Comment: Are there any species of shark that eat only, or mostly, plants?
Answer: Sharks are omnivorous, which means that they eat both meat and plants. The largest of all sharks, the whale shark, eats nothing but plankton.

Comment: Hi Lisa, I enjoyed your show on the sharks. I am now in Tanzania where taking sharks for their fins for export to Asia is an increasing trade along with sea cucumbers. Also sport fishing for sharks is on the increase but their is as yet no taging system (although there is one in Kenya). Does the EU catch sharks for the fin trade? Regards Andrew Perkin (now studying bushbabies in Tanzania for a PhD)
Answer: Hi Andrew, LONG time no see! Unfortunately the shark fin trade is so lucrative that it is putting pressure on shark populations throughout the world's oceans.

The EU is certainly involved: Spain is the major exporter but other countries including Italy and France also participate. The main target is probably blue shark. It's difficult to know which other species are affected as only the fins are landed - I believe that genetic identification techniques are being developed in order to monitor the trade more effectively.

Comment: Hi my names Mark Barnett and i am the press officer for Drayton Angling Club which is based in Portsmouth, i've just watched your program and thought that you would like to know that there are hundreds upon hundreds of dedicated sea anglers and clubs that have adopted a catch and release method while fishing now.

We at our club will not even allow you to bring a smoothhound back to the scales as it must be measured and sent back to the sea as quickly as possible.

I caught a personal best smoothhound from the shore this year of 19lb and after i had it weighed and had my photo taken with this beautiful creature i released it back into the sea with my thanks for the sport.

We are trying to teach the value that fishing is a sport, yes it is a blood sport we all know that and if you are going to take you catch home and eat it then thats great but myself and many others are firm believers that mass slaughter of fishing must stop.

Could you tell me if any one has tried tagging smoothhounds, these great fish are beginning to show less and less and their movements are no longer as certain as they once were.

They seemed to come into the solent a lot earlier then they used to and there are no where near as many pups as there used to be. Any way thanks for listening
Answer: Hi Mark. Glad to hear that the local angling community is already switched on to shark-friendly fishing.

Smoothhounds are routinely tagged as part of the UK Shark Tagging Programme. To find out more, follow the link on this page to the Programme's website ('UK Shark'), or send an email to tag@ukshark.co.uk.

Comment: how can I contact the shark tagging programme off the UK coast? I am studying zoology and would be very keen to help as a volunteer.
Answer: Hi Nick. Sue and Jeri Drake are the tagging programme co-ordinators. I'm sure they'd be interested to hear from you. Follow the link on this page to the programme's website ('UK Shark'), or send an email to tag@ukshark.co.uk.

Comment: How many shark spiecies live around the coast of britain
Answer: Hi Matthew. 14 species of shark are seen in the UK's coastal waters, though the total goes up to around 30 if you include species found in offshore waters.

Comment: Having just seen your voyage out to the Isle of Wight, and the success you had, how can I go out ther myself to see them? I currently live just outside of Poole, and have a huge fascination with Sharks! Can you help?
Answer: Hi Jon-Michel. Unfortunately all of our local sharks are very hard to see in the wild. The basking shark, although difficult to miss on account of its size, is only an occasional visitor to this area.

All of our other sharks spend most of their time on or near the seabed and rarely come to the surface. Although you may see sharks such as the lesser spotted dogfish while diving, it's not a regular occurrence.

The only reliable options for seeing them are to catch them and bring them up to the surface, or to see them in captivity. If you're interested in going on a shark angling trip, there are charter fishing boats that operate from Poole, Christchurch and Lymington. I would recommend that you contact the UK Shark Tagging Programme via their website (follow the 'UK Shark' link on this page) to find out which boats operate the tagging scheme.

If you'd like to see basking sharks, your best bet would be to visit Cornwall in late spring or summer. Visit Cornwall Wildlife Trust's website to find out more.

The Wildlife Trusts support a basking shark research project in Cornwall.

More information is available as part of the marine campaign on our website. I believe the following aquaria in the South keep sharks: Weymouth Sea Life Park, Bournemouth Oceanarium, Brighton Sea Life Centre, Hastings Underwater World and London Aquarium.

Comment: a friend told me that Hammerhead Sharks could not harm u because their mouths are positioned at the underside of thier heads, but then i was told this is not true?? Plz help, i am confused!!
Answer: Hi India. Hammerhead sharks are a potential threat to swimmers and divers. Although their mouth is positioned beneath their 'hammer', they can take a large chunk out of a stingray and I assume they can do the same to humans.

The scalloped hammerhead is ranked in the BBC Shark Watcher's Handbook as 'potentially moderate risk' and the great hammerhead as 'potentially high risk'.

The BBC book has a wealth of information about sharks and how and where to watch them safely. My favourite statistic from the book is that for every person around the world bitten by sharks each year, 25 people are bitten by New Yorkers!

That puts the risk of shark attack into perspective!

The BBC Shark Watcher's Handbook is by Mark Carwardine and Ken Watterson. The ISBN is O 563 53794 9.

Comment: sO WHERE EXACTLY IS A HAMMERHEAD SHARKS NOSE - SHOULD i EVER NEED TO PUNCH ONE?
Answer: Hi Helen. Good question!

Hitting a shark on the snout would clearly be a last resort, and would necessarily be a fairly risky course of action!

I have no idea what the success rate is for punching hammerheads but I guess you'd aim between its eyes and hope for the best!

Comment: Dear Lisa, Have you ever been swimming with sharks? :)
Answer: Hi Dinah. Yes, I have been lucky enough to swim with sharks. In fact, the day I swam with a whale shark in Honduras was one of the best days of my life! I don't suppose I'll ever see a bigger fish than that! If you're interested in swimming with sharks, get hold of a copy of the BBC Shark Watcher's Handbook by Mark Carwardine and Ken Watterson. The ISBN is O 563 53794 9.

Comment: do you think it possible in the future for sharks to be caught from the beach
Answer: Hi Dan. Shark angling and tagging take place from beaches throughout this area, particularly between Lymington and Selsey Bill.

To find out more, follow the 'UK Shark' link on this page to the UK Shark Tagging Programme's website, or send an email to tag@ukshark.co.uk.

Comment: have there been any hot dates with the sharks yet?
Answer: Hi Bel. Angelis has definitely started taking an interest in Anne.

He's been spotted nuzzling her and nibbling at her fins. So far, however, it appears that Anne is not so impressed and has shown no signs of reciprocating his interest. But who knows what happens when the lights go off and the aquarium staff go home?!

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