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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, November 25, 2011 · 10 Shark -- the fish we fear and most need OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Sharks -- the fish we fear the most is also the one we cannot live without. It was a simple, yet strong, statement delivered from awardwinning Toronto filmmaker Rob Stewart during his visit to Appleby College in Oakville last week. The 31-year-old activist spoke to hundreds of students to raise awareness of the impact that shark finning has had on the world's shark population. Stewart's 2007 award-winning documentary, Sharkwater , brought the issue to light with an in-depth look at the exploitation of the world's shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Island, Ecuador. He also used the film to debunk some of the common stereotypes and myths surrounding the animal. "This is an issue everyone is going to have to be a part of. It can't just be a few conservationists or a few conservation groups trying to change the world," said Stewart. "If we're going to turn this around, we're going to need everybody on board because the problem is so massive." The filmmaker spent four years travelling the world as a freelance photojournalist and chief photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation's magazines prior to filming Sharkwater. While on assignment to photograph sharks in the Galapagos Islands, Stewart discovered illegal long lining -- random killings of sharks -- within the marine reserve. He tried raising awareness through a print campaign, but to no avail, so Stewart chose film as his answer to bring people closer to sharks. "Instead of finding sharks in all their majesty, we found a fishing line and hundreds of dead sharks. We quickly realized the sharks had been killed in the most protected communal reserves on Earth. The rest of the world, which is unprotected, is probably in even worse shape," said Stewart. When Stewart set out to shoot the film, he had no experience using a video camera. His then girlfriend bought him two books on making movies that he read on the plane overseas. When he got in trouble, he watched movies on his laptop, he said. It took Stewart five years in 15 countries to complete the documentary, which nearly cost him his life half a dozen times in his attempt to capture the elusive animal underwater. "I got in way over my head and had no choice, but to pull something out of it. I had to finish the movie and I was stuck in a hospital, almost losing my leg. I had no option of going home," said Stewart. "It was my one chance of making a difference. I already spent a lot of money I didn't have. Sharkwater r was a massive effort for all of us." Shark populations have dropped 90 per cent in the last 30 years, Stewart said, noting that the underwater creatures have survived five major extinctions ­ outliving the dinosaurs. "(That's) 450 million years of shark presence on Earth and we've decimated it in 30 years. How could this have happened? It was happening for shark fin soup," said See Sharkwater page 17 RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER FIN FAN: A Fin Free Oakville event featured Rob Stewart, award-winning filmmaker of Sharkwater r at Appleby College this week. This coming holiday season, not every child will wish for the same things. November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month. One out of every four women will be abused at some point in her life. Halton Women's Place needs your help to close the door on abuse. Halton Women's Place For more information, please call 905-332-1200 ext.221 or visit www.haltonwomensplace.com Crisis Line: 905-878-8970 or 905-332-7892