Voice 1
Hello, I’m Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby Jones. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Deep in the ocean, a man is swimming. He is carrying a tank of air on his back. He breathes in the air through a tube leading to his mouth. The man is wearing fins on his feet. The long rubber fins help him to move more easily through the deep water. The man swims with smooth, slow movements. He does not want to be noticed. Why? Well, the man is not alone. A number of large, dark fish swim round about him. These fish have mouths full of sharp teeth. Many people say they are the most dangerous fish in the ocean. They are sharks!
Voice 2
The man’s name is Rob Stewart. He does not share most people’s negative opinions about sharks. In fact, he believes the opposite. He knows that sharks are necessary to keep the balance of life in the ocean. And he wants to show people how important sharks are. So, he has made a film about them. It is called, “Sharkwater.” Rob explained how his love of sharks began. He said:
Voice 3
“I was a child. One day, I was swimming and diving in the water… I had wanted to see a shark my whole life. I had read about them in books. I had watched them on television. I thought they were the greatest animals on earth! That day, I was swimming among the rocks. Then, I saw a shark. I was just amazed. It was so great to see something so big and so powerful and so perfect.”
Voice 1
Rob Stewart became a very experienced diver. Today, he uses this skill in his job. Rob works as a nature photographer - he takes pictures of wildlife around the world. It was while doing this job that Rob made a terrible discovery - a discovery that would change his life.
Voice 2
Rob Stewart was working in the Galapagos Islands. These islands are famous for their many different kinds of animal and plant life. For this reason, wildlife authorities have protected particular areas of water around the islands. Fishing is illegal in protected waters. One day, Rob was taking pictures in an area of protected water. And he saw something very tragic. He found a long plastic fishing line. It stretched for many kilometres under the water. Many hooks were hanging from this line. Someone was trying to catch fish. On the end of each hook was the body of a dead shark. Rob was shocked. This was long-line fishing! long-line fishing was illegal in this area. Rob remembers that day clearly. Before this, he did not understand how dangerous life was for sharks. But that day he thought:
Voice 3
“People are doing this in one of the most protected areas of water on the planet. So, imagine what is happening to sharks all around the world!”
Voice 1
Rob wrote to some nature magazines about this illegal shark fishing. He also tried to collect some money. He wanted to operate a boat around the Galapagos Islands. This boat would hunt for people trying to catch sharks illegally. But, he had no success. He received very little money. Nobody seemed interested in the sharks’ situation. Then Rob had another idea. His idea was to make a film about the problem. Later he said:
Voice 3
“I had never made a film before but I decided to do it… I found some people willing to lend me some money. I rented some cameras and got started.”
Voice 2
At first, Rob’s aim was to change public opinion about sharks. He wanted to show people how beautiful they were. He wanted to persuade people that sharks were worth caring for. But Rob’s experiences led to him telling a much sadder story…
Voice 1
Rob wanted to film sharks in protected areas. So, he went on a sea trip with an organization called, “Sea Shepherd”. “Sea Shepherd” is a wildlife conservation group. Group members travel into protected water. They look for people who are fishing illegally. They warn the fishing boats that they are breaking the law. And, if necessary, they act directly to stop them from fishing. The group’s leader is Paul Watson. He has been fighting to protect sea animals for many years. He took Rob on a boat called, “The Ocean Warrior”. It sailed to an area of protected water in the Pacific Ocean near Costa Rica. The Costa Rican government wanted help to stop illegal fishing there.
Voice 2
However, the trip did not go as Rob and his friends expected. They went there to prevent illegal shark-fishing. But instead, the authorities treated them as the enemies! Rob explained:
Voice 3
“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong! The police in Costa Rica arrested us. They charged us with attempted murder. Some shark fishermen crashed their boats into our boat. Finally, we had to sail away from Costa Rica while they were firing machine guns at us.”
Voice 2
Why did people treat them this way? Well, Rob and the team from the “Ocean Warrior” did some investigating. And, they discovered evidence of a large shark-finning industry in Costa Rica. Shark fins are very valuable to some people. But they are even more valuable to the sharks! Without its pointed fin, a shark cannot swim or move. People cut the fin from the shark’s back. Then, they throw the live body back into the water. The shark then bleeds to death - or drowns. Shark finning is a big industry. People use the sharks’ fins to make soup, or medicine.
Voice 1
So Rob and his team had found their answer. The people in Costa Rica had treated them badly to cover their illegal industry - shark finning. These people did not want anyone ruining their business. Rob filmed all of his experiences on the “Ocean Warrior” boat. He wants people to know about illegal shark-fishing. And he wants illegal trade in shark fins to stop. Rob explains the messages in the film:
Voice 3
“Everyone was scared of sharks. So nobody cared that people were killing them. I thought that a film could give people a new relationship with sharks. Then they would care enough to protect them…. People have spent a few hundred million dollars over the last fifty years on films. These show sharks as monsters, as dangerous hunters. So, a film that would show sharks in the opposite way was important.”
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