Author and marine conservation biologist David Shiffman (Why Sharks Matter) talks about Sharkweek, Sharknados, megalodon myths, Jaws and junk science with Skaana host Mark Leiren-Young (author of Sharks Forever & Big Sharks, Small World). “More people are bitten by other people on the New York city subway system every year than are bitten by sharks in the whole world… but whenever any shark gives someone side eye anywhere in the world, it’s headline news everywhere in the world.”

Shownotes:

4:10 “Jaws has had a really transformative impact. For sharks mostly bad.” How Jaws changed everything for sharks and meeting Richard Dreyfuss. “The movie is just so good.”

5:05 “It’s really changed the world. Before Jaws came out most people really didn’t think about sharks at all.”

5:56 “Spielberg has a lot to answer for here.”

6:23 The Jaws Effect. “It refers to how fictional portrayals of a real world issue can affect how people really think about that issue. In reality.”

7:36 Watching The Shark is Broken – the Jaws play – on Broadway!

10:14 On the impact of Sharknado! “I love those goofy, bad shark movies… there are two kinds of shark movies – there are bad shark movies and there’s Jaws.” And how Sharknado funded his PhD work.

13:18 “It’s just frigging weird how much this goofy Saturday night basic cable movie has escaped its cage and entered the cultural zeitgeist.”

13:44 “Here’s a crazy story for you…” How Sharknado may have launched Donald Trump’s political career.

16:04 On being Sharkweek’s number one critic “I’m very critical of the dumpster fire of nonsense and lies that they show every year.”

17:33 “I could rant about how bad Sharkweek is… forever.” And how Sharkweek does nothing to help sharks. “Sharkweek and I are not besties.”

17:48 There are more dudes named Mike on Sharkweek than there are women… even though in real life 60% of shark experts are women.

19:37 Great white sharks are mentioned in 40% of newspaper stories about endangered sharks – even though they’re not one of the most endangered species… All anyone wants to talk or write about… great white sharks.

21:00 Getting people to care about the bigger picture…”One thing that does change people’s minds is “yes, and…””

25:44 Talking 24 and sharks. “All of the species of sharks in the world combined have killed a lot fewer people than Jack Bauer has killed on-screen. Not even counting his off-screen exploits.”

26:34 “More people are bitten by other people on the New York city subway system every year than are bitten by sharks in the whole world… but whenever any shark gives someone side eye anywhere in the world, it’s headline news everywhere in the world.”

27:46 “Seeing a shark swimming close to the beach is not news. That’s where they’re supposed to be.”

28:00 A toy story – myth busting a fake goblin shark.

31:18 The megalodon conspiracy! “They were very cool – but they’ve been extinct for millions of years.”

33:38 The importance of public science engagement.

34:54 A new treaty that may help save sharks – and other species.

Skaana podcasts connect you to news and experts and their discussions about environments, oceans, and orcas.
David Shiffman and friends…
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Author and biologist Rowena Rae on swimming with salmon, threats to this essential species and their incredible resilience with Skaana host Mark Leiren-Young. “Salmon can thrive if we just give them a chance… if people would just get out of the way, they can thrive”.

Shownotes:

3:54 On becoming a biologist and leaving biology for writing.
7:12 Introducing young readers to the story of Rachel Carson.

9:20 Introducing Rachel Carson and the importance of Silent Spring.

12:20 Swimming with salmon.

14:07 Keystone species and why they matter.

  Humans Vs. Salmon; almost everything eats salmon  — salmon as “eco-system engineers”.

23:44 How to save Chinook salmon.

26:09 The fish farm jail-break in Washington State.

28:50 On the resilience of nature and salmon, and why to have hope. “They’re tenacious, they hang on … salmon can thrive if we just give them a chance”.

31:30 How we can help salmon.

Skaana podcasts connect you to news and experts and their discussions about environments, oceans, and orcas.

Rowena Rae – author of Salmon: Swimming for Survival

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Shark expert Alessandro De Maddalena talks with Skaana host Mark Leiren-Young about hunting for the perfect shark photo, the two orcas who are hunting great white sharks in South African waters, what makes great whites great and so much more! “The reason I love sharks is that they are a perfect art form. I consider Mother Nature the greatest artist.”

