conservation projects possible. Thank you very much! I also wish to thank the 15 to 20 thousand different visitors we get every month on this web site, and I know that the end of the photo gallery has been sad for many of you (and for us) who shared your thoughts with us. Hopefully one day we will be able to resume the Shark gallery once again!

Michael Scholl's Blog

Michael Scholl left Gansbaai at the beginning of February 2007. He first went to Dubai in the United Arabe Emirates to spend some time with Tracey and to live an incredible adventure to the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean: The Socotra Islands. You have followed his life for the past few years on this web site, you can continue to follow (part of) his life through his blog. Enjoy!

The White Shark Trust is a registered Trust # IT792/2002 under the laws of South Africa.

The White Shark Trust is a registered NonProfit Organisation # 022-168-NPO under the laws of South Africa.
Conservation Status of White sharks

The white shark is the epitome of the K-selected apical predator. Although it grows relatively quickly, the white shark only becomes reproductively mature at approximately 5 meters (12 to 15 years) for females and 3.8 meters (8-9 years) for males. The litter size of the white shark is also comparatively small, ranging between 2 and 12 young. It is suspected that the gestation period of the white shark is greater than a year, thus suggesting a parturition interval of between 2 to 3 years. These factors combined illustrate that the white shark as a species is extremely vulnerable to human exploitation. Not only is it poor at resisting population level harvesting, it is also very slow to recover from a past population reductions.

Traditionally the white shark has been a target species due to the trophy status of white shark jaws and teeth. A large set of jaws apparently may be worth up to US$10,000 to collectors. White sharks are also caught as incidental by-catch in commercial fisheries, and in beach meshing programs to protect bathers. Following the JAWS epidemic, white sharks were also targeted by fishes to ensure bather safety, with the overriding attitude been « the only good shark is a dead shark ». Fortunately this attitude seems to be less prevalent today, with the public’s increased understanding and appreciation of the environment.

Despite the fact that little was known about the white shark, concerns over the strongly suspected decrease in numbers led South Africa to institute protective legislation in 1991 (the first country to do so). Namibia, Maldives, Malta, Florida and California, US, and Australia followed this unprecedented effort. At present the white shark is classified as « Vulnerable » on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Assessment. This decision is based upon past and foreseen population declines.

With the reduction of the worlds fish stocks, increasingly more attention will be focused on targeting shark species, which in the short term represent viable alternative stocks. Unless scientists, educators, conservationists, managers and policy makers work together, communicate and think sustainability, sharks, and the white shark, will simply become more and more rare and then disappear.

More Photos (Dead Sharks)

Long space between entries could not be changed, undone. Later gator for my trying again to fixing it! Me

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posted by LadyIrene @ 7/23/2007 04:52:00 AM

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