How to Protect Sharks: What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)

How to Protect Sharks isn’t just about banning shark finning or posting awareness videos. It’s about understanding what really works—supporting science-based policies, enforcing marine protected areas, backing local researchers, and stopping the spread of misinformation. In this episode, we clear up the confusion around shark conservation and focus on the actions that actually make a difference.

Shark conservation efforts must move beyond clickbait and into impact. From choosing ethical shark tourism operators to pushing for sustainable fishing reforms, this episode walks you through the most effective ways to help sharks and their ecosystems survive. Whether you’re a diver, educator, or ocean advocate, you’ll learn how to avoid the noise and support shark conservation that’s grounded in science and ethics.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
July is Shark Awareness Month and we just
passed Shark Awareness Day.
You may or may not have seen it, but you
probably noticed there's a
lot of hype around sharks
in July.
You know, we had Netflix has released two
documentary style, game
show competition style
videos that came out.
We had Sharkfest from Nat Geo.
We have coming up
Shark Week from Discovery.

(00:20):
And some of these episodes and some of
these movies and documentaries are great.
And some of them are
just absolutely ridiculous.
And some of them are entertaining and
educational at the same time.
You decide which one it is.
And if you want to put a comment to say
which one you like best
over the month, please do
so.
But the fact is, is that
we need to protect sharks.
Sharks are facing extinction for most

(00:40):
species and we need your help.
And it's really difficult once you see
all this stuff to
understand how to protect sharks.
People are telling you, you need to sign
up for this or donate
to this or do this type
of action or this is what we need to do.
And some of it's outdated and
false and some of it's right.
But how do you sift through it?
I hope this episode is going to help you

(01:01):
understand what we need to do.
It's going to be very basic.
It's going to be very general.
But I would love to see what you think of
this episode after
you listen to it or you
watch it and give me your thoughts on
what you have been doing to
support shark conservation.
We're going to talk about on this episode
of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast.
Let's start the show.

(01:21):
Hey everybody, welcome back to another
exciting episode of the How
to Protect the Ocean podcast.
I'm your host Andrew Lewin.
And this is the podcast where you find
out what's happening
with the ocean, how you
could speak up for the ocean or what you
can do to live for a
better ocean by taking action.
Now in today's episode, I'm going to be
sharing something
that's a little different.
It's a little bit of a storytelling
method I've been playing with.
And I want to really focus on shark
conservation in this episode because

(01:43):
something that we've
been really focusing
on this month is sharks.
You know, I've done a couple of reviews
that have really hit
big in terms of getting a
lot of engagement on YouTube and also
from people on social
media where I've posted clips.
But I really want to discuss what shark
conservation looks like today.
So I'm going to do a little thing.
It's going to be a little motivational
speech or rant, but I put this together.

(02:06):
I've written it together and I've tried
to put this in a way
that I hope that you enjoy
and I hope that inspires you to do
action, to really take
action for sharks, for the
protection of sharks, for increased shark
research, and for
increased shark exploration.
We need to find more sharks, discover
more sharks, understand
the biodiversity and the
importance of biodiversity of shark

(02:26):
species, but also protect
the sharks that we know and
we love and we see each and every day on
Shark Week, each and
every day on Shark Fest
or on a Netflix documentary or in a
Netflix competition show.
We need to understand and protect these
and do more research.
So here's just what I had cooked out.
But before I show you this, I want you to

(02:46):
understand that there
are ways to take action.
The best way is to join the undertow.
It's a group that I've worked with two
other wonderful women, my
co-founders, who on this
podcast app, we are building a community
of wave makers and
wave finders to be able
to say, "Hey, you know what?
This is how we protect the ocean.
It's guided.
It connects people to the ocean.

(03:08):
We talk about the ocean.
There's no algorithm.
You're getting ocean news, ocean
information and ways to
protect the ocean each and every
day.
So if you go to speakupforblue.com
forward slash join the
undertow, you will be able
to take part in that very
shortly once we launch the app.
We're testing it right now and I can't
wait for you to be able to use it.
All right.
So here's the episode.

(03:29):
Enjoy.
Love to hear what you think.
Here we go.
Sharks have ruled the ocean for over 400
million years, essential to
healthy marine ecosystems.
As apex predators, they balance food
webs, influence fish
populations and even help seagrass
grow.
But there are survivals in crisis, not
just from overfishing,
but from misinformation.

(03:49):
Around the world, people claim to love
sharks while promoting harmful practices.
Tourism posts show them grabbing fins,
swimming too close,
baiting sharks for selfies.
The real danger isn't just shark finning.
It's the false sense that
awareness equals action.
Some influencers use sharks for clout
while ignoring science
and conservation ethics.

(04:12):
Documentaries dramatize personal
connections with sharks, but
skip policy and local context.
While over 100 million sharks die each
year, many conservation campaigns profit
off the fear or fantasy.
The ocean is drowning in noise and sharks
are running out of time.
The real shark conservation starts with
learning from science-backed sources.

(04:34):
IUCN, Mote Marine Lab,
Shark Trust, The Lost Shark Guy.
It means sharing facts, not fear.
Sharks are not monsters. They are
misunderstood keystone species.
You can combat myths on social media and
call out staged awareness stunts.
But advocacy matters.
Support bans on shark finning,
longlining, and

(04:55):
unsustainable fishing practices.
Push for marine protected areas with real
enforcement, not just paper parks.
Donate with purpose. Fund grassroot
organizations, independent researchers,
and local conservationists.
Ask, does this group show results? Does
it empower communities or
just post-merch and hashtags?

(05:17):
Choose ecosystem operators who respect
sharks. No rioting, no
harassment, no excessive baiting.
If you're diving, follow a code of
conduct guidelines and
amplify ethical businesses.
Want to help from home? Use sustainable
seafood guides and say no to shark liver
oil or cartilage products.
The turning point is simple. Stop asking,

(05:40):
is this viral and start
asking, is this working?
Conservation isn't sexy. It's long-term,
policy-driven, and grounded in science.
It happens in government meetings, data
labs, coastal villages,
not underwater TikToks.
Sharks don't need influencers. They need
enforced protections
and thriving ecosystems.

(06:01):
Don't get me wrong. Influencers can make
great awareness if they
follow the right rules.
Real change comes when communities,
scientists, and advocates collaborate,
not compete for attention.
If you want the right resolution, and if
you want to help, host a shark talk at
your school or library during Shark Week.

(06:22):
Join a clean-up, support marine protected
areas, and back
policies that protect habitats.
Educate yourself, then educate others,
especially about how
sharks help ecosystems thrive.
Support youth, indigenous, and
underrepresented leaders
in marine conservation.
Be an advocate, not a spectator. Because

(06:44):
when you hype fads, sharks will still be
out there facing extinction or recovery.
It depends on whether we choose clicks or
action, whether we listen to science or
chase spectacle, whether we just said,
we love sharks or actually help them
survive. The ocean will remember which
one we did, and so will
our future generations.

(07:28):
To protect the ocean and don't forget to
sign up and join the undertow. Go to
speakupforblue.com forward slash join the
undertow. I want to thank you so much for
listening to this episode of the how to
protect the ocean podcast. I'm your host,
Andrew Lewin from the true North strong
and free. Have a great day. We'll talk to
you next time and happy conservation.