February 14 2014
In 2006 Richard Peirce began planning shark research trips to the Gulf. In 2008 The Shark Conservation Society conducted its first shark research expedition in Kuwait and over the next five years several expeditions followed in Qatar and Bahrain.
In 2006 little shark research had been done in the Gulf, and there was very little awareness of the need for shark conservation. The Shark Conservation Society blazed new trails, which led to the discovery of species, new laws being passed, films being made, and an increase in governmental and public awareness of the problems faced by sharks in the Gulf.
In February 2014 seven Arab countries including the UAE joined the Memorandum of Understanding on the Convention of Migratory sharks.
Whenever a conservation success occurs, it is usual for N.G.O.'s to claim having had a hand in the success. In the Gulf The Shark Conservation Society believes it genuinely can claim to have helped trigger several worthwhile conservation measures. The Society doesn't believe it's jumping on a bandwagon, it believes it helped start it.