Get your SCUBA kit ready for a deep dive...because this week, we're taking a closer look at the global shark fin trade. We'll be finding out exactly what finning is, why there is a demand for shark fins in the first place, and the impact this can have on shark populations globally. Additionally, we'll explore finning in the context of overfishing - the biggest threat to sharks worldwide - and discuss other shark products sold on the global market, as well as how we might begin to overcome the huge and very complex issues associated with the shark trade to forge a better future for sharks. 

My VERY special and knowledgeable guests this week are scientist and expert on the international shark trade, Diego Cardeñosa, and Director of Conservation for the shark trust Ali Hood. They offer insights from the perspectives of scientific research and analysis, policy-making, campaigning and raising public education and awareness, and talk about how important it is to tackle issues with the trade from all angles. We also find out why it's important to make sure you know exactly what you're feeding your cat, and what it's like to fight for sharks at the highest levels of government...

Diego: @diegocardenosa (instagram), @DiegoCardenosa (twitter), https://case.fiu.edu/about/directory/profiles/cardenosa-diego.html

Ali:  @SharkTrustUk (twitter), @thesharktrust (insta), https://www.sharktrust.org/FAQs/ali-hood

You can find references to the papers they discuss here https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03173-9 and here https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982221011982, as well as check out a free breakdown of Pacoureau et al here https://saveourseas.com/going-going-going-oceanic-shark-species-on-the-decline/. 

You can find out more about these issues by heading to the Save Our Seas (SOSF) website (https://saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/).