Shifting our perspective from extraction to reverence, from seeing the ocean as “other” to embracing her as kin, is essential to restoring our relationship with the sea and all the life she sustains.
A case in point is our attitude toward sharks and rays, collectively known as chondrichthyans; majestic creatures that have glided through our oceans for millions of years, playing a vital role in maintaining marine ecosystems. Today, in most cultures, they are feared and exploited, harvested for their fins, gill plates, meat, cartilage, and liver oil, or unintentionally caught as bycatch in industrial fishing. When we view them solely as commodities or ‘resources’, we accelerate their decline, disrupt ocean health, and forgo the chance to replace fear with fascination.
BRUV filming, Ilha Grande Bay. Credit: IBRACON / Projeto Tubarões da Baía da Ilha Grande.
Gaia is proud to partner with initiatives in Brazil and Uruguay that foster appreciation and reverence for sharks and rays, encouraging both deeper responsibility and concrete steps to protect them. Their work recording where endangered sharks and rays (such as the vulnerable blacktip shark and the elusive giant freshwater stingray) feed, breed and congregate is also contributing to the designation of Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) for the Southwest Atlantic and inland waters.
Brazilian guitarfish (Pseudobatos horkelii) – critically endangered. Infographic by scientific illustrator Julia Rouaux.
In Brazil, Projeto Tubarões da Baía da Ilha Grande is working off the coast of southern Rio de Janeiro State, a crucial habitat nestled among remnants of the endangered Atlantic Forest. In Ilha Grande Bay, sand tiger sharks and Atlantic blacktip sharks thrive among islands, shoals, and inlets. Our local partner, IBRACON, collaborates with fishers, researchers and policymakers to halt the decline of these and other chondrichthyans through targeted conservation measures, and exploring non-extractive ways that local livelihoods can benefit from the presence of sharks.
Poster: Projeto Tubarões da Baía da Ilha Grande. Illustrations by marine artist Huber.
Further south, in Uruguay, MarAzulUruguayo has revealed that over half of the shark species relying on the country’s coastal waters for feeding and nursery grounds are endangered. Testimonies from fishers and scientists document the alarming disappearance of once-common species such as the striped smooth-hound or recorrecostas and hammerhead sharks, guitarfish, and angel sharks. Their awareness campaign, “Dangerous or Endangered?” highlights the deep interconnection between human well-being and the health of shark and ray populations, supports sustainable fisheries and reducing plastic pollution, and advocates for marine protected areas. Inspired by the campaign, local fishers are beginning to share on social media how they release accidentally caught sharks and rays back into the sea.
Uruguay’s underwater treasures. Credit: MarAzulUruguayo
Sharks and rays have captured human imagination for centuries. Through art, education, and science, our partners in Brazil and Uruguay are fostering a profound respect for these ancient, sentient beings—cultivating not only awe but also a sense of shared responsibility for their survival.
Living Water – exploring a non-extractive approach to our ocean
Calling for a less academic and more locally-based approach to achieving that shared responsibility, José Truda Palazzo Jr, our marine ally in Brazil, has published Living Water: Marine Ecotourism, Communities and Conservation. It draws from real-life cases, and dwells on what might be needed to shift from the extractive mindset, considering new regenerative, socially beneficial and non-extractive ways to enjoy and benefit from marine wildlife.
Truda was inspired from an early age by one of Gaia’s beloved Ancestors, José Lutzenberger, and soon became a leading voice against commercial whaling and for the recovery of a breeding population of Southern Right Whales in Southern Brazil. He wears many hats (literally and figuratively!) advising and advocating for greater protection for our planet. Truda co-founded Divers for Sharks to campaign against the global decline of shark populations, and instigated the Ilha Grande Bay project.
Living Water: Marine Ecotourism, Communities and Conservation (2024), by José Truda.