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Sharkwater debut at UK cinemas
L'Oreal - Because Shark's are Worth It!
Horrid day at Harrods
Ocean's twelve
Calendar girl takes top shot
Making a killing out of sharks
Keeping the faith
Dead in the water
Oceanic whitetip closer to extinction
Bite-Back serves up shark victory
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Horrid day at Harrods
 In an extravagant display of ignorance and indifference, the world's most famous store, Harrods, featured the complete carcass of a porbeagle shark on its fish counter this week.
The decision to exhibit the shark has outraged Bite-Back and its supporters.
Campaign Director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: "Harrods should hang its head in shame. The inclusion of a shark in its food hall is equivalent to erecting a sign declaring that it's okay to eat shark meat. The fact is that shark populations around the world are being decimated to keep up with consumer demand and this decision by Harrods can only be described as an endorsement of an underwater holocaust."
Last year more than 3,290 tonnes of shark meat was consumed in the UK, contributing to a worldwide marine crisis caused by over-fishing and over-consumption.
Found in British and EU waters, porbeagle sharks share similar markings to the great white shark and have helped cause confusion in recent 'Jaws' sightings. Like the great white, porbeagle sharks are capable of breaching (jumping clear of the water) and are regarded as one of the fastest sharks on the planet.
 In a 2005 assessment, the porbeagle shark was declared globally threatened. Since then, the European Union has proposed listing the porbeagle under the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). General opinion among shark conservationists is that porbeagle will make the listing in 2008.
Graham Buckingham said: "Too many consumers consider retailers the barometers of what's ethical and what's not. Regarding the sale of shark in the developed world, there can be only one message … it's wrong. The continued sale of shark products is neither ethical or sustainable and, unchecked, it will cause the collapse of entire shark species."
The biology of large sharks means they are born inherently vulnerable. Considering female porbeagle sharks take eight years to reach sexually maturity, endure a gestation period of eight months and have an average litter size of just four pups, it's easy to see how they can be caught quicker than they can reproduce.
 Harrods isn't alone in the sale of shark meat and fins in the UK and Bite-Back plans to expose and halt this unnecessary and abhorrent trade.
"It is time to replicate the success of terrestrial conservation efforts for lions, tigers, gorillas and elephants in the underwater world. Right now sharks, swordfish and marlin are at the front line of a marine catastrophe. Together we can stop it by encouraging a change in retailer responsibility," said Graham Buckingham.
Bite-Back's campaigns have already inspired ASDA to stop selling shark in 190 stores (previously it was selling 100,000 portions of mako and big eye thresher sharks a year) and encouraged Tesco to remove swordfish and marlin from its entire network.
Download intellectual ammunition on key species here.
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