News about the Galapagos Islands that is not good . . .

[Zorrr2]

I posted this same question on my other favorite forum and seemed get little to no responce . . so lets see what this group thinks.

Here is a bit of back ground . . . Recently the new president of Ecuador has changed the rules of fishing in the Galapagos Islands and is now allowing fisherman to keep SHARK FINS if they are ACIDENTALLY caught (yea right . . lol). This has basicly opened the doors to fisherman to the horific act of SHARK FINNING . . . which basicly has them haul in a shark . . cut all its fins off . . then throw the still LIVE body back into the water to die. The Galapagos Islands are suppose to be a WORLD HERITAGE SIGHT . . . but now its a free for all for the fisherman to exploit this natural resource. I have a trip planned for 2010 to the Galapagos Islands . . . but I am wondering if its going to be worth my time and money on not seeing the very things that has drawn me there.

I work at a local dive show who was there just last year . . there boat (one of the Agressor boats) found a bouy that they turned back and pulled in (placed well within protected waters). Attached to it was a LONG LINE illegally place by a fishing boat. They pulled in the bouy and started pulling in the line and storing it on the back of the boat. A boat was seen far off in the distance . . but it steamed away after first sighting. For the next few hours they hauled in over 7 MILES of line and hooks Many sharks were released along with turtles and other fish. By the time they got to the end, they had a pile filling the back end of the boat over 4' high. This was turned over to the local athorities that are so few compared to the waters that they have to patrol. Now it seems they can now do this . . LEGALLY . . grunt :11:

Think of it . . 7 MILES of line with THOUSANDS of hooks . . and I was told . . this was a SMALL SET . . GEEEESH . . how big is a BIG SET . . ???

The Galapagos Islands has been a dream of mine for many years as I am sure it is for many of you. This is a historical location . . but for how long . . ??? Would like to hear from others with this dream and see if they feel as helpless as I do . . Mark

Here are a few news storys . .

Ecuador's President Vows to Help Galapagos Islands At Risk


WWF | Galápagos | Updates

It seems the new president is all for protecting the islands . . BUT . . has over looked the waters around the islands !!

 

[rawls]

Yeah...I read about that too in Scuba Diving magazine. Needless to say I will not be diving in the Galapagos...ever. I will also never set foot in Disneyland since they sold shark fin soup up until there was a big outcry. Then they stopped. I have been contributing to groups who try to combat this practice. It has been going on for a very long time and is still going on. They are decimating shark populations. The scarey thing is the number of stupids who eat shark fin soup. The number of stupids who could care less about what happens to sharks once their fins are cut off. My LDS is going to China this year and asked me if I wanted to go. I told them I would never set foot in China. Political solutions...Bull sh..t. The way to deal with these "fishermen" is to practice clandestine operations against them...I'm talking dynamite and automatic weapons.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Long line fishing can be up to 50 MILES in length. Due to the movie SHARKWATER, Costa Rica is finally cracking down on Finning. But they just move on to other sites. The almighty buck and greed is running the market. So by making it more profitable for them not to fish for sharks by promoting tourism, or by boycotting products or countries, (check labels even on meds for shark cartiladge) that is the only way this practice will be stopped. Plus, remember, unless the entire fish is on the boat, it is not counted as a catch. So that is another reason the body of the shark is cast away, plus shark spoils quickly. Regardless, it is a disgusting practice and should be banned.

Support organizations that are fighting for the very lives of sharks!
SHARKWATER - In US theaters this fall and Now playing in Canadian theatres
The Shark Alliance
Shark Research Institute- shark conservation, education, research

Protecting my shark beauties!
Carolyn:sharks:

 

[made4water]

Two quotes come to mind....

"The oceans are dying in our time." -Jacque Coustou

And the other...

