(PG) Documentary

Rob Stewart is passionate about sharks. And it’s a good thing he is because they have got some very bad press of late.

Did you know that you have more chance of being trampled by an elephant than being killed by a shark?

As Stewart debunks historical stereotypes and media depictions of the “man eating predator”, he reveals sharks are actually the pillars in the ecosystem that occupies two thirds of the planet.

Sharkwater takes us into the waters of the world exposing the exploitation of the shark populations to shark finning and line fishing in the marine reserves of the Cocos Islands, Costa Rica and the Galapagos.

A sobering fact is that more than 100 million sharks are killed for their fins annually — a barbaric practice where sharks have their fins removed in some cases while they are still alive, their bodies thrown back into the water. Half a kilo of dried shark fin can retail for $300 or more, so you can imagine this is an economic and environmental practice that will take a lot of lobbying to stop.

There is hope. In Costa Rica people are now demonstrating against shark finning.

It’s a sad fact that it takes someone like Rob Stewart to stand up for the environment that we have been entrusted with in order for us to take notice.

Adrian Drayton