Shownotes:

4:22 How Alessandro De Maddalena fell for sharks as a kid and why sharks are cooler than dinosaurs.
9:00 Why he thinks the great white is great: “the first time I was watching a great white underwater it was magic… The reason I love sharks is that they are a perfect art form. I consider Mother Nature the greatest artist.”
13:10 Perfect predators and perfect book titles.
17:01 How little sharks care about humans. “Sharks care very little about humans. In most cases they don’t care at all.”
21:40 “The fear was born with Jaws…”
27:50 “People like to be afraid. People like monsters. People also like to create monsters.”
28:44 Leading Great White Shark expeditions.
33:40 His three best moments with sharks.
37:15 The truth behind the orcas attacking sharks in South Africa. No they are not a major threat to the great white shark population!
Skaana podcasts connect you to news and experts and their discussions about environments, oceans, and orcas.

Alessandro De Maddalena

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Alessandro De Maddalena image – featured in Mark Leiren-Young’s book Sharks Forever

Skaana (@Skaanapod) host Mark Leiren-Young (@LeirenYoung) shares the introduction and opening chapter of his new book Sharks Forever: The Mystery and History of the Planet’s Perfect Predator published by Orca Book Publishers (@orcabook).  “If you swim in the ocean every day for 100 years, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than swallowed by a shark.” – Mark Leiren-Young from Chapter 1, Sharks Forever.

 

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Show notes:

0:00 – Intro
0:00 – Introduction to Sharks Forever
0:00 – Chapter 1: Sharks Forever

Skaana (@Skaanapod) host Mark Leiren-Young (@leirenyoung) talks sharks, Sharkwater (@teamsharkwater) and politics with Joseph Planta (@Planta) on a special shared episode with Planta On the Line @TheCommentary.ca


Skaana podcasts connect you to news and experts and their discussions about environments, oceans, and orcas.

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Show notes:

00:21 Introduction
2:51 Joseph Planta introduces Mark Leiren-Young.
4:00 Why Sharks Forever is dedicated to Rob Stewart and meeting Rob in Barcelona
10:45 Why I call sharks “the perfect predator.” “They are eating machines… they look devastating and awesome when you see them hunting.”
12:40 The impact of Jaws “What is baffling to me is that this one movie – released in 1976 – completely defined the way humans see sharks…. every time somebody saw a shark it was reported as if aliens invaded.”
16:41 “One moose hit one person in Jasper? ‘We’re going to shoot every moose in Jasper!’ That is the approach to sharks. And I wish I put that analogy in the book… the government does not go, “it’s time for a war on moose.” You get a bear bite you don’t go after every bear.”
17:20 “We’re not food to them. We’re a lousy food source.”
18:00 “Sharks just look scary to us – something about them hits us on a primal level.”
21:18 Shark personalities and shark friendships.
23:40 The dangers of anthropodenial and the term’s creator, Frans de Waal.  “When you tickle a monkey it laughs.”
25:47 “Everything is now eating plastics… humans don’t share. Humans just are not good at sharing.”
26:30 “The more environmental stuff that I do, the more astonished I am by nature.”
28:10 “There are almost always sharks fairly close to shore… they’re everywhere. We’ve all been really close to sharks if we’ve been in the water.”
30:00 “Roughly five people are killed by sharks each year… falling bookshelves definitely kill more people each year than sharks. TVs falling on people. Just pick the most random thing and they are all more dangerous than sharks.”
31:10 Running for Saanich council. Why I ran for political office.
36:08 “Joseph – you’re an essential service.”

Camille Labchuk (@CamilleLabchuk) executive director of Animal Justice (@AnimalJustice) talks with Mark Leiren-Young (@Leirenyoung) about Canada’s new laws to cancel cetacean captivity and finish finning sharks and the fight for legal rights for animals and vegans. 

Skaana connects you with eco-heroes sharing ideas about oceans, eco-ethics, the environment and how you can change the world.

“Canada hadn’t passed any serious new animal protection legislation since the eighteen hundreds. That’s pretty shocking to most people.” – Camille Labchuk

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Links

Vegan firefighter suing the government says he didn’t deserve hunger and humiliation: ‘I’m tired of nice’ | The Star

Canada’s new shark fin ban sets an example for the world

In passage of ‘Free Willy’ bill, Canada bans captivity and breeding of whales and dolphins

Environmentalism’s next frontier: giving nature legal rights

BREAKING NEWS: House votes to end shark fin sales in the U.S.

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Music:

  

Fin Donnelly
“People don’t always realize just how important the ocean is in terms of producing clean air and doing so many things, maintaining a healthy environment and stable climate to create the conditions that humans need.”

“Back in 2012, I read a United Nations report on a state of the world’s oceans and this is what really got my attention.”

“If you lose those top predators – which take a long time to mature and to give birth – you are really affecting a significant portion of the ocean ecosystem.”

“We’ve got to draw some attention to what’s going on in our oceans and I thought sharks would be a good way to do that.”

“People don’t always realize just how important the ocean is in terms of producing clean air and doing so many things, maintaining a healthy environment and stable climate to create the conditions that humans need.”

