AFTER the Steven Spielberg movie Jaws came out in 1975, sharks everywhere found themselves with a bad rep. They began to be perceived as being carnivorous and terribly dangerous. But for marine conservationist Hannah Pragnell-Raasch, sharks don’t scare her at all. In fact, this diver is doing all she can to protect the animal as well as the marine world.
This shark lover and I met recently in Pattaya, Thailand for AirAsia’s green campaign. Clad in a lovely floral dress, Pragnell-Raasch had a smile that could brighten anyone’s day. Locating a quiet corner in the restaurant of Mercure Hotel, we settle down for our chat.
Eyes shining, Pragnell-Raasch begins: “Sharks are such gracious creatures and majestic in the way they move under water. They’re also vulnerable. They have gotten such a bad rep after that movie, so I’m an ambassador for them.” She adds that working with Project AWARE has enabled her to do just that.
SPREADING AWARENESS
Project AWARE is a non-profit marine conservation team based in Australia. “We empower scuba divers to take action and conserve the ocean. We have many supporters all over the world. We don’t have the exact number of divers. Anyone can join the movement,” explains Pragnell-Raasch, who has been working with them for three years. The movement’s biggest emphasis is on raising awareness on marine conservation and the key people, or the ambassadors as she puts it, are the divers.
Marine debris has always been the biggest issue for the ocean. There have been many cases that highlight the devastating consequences of marine pollution.
Plastic bags and other debris found in dead whales are often reported in news worldwide. Hence, the organisation launched Dive Against Debris in 2011, a campaign where divers collect rubbish underwater and report results. The trash removed makes the ocean safer and more importantly, the information reported helps inform policy change so the issues can be addressed.
As the project specialist for Project AWARE, Pragnell-Raasch is responsible globally for that campaign which sees the participation of about 22,000 divers. It is for this reason that AirAsia invited her for the reef and beach clean-up event. Along with some other divers, including AirAsia CEO Aireen Omar, Pragnell-Raasch went on a dive near Koh Sak Island to collect rubbish under water.
“The dive was great. We dived about 10 to 12m deep. We collected quite a lot of rubbish but it was better than I expected. I’ve seen worse,” she shares.
The data for the marine debris collected was recorded by Project AWARE and will serve as important information to help the team continue with its efforts to shape ocean policies and management. “For our organisation, it’s critical to have that debris data. I think it’s great for AirAsia to have this campaign and take a lead towards conservation,” says Pragnell-Raasch.
OTHER PROJECTS
Besides Dive Against Debris, the team recently launched an initiative called Adopt A Dive Site.
The aim of this initiative is to empower dive stores around the world to take ownership of their local dive sites. Explains Pragnell-Raasch: “We’re asking them to select their favourite dive site, monitor and do a Dive Against Debris survey every month and have them submit their data online.”
The response for this initiative, she shares, has been overwhelming. “Even though marine debris is a complex issue to address, it’s so cool to see dive stores really engaging in the issue and taking part in this campaign.”
Later in September, the team will set its sights on the Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Fauna And Flora (CITES) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team hopes to submit proposals to include new species — including several species of sharks and devil rays — under CITES regulatory controls.
PASSION FOR MARINE LIFE
At just 29, Pragnell-Raasch has accomplished much. A graduate of Plymouth University, England, with an honours degree in Marine Biology and a Masters in Biodiversity Conservation, she has always been passionate about marine life and completed her open water course in 2007.
“I’ve been diving for nine years now. Diving unlocks something inside of you that you can’t experience through anything else. To be able to go underwater, experience the marine environment and admire the beauty, it’s just incredible,” confides the Sydney-born young woman.
On a more serious note, she adds: “I’m sad to see the impact that humans have on the marine environment and how devastating that can be. That inspires me to keep going. I feel like we have an obligation to protect our ocean.”
As a marine conservationist working out of an office in Sydney, she ensures that the team has the right information. She also reviews the data submitted, making sure it’s accurate and of top quality. “When we deliver our findings to policymakers, we want them to be based on credible science. If I find a data that is ambiguous, I’ll check with the survey leaders and clarify. I’ll correct it if needed and update the submission before it’s added into the global database,” explains Pragnell-Raasch.
DIVERS’ FINDINGS
Someone’s trash is another one’s treasure. For Pragnell-Raasch, the best thing she has ever found was a dive torch which was still working. “It was a lucky find for me!” she exclaims in delight. But there have also been some strange findings that have been reported, such as an urn and a pogo stick.
She points out: “It all depends on the dive location and what the place is used for. For example, here in Pattaya, the island is a tourist spot and haven for snorkellers. That’s why we found a lot of glass and plastic bottles, and snorkelling gear.”
She has also dived in Malaysian waters such as Sipadan, Mabul and Tioman.
“Tioman, the area where we dived and did the Dive Against Debris survey, suffers heavy pressure from fishing. So we found a lot of fishing nets, lines, hooks and so on.”
It is Sipadan that offered her the most unforgettable experience as a diver. Eyes shining, she shares: “It’s where I encountered my first shark, a leopard shark. I got so excited. I was dancing and celebrating under water. We saw multiple sharks after that and each time I saw one, I got equally excited.”
Recently, she and her friends conducted dives at Nelson Bay (located in the Hunter Region of New South Wales) and South West Rock (located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales), both of which are well-known critical habitats for grey nurse sharks. “Diving in those locations, surrounded by probably over 30 grey nurse sharks, was just incredible. Not at any point did I feel scared. I was more mesmerised. One of my friends had to keep an eye on me because I was following the sharks rather than staying with the group of divers,” she recalls, laughing.
HOPES AND DREAMS
Every time Pragnell-Raasch goes for a dive, she reminds herself to just enjoy every moment of it and take it all in.
“Just totally switch off from the world,” she says. But when she’s not diving, Pragnell-Raasch enjoys the outdoors and keeping herself active. “I like being by the water. I enjoy swimming, taking my dog for a walk on the beach. But my guilty pleasure is watching Home & Away (Australian soap opera),” she confesses, giggling.
Adding, Pragnell-Raasch, who’s been engaged to her fiancee for two years, says: “I want to continue diving. When I have children, I want them to be able to dive. It’s important that we care for the ocean today so the future generation will be able to experience the marine world.”
Her fiancee and family continue to support her in her journey as the ocean’s ambassador and for that, she’s truly grateful. She confides: “My biggest dream is to see an ocean that’s healthy, recovered and functioning as it should be. Whether it’s going to happen in my lifetime or not, I don’t know.”
Concluding, Pragnell-Raasch says: “But I like to think that it would. It’s a challenge. I also hope that more people will be more responsible, be it individuals, companies, organisations or even countries, to help conserve the ocean.”
For info, visit www.projectaware.org