PORTFOLIO

THE SHARK FIN TRADE Every year, humanity kills more than 150 million sharks — and nearly half are taken solely for their fins, served as a status symbol across parts of Asia. Despite shark meat containing dangerously high levels of mercury, global demand continues to rise. Today, one-quarter of all shark species are facing extinction, driven largely by this relentless trade.

Billions of people worldwide rely on the ocean for food, livelihoods, and cultural identity — from small-scale fishing villages to entire coastal economies. Yet the pressures on our oceans are growing. While artisanal fishers typically take only what they need using traditional, low-impact methods that have sustained communities for generations, large industrial fleets — often from wealthier Western nations — extract seafood on a massive scale. These industrial operations use destructive techniques, generate enormous bycatch, and deplete fish stocks at rates local ecosystems cannot recover from. The result is a widening imbalance: coastal communities who depend on the sea for survival are left with diminishing resources, while the ocean itself is pushed toward ecological collapse.

Taking a camera underwater transforms the hidden world beneath the surface into something everyone can witness. Through imagery, we can reveal the beauty, complexity, and vulnerability of marine life — moments most people will never see firsthand.

South Australia is home to some of the world’s most iconic and vulnerable sharks and rays — from great whites patrolling the temperate reefs to endangered rays gliding across seagrass meadows. These species play a vital role in maintaining the balance of local marine ecosystems, yet many face growing threats from fishing pressure, habitat loss, and human misunderstanding. Protecting them is essential not only for biodiversity, but for the long-term health and resilience of South Australia’s coastal waters.