The basking shark, a fish the size of a London bus, used to appear off the BC coast every spring. During World War II, the fish became a nuisance to commercial nets and fishing trollers. Gliding just below the surface, the basking shark was an easy target for a new pest eradication program that touted killing one of the "plankton-eating monsters" as great sport. By 1970, the basking shark was virtually eradicated in BC. Now researchers Scott Wallace and Brian Gisborne have pieced together what there is to know about this locally extinct ocean denizen. Basking Sharks is number 14 in the Transmontanus series of books.

Formerly science advisor to the Sierra Club of British Columbia, Scott Wallace recently joined the David Suzuki Foundation as Sustainable Fisheries Analyst. He lives on Vancouver Island.

Brian Gisborne was a commercial fisherman for 18 years. He has worked as an historian and as a contract researcher for the Department of Fisheries. He and his brother were once almost killed by a basking shark, but that's another story.

Scott Wallace's profile page

Brian Gisborne was a commercial fisherman for 18 years. He has worked as an historian and as a contract researcher for the Department of Fisheries. He and his brother were once almost killed by a basking shark, but that’s another story.

Brian Gisborne's profile page