“We have the longest coastline in the world. So we’re an ocean nation and we’re blessed with fresh water in our country so that’s, for me, a basis on which you build your community and economy and that has to be maintained in a healthy way.”

“It’s the right thing to do… Once Canada does it, we can put some pressure on the United States and then the EU and Asia and other countries.”

Fin Donnelly (@FinDonnelly), NDP critic for Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard, on the history and future of his fight for a law to protect sharks and what you can do to help pass a new Canadian law to end Canada’s role in shark-finning.

To help turn this bill into law sign the Oceana petition to ban the sale and importation of shark fins.

 

These animals predate dinosaurs… and the scary thing is it could be on humans’ watch that we would lose them.

Skaana podcasts connect you to news and experts and their discussions about  orcas, oceans and the environment.

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Fin Donnelly on Saving the Southern Resident Orcas

Links:

  1. Senator MacDonald: Shark finning is unsustainable, irresponsible and ecologically reckless
  2. MPs, senators unite to oppose ‘finning’ at premiere of ‘Sharkwater Extinction’
  3. Proposed federal shark fin ban a good ‘first step,’ Vancouver advocate says

Fin Donnelly

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Julia Barnes, (Sea of Life), and Jonah Bryson @JonahLBryson (The Fight for Bala) on how Rob Stewart (Sharkwater Extinction, Sharkwater, Revolution) inspired them to make movies to change the world.

“In Revolution, I was learning for the first time that the world’s coral reefs, rainforests and fisheries are expected to be gone by the middle of the century.”

– Julia Barnes

Skaana podcasts connect you to news and experts and their discussions about orcas, oceans and the environment.

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Check out Rob Stewart’s film “Sharkwater Extinction”

Links:

Guest: Julia Barnes

Campaigns:

Organization:

Guest: Jonah Bryson

Organization:

 

Rob Stewart:

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Rob Stewart
“I think the way I can best serve the planet and the environment is just educating people. If I bring everybody up in their knowledge of what’s going on, then they’ll elect different people.”

 

“If people knew that our life support system was in jeopardy, the human species could potentially go down this century, and future generations and millions of species are at stake because of it, then there would be a vote determinative issue.”

“What percentage of the planet would you say, knows about ocean acidification, knows about over consumption, that 75% of the forests are gone, 90% of the fish are gone, that, you know we face this world. Three percent? 90% of our food species are gone. This is happening.”

I keep optimistic because I think we’ve got the greatest opportunity here. They always say in movies, the hero is only as good as his villain. We’ve got the biggest villain possible.”

We’ve got the biggest crisis, potentially, that we’re facing, and to defeat it we’re gonna have to grow and we’re gonna have to evolve and we’re gonna have to step it up and learn what it is to be human—to care more about other people and other species than we have in the past.”

“I think the way I can best serve the planet and the environment is just educating people. If I bring everybody up in their knowledge of what’s going on, then they’ll elect different people.”

“What’s next, what’s bigger? Well, save the humans.”

“The reason why we can survive on this planet is because of life. That gives us our food our water and our air… oh my god, all these systems that we’ve built are destroying our food and our water and our air.” “Before, when we set up the systems, when we had 300 million people on earth, we could whatever the fuck we want. And now that we’ve got 7 billion of us, we’ve eaten everything.” 

“Any revolution of the past has been led by the people most directly impacted by the atrocity. It was women for women’s rights, it was black people for racial equality. It was them that hit the road and put their hands in the air. Now it’s gonna be kids, because they’re the ones that are going to be most directly impacted by it. It our future that we’re taking. So I expect kids will be a much bigger role in this than adults.”

“For adults it’s confronting the realization that you’re inherently bad for the planet… and everything you’ve been doing for most of your life has been bad for the planet… it’s tough to let that sink in.”

My favourite aspect about making a movie is giving the public the information they need to make better decisions.” 

“I think I was passionate about [sharks] from having a goldfish. From the time I was zero, onwards.”

Rob Stewart’s Sharkwater Extinction (premieres in Canadian theatres Oct 19th. Celebrate earth’s real-life Aquaman with never-before heard interviews from the  launch of his 2013  documentary, Revolution, as Rob talks about big dreams, fighting for the future and why kids will save the world.

Any revolution in the past has been led by the people most directly impacted by the atrocity… now it’s going to be kids because they’re going to be the ones that are impacted by it. It’s their future that we’re taking.”

Skaana podcasts connect you to news and experts and their discussions about  orcas, oceans and the environment.

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Join the Pod……https://www.patreon.com/skaana

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Check out Sharkwater Extinction:

Links:

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