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

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Yes, educating those that consume the product. Rob went out and did interviews with those selling the fins and those eating the fins. Both had total misconceptions of sharks being some evil being, and those consuming had no idea that they were fins. In the asian language, shark FIN doesn't translate as FIN. I know it's hard to believe, but ignorance is all over our world. They also believe that sharks do not develop disease or cancer, so they believe that by consuming cartilage, they will not get sick. Again, if the word gets out that eating shark, who holds very high levels of toxins, mercury, and other heavy metals, is more dangerous to your health than not eating it, well I hope that it might make a difference. Movies like Sharkwater open the eyes of people who have no clue how we fish and overfish our oceans. Every little bit helps!

Protecting our oceans!
Carolyn:sharks:

 

[DiscoverTheBlue]

Ugh. It's the same lack of respect towards Nature all over our planet. Our species has already removed 90% of sharks from the seas since 1950! How much longer can this go on? I'm really glad that the movie Sharkwater is coming out soon and really hope that it'll open people's eyes. I visited Galapagos a few years back - what an amazing place.

 

[PM-Performance]

this is just horrible stuff. I seen this special on Discovery about this crap. Very sad.
I would flip if I saw just a bunch of dead Shark corpses on a reef like that.

I dont even fish at all cuz I love to see them in their own enviroment soo much, I cant bring myself to do it. I know Im a

 

[paradicio]

I'm with you PM-Performance. I can't bring myself to fish or even lobster hunt (I know this is blasphemy to a lot of CA divers...).

I'm a total hypocrite though, cause I love sushi!

 

[solensdotter]

I hate to to say it, but the masses in these areas where shark finning is and detrimental fishing techniques are used, they are poor. Like REALLY poor. And they will do what they have to survive. Once I saw a village come out to the beach and literally devour a dead whale that has washed up on shore. :11eee--uuuu! Stinky stuff! They know the other "masses" of the world doesn't approve of their finning and use of fish bombs and cyanide on the reef. But they see dollar signs (or yen) and besides, who is out there to stop them? Nobody! While sailing through the islands of places like Indonesia, you generllay don't have marine police, other yachts, or even a navy, so out there it's free reign. So, maybe rather than spending tons of cash on educating the mass (which already know better), maybe enhance more the marine patroll artillery that would actually enforce the laws rather than taking bribes to cruise on past and turn a blind eye.:mooner: Again, just my opinion, but I was out there for 5 years and that's what I saw. I did see Greenpeace's vessels out there a few time. but Indo is such a spread out nation of islands, it's hard for them to be all over at once wiith just a couple vessels. The age-old question: Anyone else out there have ideas how we can put a stop to the atrocities happening daily around the globe to our precious marine life and live reefs?

You definitely have some valid points, PlayaCountryBoy, which need to be considered when tackling this problem.

One the one hand, more patrols could make a difference, and many of these country's coast guards and other marine patrols are woefully underfunded. But, as we all know, the ocean is a big place. And at the end of the day, it's the money that is talking, especially since, as noted by several other posters, much of the finning is happening in very poor countries.

One thing to consider is how the economies in these countries can be boosted so that they are not dependent on only one or two commodities and that there are alternative ways for these people to earn a living (there's a reason they're called "banana republics"). If you're living hand-to-mouth and are not sure where your next meal is coming from, the gunboats will be a deterent, but only a marginal one. At the end of the day, you're going to want to feed your family, however possible, and at that point you are not particularly concerned about next week much less the next generation... I'm sure you saw this as well while traveling in parts of Asia... However, having alternative sources of income available in the economy can be quite successful - look at the protests that had developed in Costa Rica during Rob's absence (Sharkwater movie). The country has successfully built a reputation for ecotourism, and this gave them a dual reason to protest: ecological as well as economic. It simply makes the argument that much stronger.

The amount of money going to the fishermen is minimal, it's the middlemen and dealers in Asia who are really raking up the big bucks. If I remember correctly, the fishermen caught off of Guatemala were only making $0.80/lb for the fins. By the time the fins reached Asia, they were being sold for up to $200. There's a two-pronged approach - provide the fisherman with an alternative, which at those rates should be possible - and go after the middlemen.

I fully agree with you that the problem needs to be tackled - and fast. However, I do not believe that the ends justify the means, so we need to be smart about how we do it. Or we might just have the next fiasco on our hands...

Just my $0.02...

 

[DiscoverTheBlue]

You're both absolutely right, (PlayaCountryBoy, you shouldn't hate to say it): the people are poor. It's not even a matter of money for them - it's a matter of survival. We would most probably do the same thing if we were in their position - and would not even care. They are not the ones who should be attacked. Education is relevant - how useful, however, it is to educate hungry people not to kill what feeds them is another matter. (It's the exact same problem with dynamite and cyanide fishing.)

Marine rangers are generally not particularly useful - they are poor too! Which means that with a case of rum, a rim of cigarettes and an irrelevant amount of money, hi-tech slaughtering vessels can enter even "protected" marine parks easily and wreak havoc. Punishing the guys on these fishing vessels? Not very effective - they are often poor too! Impound the vessel until the owner pays a painful fine? Good idea!

I don't even think this can be solved by going after the middlemen or even the "big guys" who finally end up selling the fins to restaurants and retail. You catch one - he gets replaced by another - the killing goes on. (This is not to say that I think they should go unpunished.)

