Conservationist and environmentalist Gary Stokes highlights why and how sharks play a crucial role within our ocean ecosystems, and explains the harsh realities of the the shark-fishing industry.

Sharks have played a vital role for more than 400 million years and have evolved with their changing environment to be the ultimate efficient predator.

Sharks are apex predators who reside at the top of the food chain. Their role in the ecosystem keeps prey populations healthy by feeding off the weak and the sick.

My name is Gary Stokes. I am a photographer and scuba diver, and the Director of Operations of OceansAsia, a conservation charity.

In this Hack, I will shed light on the highly problematic shark-fishing industry and why it is crucial that we maintain these apex predators in our oceans.