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[ECO]Endurance Swimmer Takes on Martha’s Vineyard Waters to Boost Shark Conservation Efforts

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Lewis Pugh’s 60-mile swim around Martha’s Vineyard aims to transform public perception and strengthen shark conservation efforts worldwide.

Fifty years after “Jaws” transformed sharks into feared villains, renowned endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh is challenging this perception through an extraordinary swimming mission aimed at strengthening global

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Starting May 15, Pugh will swim the entire 60-mile circumference of Martha’s Vineyard—the very waters that terrified moviegoers worldwide—to highlight the alarming decline in global shark populations and promote shark conservation efforts. The swim is scheduled to conclude on May 26.

According to the Lewis Pugh Foundation, shark populations have dropped roughly 70% worldwide since 1970 due to overfishing and habitat loss. An estimated 100 million sharks—that’s 274,000 daily—are killed annually for their fins, meat, oil, or sport.

“I’m frightened of sharks,” Pugh openly acknowledges. “But I’m more terrified of a world without them, and that’s what we’re looking at if we don’t act now.”

The massive shark decline isn’t just about losing species. It’s triggering ecological collapse, which has serious consequences for ocean health and food security globally.

Sharks play a crucial role as top predators in marine ecosystems. They help maintain the balance of species below them in the food chain.

Without sharks, many marine ecosystems become unstable. This instability can lead to population explosions of certain species while others decline dramatically.

“Sharks are integral to ocean health, and ocean health is integral to human survival,” explains Pugh. “This is not just about future generations. We must learn to respect and protect sharks today.”

Thanks to focused shark conservation efforts, Great White Shark numbers have gradually recovered around Martha’s Vineyard. Massachusetts has recently implemented measures to protect white sharks from shore fishing, demonstrating how regional conservation initiatives can succeed with proper support.

However, this recovery remains an exception. Worldwide, Great White Sharks continue to face increasing threats to their survival.

While ocean swimming always carries risks, Pugh’s team is taking precautions to minimize potential shark encounters during the swim.

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As an endurance swimmer, Pugh has built his reputation by tackling swims in vulnerable ecosystems to advocate for their protection. In 2023, he swam the entire 315-mile Hudson River to highlight river impacts on ocean health.

The Martha’s Vineyard swim launches a three-year campaign by the

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. The campaign aims to engage over one billion people through science, education, and advocacy efforts.

This initiative supports the Foundation’s “30×30” goal of securing full protection for 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. Many shark conservation efforts worldwide have embraced this target as essential for marine ecosystem health.

“When we damage the environment, we create conditions that are ripe for conflict,” Pugh says. “But when we protect the environment, we foster peace.”

Pugh’s mission has garnered support from major environmental organizations and leaders worldwide who recognize the importance of shark conservation efforts.

“Migratory species like large sharks are nature’s messengers – they reveal the health of our oceans and, by extension, our planet,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. “Their decline is a clear signal that we are pushing marine ecosystems to the brink.”

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO of the Global Environment Facility, added his perspective as both a surfer and conservationist: “Apex species like sharks not only signal the health of our oceans, they help maintain it. When sharks are at risk, so are we.”

The Global Environment Facility has worked for over thirty years to protect sharks through sustainable fisheries management and the creation of marine protected areas, including shark sanctuaries.

By swimming in the waters made famous by “Jaws,” Pugh hopes to replace fear with respect. His message emphasizes that protecting sharks through coordinated conservation efforts isn’t just about saving a species—it’s about saving ourselves.

“For centuries we have not only been fighting over the environment, we have been fighting against it,” Pugh notes. “We must learn to make peace with nature for the sake of future generations.”

Pugh hopes his swim will inspire more people to support shark conservation efforts in their own communities and pressure policymakers to strengthen protections for these crucial marine predators.

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