"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught."
- Baba Dioum

Out of sight, out of mind.... human beings are land dwellers, so for the most part unless you have a passion for the oceans of the world and take it upon yourself to go out and get educated, than chances are your ignorant to the current problems of the worlds oceans. Im not sure if yall have ever heard of Paul Watson, but he is one of the biggest forces(if not the biggest) currently fighting to stop overfishing, whaling, shark finning etc. Very interesting man he founded the sea shepard foundation. they currently have several ships cruising the oceans of the world. they confiscate longlines and such. hes also sunk some 10 or so whaling ships. if anyone is not familure with his works they should google him.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Rob Stewart (SHARKWATER) was on board the Sea Shepherd with Paul and was filming their trip to Costa Rica to stop illegal fishing in the sanctuaries. During this trip is where Rob got his footage and basically started his crusade against the practices of long line fishing, finning, and illegal fishing in protected sanctuaries. Paul is very impressive, and we need many more of him. It takes alot of courage to put your life on the line for your beliefs, it takes even more to practice what you preach! Regardless, we all need to do something, pass the word, support the agencies protecting our oceans, or just contribute to their funding for projects like Sea Shephard.

Protecting my beautiful Sharks!
Carolyn:sharks:

 

[made4water]

I saw the trailer to SHARKWATER and cant wait until it opens in theaters.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Here is a recent update from a site called Galapagos Conservancy (Aug 20, 07). I'm pretty far green as stuff like this goes, but reading both sides is sometimes a revelation. The reasons behind the new regulations are saving sharks and not wasting resources. Legal shark fin sales evidently require inspection and certification of the whole shark.

Here is a quote from that page:

Shark finning continues to be illegal in Ecuador, as is targeted shark fishing. Any kind of shark fishing (including bycatch--fish and other marine life caught accidentally along with the target species) and sale/export/transport of shark products in or from the Galapagos Marine Reserve continues to be illegal.

President Correa states that the 2004 ban on the sale and export of shark products was not having the desired outcome of reducing shark finning in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and did not do much more than divert illegal fin trade to neighboring countries and drive mainland trade underground.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Here is a recent update from a site called Galapagos Conservancy (Aug 20, 07). I'm pretty far green as stuff like this goes, but reading both sides is sometimes a revelation. The reasons behind the new regulations are saving sharks and not wasting resources. Legal shark fin sales evidently require inspection and certification of the whole shark.

Here is a quote from that page:

The problem, and it addressed in the movie also, is that no one regulates these fishing boats. Or they are licensed to fish for one thing, but if they hook shark too, they take the fins illegally. No one is holding them or the buyers accountable. Unfortunately, as long as there is a market to buy them, they will be fished legally and illegally. Money talks, and as long as there are not STRONG penalties, or STRONG enforcement that cannot be BOUGHT OFF, there will be no stopping these activities. There is still illegal whaling going on, most countries put limited resources into their water ways. There is no answer, and it makes cowboy vigilantes more appealing to solve the problems, I guess like piracy helped the British empire against the Spanish fleets during Elizabethen times. Who knows, but being this is the information age, there has to be an answer. If we all just put it out there, get informed, do something, maybe we can all make a change sooner than later!

Protecting my Sharks!
Carolyn:sharks:

 

[ScubaSarus]

This is the only solution I know of for shark finning.

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

I once was a guide on the "Komodo Dancer", a live-aboard that goes from Bali, Indo to the world hertiage sight, Komodo Island, Indo, diving along the way. And to run across a reef littered with carcasses of sharks from shark finners is THE WORST thing I have EVER seen. One time we came across a couple men stranded at sea in a 20+ ft. wooden piece of crap. Their engine had went out and they were on they're way out to the central Pacific. The Indonesia captian aboard said we must help them. Once we got to their boat to offer assistance, I noticed tons of shark fins in their hold. I protested immediatley! I said we should leave them out here with their glorious catch....to rot. We settled on not towing them but calling them some help. And sure enough the next dive site we hit there were shark bodies all over it. Ugh! I hope Ecuador's president re-thinks this policy, otherwise he will have the world down on his back.