Ireland's Oceans

Shark Killers (1x2)

Air date: Jun 29, 2014

With almost forty species of sharks and thirty species of ray, the seas around Ireland have always abounded with these creatures. Porbeagle sharks are close relatives of the great white and until recently thrived in Irish coastal waters, while blue sharks, still appear in large numbers during the summer months. In this programme, Clare resident and current British Wildlife Photographer of the Year, George Karbus goes underwater and face to face with sharks to examine whether they truly are mankillers. We follow the conservation efforts of Dr. Edward Farrell in placing satellite tags on porbeagle sharks off Donegal and look at the global decimation of sharks, scientists estimate that 100 MILLION sharks are being killed annually, mostly to use their fins in an expensive soup popular in Asia. Tralee Bay is one of the most unique marine habitats in Europe and a summer breeding grounds for some shark and ray species. Several of these species are no longer found anywhere else in Europe due to over-fishing, Dr. Maurice Clarke from the Irish Marine Institute looks at the history of these creatures and what impact their decimation may have on our ocean eco systems.