The IUCN/SSC Shark Specialist Group
SSG Regions - Sub-Equatorial Africa: Conservation
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Supa Val Joins Mighty Maxine Back In The Ocean
© Chad Henning
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Val is the second ragged tooth shark to be released from the Two Oceans Aquarium in South Africa as part of the Save Our
Seas Foundation Maxine, Science, Education and Awareness (M-Sea) Programme, an AfriOceans Conservation Alliance (AOCA)
initiative. The programme is endorsed by the World Conservation Union Shark Specialist Group (IUCN SSG).
Val, so named because of the large amount of Valium that was used to sedate her when she was captured, was successfully
returned to the ocean on 4 April 2005 near Struisbaai on the southern Cape coast. She joins Maxine, the icon of the Programme,
who was released in March 2004. Like famous Maxine, Val was tagged with a satellite pop-up archival transmitting tag (PAT), an
ultrasonic tag and a spaghetti tag. The satellite tag is programmed to surface in August 2005.
The M-Sea Programme is the brainchild of Executive Director of AOCA, Lesley Rochat. "The primary objective of this programme
has been to drive a high profile education and awareness campaign that highlights the serious threat to shark populations
worldwide in order to assist in their conservation. Its success to date has shown that negative attitudes and public
misperceptions, based largely on inherent fear and misunderstanding of sharks, can change through an initiative such as this.
Now Val has joined Maxine in the hall of shark fame!"
A large wild ragged tooth shark was also tagged with a satellite and ultrasonic tag soon after Val's release. This will provide
scientists with a unique opportunity to compare the behaviour of released sharks with that of wild sharks. Overall this unique
shark conservation programme will contribute to our knowledge of ragged tooth sharks in the wild that are listed, and to
changing perceptions of sharks in general.
AfriOceans Conservation Alliance will once again run a Satellite Tag Competition in which people have the opportunity to guess
where Val's tag will surface and win fantastic prizes. For more information on the competition and the Programme go to
www.aoca.org.za
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