In my opinion this problem's root lies:

a) with ignorant / or just plain stupid consumers all over the world. Consumers need education - big time. Governments should be doing this, but they don't. I occasionally - not nearly enough - see TV ads from Hong Kong and Singapore made by environmental organizations, informing people that sharks should not be eaten. Nice try - but the ads are unfortunately quite weak in message.

b) with governments that that just don't get that we are on the brink of losing a very important planet member. They should be enforcing, implementing and developing laws that prohibit sales of ANY endangered animal's parts and they should be punishing ALL who do the selling - including most importantly restaurants and retail. It wouldn't even be hard.

 

[solensdotter]

You're both absolutely right, (PlayaCountryBoy, you shouldn't hate to say it): the people are poor. It's not even a matter of money for them - it's a matter of survival. We would most probably do the same thing if we were in their position - and would not even care. They are not the ones who should be attacked. Education is relevant - how useful, however, it is to educate hungry people not to kill what feeds them is another matter. (It's the exact same problem with dynamite and cyanide fishing.)

Marine rangers are generally not particularly useful - they are poor too! Which means that with a case of rum, a rim of cigarettes and an irrelevant amount of money, hi-tech slaughtering vessels can enter even "protected" marine parks easily and wreak havoc. Punishing the guys on these fishing vessels? Not very effective - they are often poor too! Impound the vessel until the owner pays a painful fine? Good idea!

I don't even think this can be solved by going after the middlemen or even the "big guys" who finally end up selling the fins to restaurants and retail. You catch one - he gets replaced by another - the killing goes on. (This is not to say that I think they should go unpunished.)

In my opinion this problem's root lies:

a) with ignorant / or just plain stupid consumers all over the world. Consumers need education - big time. Governments should be doing this, but they don't. I occasionally - not nearly enough - see TV ads from Hong Kong and Singapore made by environmental organizations, informing people that sharks should not be eaten. Nice try - but the ads are unfortunately quite weak in message.

b) with governments that that just don't get that we are on the brink of losing a very important planet member. They should be enforcing, implementing and developing laws that prohibit sales of ANY endangered animal's parts and they should be punishing ALL who do the selling - including most importantly restaurants and retail. It wouldn't even be hard.

Hear, hear!

Thanks for this great post, DiscoverTheBlue. I can only agree.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

As divers, we can put our money where our mouths are and finance operations that fight for the protection of the oceans. Also use your voting and consumer power. Talk to nondivers and let them know what is going on first hand. Support media that puts out accurate information and attend the film festivals that are showing documentaries on the truths out there. I am not a scientist, or a marine biologist, but that doesn't keep me from volunteering my vacation, or my time to help with cleanups, research, and promoting local events. As Paul Watson says, it never was a government that changed anything, it was a small group of people who supported an idea who influenced a nation to change. The world is now global, and the truth cannot be hidden much longer!

Protecting my precious sharks always!
Carolyn:sharks:

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

You're both absolutely right, (PlayaCountryBoy, you shouldn't hate to say it): the people are poor. It's not even a matter of money for them - it's a matter of survival. We would most probably do the same thing if we were in their position - and would not even care. They are not the ones who should be attacked. Education is relevant - how useful, however, it is to educate hungry people not to kill what feeds them is another matter. (It's the exact same problem with dynamite and cyanide fishing.)

Marine rangers are generally not particularly useful - they are poor too! Which means that with a case of rum, a rim of cigarettes and an irrelevant amount of money, hi-tech slaughtering vessels can enter even "protected" marine parks easily and wreak havoc. Punishing the guys on these fishing vessels? Not very effective - they are often poor too! Impound the vessel until the owner pays a painful fine? Good idea!

I don't even think this can be solved by going after the middlemen or even the "big guys" who finally end up selling the fins to restaurants and retail. You catch one - he gets replaced by another - the killing goes on. (This is not to say that I think they should go unpunished.)

In my opinion this problem's root lies:

a) with ignorant / or just plain stupid consumers all over the world. Consumers need education - big time. Governments should be doing this, but they don't. I occasionally - not nearly enough - see TV ads from Hong Kong and Singapore made by environmental organizations, informing people that sharks should not be eaten. Nice try - but the ads are unfortunately quite weak in message.

b) with governments that that just don't get that we are on the brink of losing a very important planet member. They should be enforcing, implementing and developing laws that prohibit sales of ANY endangered animal's parts and they should be punishing ALL who do the selling - including most importantly restaurants and retail. It wouldn't even be hard.

You know something...you're right! Absolutely...start with crackdowns:no on the establishments selling it, petition national governments to change their laws, and promote propaganda in countries where peopl eat this SH#*, and hopefully...through generations, attitudes and ideals and "cultures" will change. If anything for the benefit of having ALL the animals of the planet remain with us (including sharks) for our kids and our kids kids.

 

[DiscoverTheBlue]

I recently started adding this

to the signature of emails I send to anyone. Please feel free to use this or make your own. Adding it to your email signature is an easy thing do and it will at least get your recipients' thinking. I've also added it to every page of our site artifishal.com - it's linked to a very informative website about the subject, on which you can also sign petitions etc. STOP SHARK FINNING

I've always refused to have any ad banners on our websites, but a few weeks ago we added this to DiscoverTheBlue.com:

If you run a website too, add a banner - use this one or make your own - whatever - but this way you can help create awareness as well.

Here's another option: