Authorities say 30,000 tons of grey nurse sharks are caught each year and thrown back, mostly to die. The grey nurse joined the worldwide endangered species list in 1999, along with the great white. Altogether, marine researchers say, more than 100 million sharks are caught each year by crews from 125 countries, but only Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada have efficient controls. Huge numbers are killed for their distinctive dorsal, the vital ingredient for Chinese shark's fin soup. Crews hack off the fins and toss the rest overboard.
People just love to hang a big set of jaws on their wall.
Growing into his career as a marine specialist, however, he eventually shook off his early fears. Now, he dives into the tanks to hand-deliver dinner to sharks in the impressive aquariums at Darling Harbor and nearby Manly. But sharks suffer from misinformation. They look so mean, and there is nothing cuddly about them. There was the time Macleay needed eight stitches because a grey nurse in the aquarium decided his hand was part of the menu at feeding time.