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| Madison Stewart with a shark. |
Madison Stewart, also known as Shark Girl, is passionate about creatures that many of us are terrified of. So passionate is she in fact that there is a DVD documenting her inspiring story. Which is not bad given that she was born in the 1990s! According to Madison, fear of sharks is much scarier than sharks themselves - especially if we take the time to examine the consequences of that fear. Sharks are not the only animal to suffer because humans are frightened of them. But theirs can be a tough cause.
Madison took the SAT challenge and answered our questions about sharks, people, and her campaign to help both species.
You’ve
been described as a conservationist, activist and shark campaigner, but what
does your typical day involve?
I am not a
conservationists or activist, I’m an unprofessional filmmaker and someone who
loves sharks! I really don’t like labels, I think any human can make a
difference and we don’t need to label ourselves to do so. My normal day job
involves making coffee, because what I do for sharks is not a job, its my
hobby, its not for money, its my chosen obligation to the oceans I love. I take
the responsibility of teaching the public, and challenging the corporations and
business that harm sharks, a big part of this is filming sharks, the rest is
personal research. So I see my ‘job’ as protecting sharks and my future.
I grew up in the oceans
and spent the most time there, as a kid I wasn’t allowed to ride a push bike
because it was dangerous, but I was taken diving with sharks. Its all a matter
of perspective, and my perspective was that the oceans were home.
Fears
and phobias of sharks are common, yet you don’t seem to fear sharks. Was there
ever a stage when you feared them? What is it about sharks that you love?
Never feared sharks,
because they are not scary, they are just like a dog, but allot bigger. There
have been a few times where I’ve deemed a situation dangerous and taken action
to remove myself from danger, but there has been no fear of shark that go along
with this. What is it about sharks? Im not sure how to answer this, I don’t
really know, I’ve always loved them. I love the monsters, the neglected and the
forgotten, the animals most run from, they always had a special place in my
heart.
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| Madison and I have many things in common as it turns out. We both like taking photos. Her subjects are somewhat different to mine... |
Have
you ever had an encounter with a creature that left you a little scared?
I was once chased by a
turtle.
What
are the biggest threats to sharks?
The industries that involve sharks are obviously
the trade of shark meat, medicines, shark fins, pet food, and other commercial
fisheries that have sharks as bycatch, however all of these only contribute to
the biggest problem, which is fear. Things happening to sharks are not the
issue the issue is that no one wants to fight against them!
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| But I am almost certain I have cuddled this exact same shark. |
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| Pretty sure I didn't cuddle this one though. |
You
gave up school so you could spend more time underwater and campaigning for the
conservation of sharks. That is incredible commitment – what drives you to keep
going?
I actually gave up school
just to selfishly dive with sharks and see more of the oceans and get into
underwater filmmaking, it was just after this decision came about that I was
faced with a shocking realisation that sharks were disappearing. I went back to
places I had seen them in the past expecting to see them again only to see that
they were gone. This is when my life took on a whole new meaning, And what
drives me is the thought that I can never let those who took my whole world
from me get away with it.
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| Madison speaks her mind. |
How
do people react when they find out that you are fighting to conserve a creature
that frightens them?
Its always amazing, people
question me in every way possible, and I tell them a few simple facts about sharks
and they are shocked, talking to people on the street about what I do changes
the world, they always leave with a different opinion! Then other times they
are just a little bit offended that I am saving this animal they think is out
to eat the human race.
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| Madison is somewhat more brave than I am. |
In
your view, how can people reduce the risk of shark attack?
This is crazy- its so
simple, it should be taught in schools, it should be every day knowledge, especially
in Australia, but its ignored for no good reason other than fear and stupid
things like the WA shark cull that enforce that fear! To avoid a shark attack
you need to avoid producing signs that you are injured wildlife, which is hard
because humans are dorky in the ocean.
Don’t surf or swim in ideal
hunting conditions for sharks like dusk or dawn and murky water. Being in the water
near someone catching or searing fish will attract sharks, go and learn all
about what sharks look for and how they look for it, and you can teach yourself
to co exist with them is my best advice! We should treat the fact we share our
oceans with a large dangerous predators the way we do driving a car, you have
to know what you’re doing before you get in a drive, and if you cant handle the
roads you should stay off them, or accept the associated risks.
What
can ordinary people do to help conserve threatened shark species?
Ordinary people are the
only ones that can help, avoid eating sharks, its often the key ingredient in
plain ‘fish and chips’ and also called ‘flake’, don’t buy any products made
form shark, shark liver oil or cartilage tablets for example. Even things like canned
tuna, whose fishing practices kill thousands of sharks each year through accidental
catch, so when you buy tuna your supporting the killing of sharks. Write
letters, voice your opinion, find out more! Speak up for an animal thats never
had human support!
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| Not a dish I've ever tried, I am proud to say. |
Do
you have any advice for animal lovers who want to turn their passion into
action?
Never give up, out of the
many issues in this world, the biggest one is people thinking they are
powerless against them. We have so much influence, the rules I follow are
these, show up to a protest dressed in your fanciest business attire, because
you are serious about it. Research!!! Know more about the issue than the people
you are confronting, and get public on your side, government never respond to a
whisper, but cannot ignore a scream!
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| A rare pic of Madison on terra firma. |
Thank
you Madison for taking time to share your passion. If you like what you've read you might just wish to get yourself a copy of "Shark Girl", a DVD about Madison's life and passion, from your local ABC shop. Love the cover! You can also read SAT's previous post on shark science here.
