Sharks have fascinated people for generations, and a noted expert on the predators came to Emporia State University on Friday night.
Dr. David Shiffman of Arizona State University says he has been interested in sharks for as long as he can remember, even though he grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — well away from the ocean. He wanted to be a marine biologist from an early age, but he began studying sharks after learning they were physically endangered.
Shiffman says the first way to reduce the threat to sharks, is to stop buying “unsustainable” seafood to pressure producers to end overfishing practices like dragging, dynamite fishing or cyanide fishing. Shiffman says there is a lot of confusing labeling when it comes to fishing practices, so he suggests online information from groups like Seafood Watch or Greenpeace.
Shiffman is now an interdisciplinary marine conservation biologist at Arizona State. He says he spends a lot of time now working to counter misinformation or poorly-researched opinions, and he says the shark meat trade is poorly understood and needs more research.
KVOE News reporter Baylee Hudson contributed to this report.
