Source: Gulfnews.com
Fishermen may have struck gold this week when they landed a great hammerhead shark pregnant with a litter of 45 pups, but the Arabian Gulf’s marine ecosystem took a great hit.
The 5-metre-long shark was found at Deira Fish Market by filmmakers recording the decline of sharks in the region despite evidence showing that the Arabian Gulf is a ‘hotspot’ for birthing shark.
“We need to raise the flag that this is an important region for sharks. This area is a pupping ground but when a slow-reproducing shark is found at the market with 45 pups something needs to be done for the welfare of the species,” said Jonathan Ali Khan, project leader, producer and director of Sharkquest Arabia Musandam Expedition.
“If even half of these shark pups had survived, it might have made a significant contribution to the survival of this species at least in this region,” he added.
