Shark population under attack from human hunters

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Aug 2, 2013

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Shark population under attack from human hunters

The public tends to think of as fearsome predators on the attack, but it's actually the sharks who are under attack from humans. And their numbers are dwindling.

GANSBAAI, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 19: A Great White Shark is attracted by a lure on the 'Shark Lady Adventure Tour' on October 19, 2009 in Gansbaai, South Africa. The lure, usually a tuna head, is attached to a buoy and thrown into the water in front of the cage with the divers. The waters off Gansbaai are the best place in the world to see Great White Sharks, due to the abundance of prey such as seals and penguins which live and breed on Dyer Island, which lies 8km from the mainland. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The public tends to think of as fearsome predators on the attack, but it's actually the sharks who are under attack from humans. And their numbers are dwindling.

The Discovery Channel kicks off its annual Shark Week on Sunday, bringing us Great Whites, Hammerheads, Leopards and Reef Sharks all week. The viewers are excited as usual, but all is not well in shark land.

The public tends to think of as fearsome predators on the attack, but it's actually the sharks who are under attack from humans. Their numbers continue to dwindle.

Michael Skoletsky is the Executive Director of Shark Savers, an organization dedicated to what its name might indicate, and joins the show.