Honduras outlaws shark fishing

[Lemna]

Don't know if this has been posted elsewhere, but this is good news:

Honduras Creates a Shark Sanctuary

President Porfirio Lobo Sosa will sign the sanctuary bill into law on Friday on a visit to the island of Roatan, the country’s top diving and snorkeling destination, his office said on Thursday. The move makes permanent a moratorium on commercial fishing for sharks that Honduras announced last year in a joint declaration with the Micronesian island of Palau.

The measure protects sharks in the 92,665 square miles of Honduras’s exclusive economic zone, which encompasses both its Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

The article also notes a move to ban shark finning in Chile, and acknowledges the big role of scuba divers in the decision.

 

[BVickery]

Given this is very much a tourist place, this may backfire on them as more people get attacked by sharks. Florida actually has a closed season on shark and shortly afterwards attacks on humans (even divers) has gone up in that area (as told by experienced divers who have lived there logn term).

I hope the ban on shark finning goes through (at least the way it is done now, if they use the whole shark I don't have as much of a problem with it, and the limits/quota's etc are set by sound scientific facts and not emotions on either side).

 

[Krazytomdiver]

As a dive guide,for over ten years I have dove have thousands of all kinds of sharks & never once seen an attack. Shark Week 2010 in Palau we set transmittors & counted over 500 sharks. When someone states "shortly afterwards attacks on humans had gone up in that area"; what do you base your statement on? Sharks bite stupid people so stay out of the water if you are uneducated & afraid. Throwing unsupported rumors around about sharks denotes one's lack of intelligence & creates a destructive enviroment. I support ALL shark conservation projects & no longer praticipate in feeding or chumming. Dive safe,Have fun.

"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[Rythmmaker]

At least he's honest about being politically incorrect. Perhaps if he had the chance to have a personal experience with sharks, he might actually have a different opinion about it. I am happy to report that I will be on a shark dive next week IN HONDURAS as this bill is being signed into law! At the end of the day, KrazyTom, we will lift our glasses of Salva Vida and toast a small step towards preserving an apex predator and keystone of the marine ecosystem. SALUD!

 

[Thiad]

I recently dove with one of the people instrumental in pushing this bill forward. I think this is absolutely amazing and fantastic news!