Sharks have been around for a long time, first evolving more than 400 million years ago! One would imagine them to be hardy, durable animals since they have outlived dinosaurs and survived several mass extinctions. This is not true, however, since sharks and rays are highly susceptible to stress, especially stresses related to handling and angling. One reason for this is that, unlike land animals, the organs of sharks and rays are not supported by internal structures but rather float around in a single soft cavity. This increases the risk of damage to their internal organs when the sharks and rays are dragged over hard surfaces or removed from the water. In addition, unlike terrestrial animals, and even other marine animals, sharks’ skeletons are made purely of cartilage and muscle, which means that, if pulled out of the water and handled poorly, the weight of the shark’s body could partially collapse onto its organs and in extreme cases, crush them.
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES:
BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR SHARK & RAY HANDLING:
SHARK SUGGESTIONS:
RAY RECOMMENDATIONS:
RAGGEDTOOTH SHARKS:
