Ban Shark Finning

Paradigm Shift?

2008-02-13T15:45:00.005-05:00

I could barely believe what I was reading when I visited CNN.com today. It seems we're finally seeing a paradigm shift in the media away from terror-inciting reporting a la "Summer of the Shark" to myth-busting stories like this one, published in the wake of Roy Scheider's ("Jaws") death:

"All of the sharks in all the world's oceans barely kept pace with Mr. Scheider's movie accomplishments. They killed one of us last year. One." [Full story]

Aussies Also Concerned

2007-08-13T19:45:00.000-04:00

Aussies are concerned about how the practice of shark finning is decimating shark populations in New South Wales. Click for story.

It's 'Time' People Knew the Truth

2007-08-03T12:29:00.000-04:00

'Time' magazine added its voice to the growing chorus about sharks by publishing a good (and long) feature article about sharks and the threats they face.

Business Week Shines Spotlight on Alibaba.com

2007-07-25T08:26:00.000-04:00

The issue of shark finning continues to gain visibility, this time in the high-profile publication Business Week (view article). Alibaba.com (40-percent-owned by Yahoo) again defends its business practices of selling shark fin over the Internet, hiding behind the notion of "cultural traditions." They claim to allow only the sale of legal shark fin, but this is impossible by definition over the Internet, because it is impossible to inspect the shark fin to see what type of shark it came from.

The State of Sharks

2007-07-16T13:35:00.001-04:00

Here's an article in SF Gate, the San Francisco Chronicle's online edition, that does a great job of summing up the current state of shark populations and the many threats they face.

Kids and Sharks

2007-07-10T10:40:00.001-04:00

KOL, AOL's service for kids, published a shark picture gallery with some photo captions that help spread the word about shark conservation to kids. Check it out here.

Yahoo Kills Sharks

2007-06-28T07:55:00.000-04:00

The Rob Stewart/Sharkwater PR machine appears to finally be bringing this issue to the forefront of the mainstream media. The same day Stewart appeared on the TODAY show, KABC -- the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles -- ran a long story about the plight of sharks, mentioning, among other things, Yahoo's stake in shark finning. For those of you who don't know, Yahoo has a 40-percent stake in Alibaba.com, the largest broker of the sale of shark fins on the Internet. In other words, Yahoo has a direct stake in the slaughter of millions of sharks. So, if you use Yahoo Mail or some other Yahoo product, you have an indirect connection to shark finning. If this bothers you, stop using Yahoo, and/or send a message to Yahoo's management telling them how you feel. A Yahoo spokesperson minimized the issue, saying that the controversy surrounding the issue of shark finning amounted to "cultural differences." Which makes it clear they have no concept (or don't care) how truly threatened sharks are.

[Read full KABC story here]

Taiwan to Ban Whale Shark Trade

2007-06-28T07:50:00.000-04:00

Products derived from whale sharks will no longer be on sale in Taiwan because of a ban taking effect on Wednesday.

Whale shark meat is considered a delicacy in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. However, the whale shark is listed in the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Taiwan's Council of Agriculture has announced that no further fishing of the whale shark will be allowed from next year.

Under the current ban, fishermen are obliged to return caught whale sharks to the ocean, whether the fish is dead or alive. Violators may face imprisonment or a fine.

[Original story from Radio Taiwan Intl.]

Sand Kills More People Than Sharks

2007-06-25T10:49:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's true... sand kills more people than sharks. Although more people have died since 1990 by being buried alive in beach holes than killed by sharks, the media is not likely to bombard you with sensational headlines and news flashes next time a child digs a hole in beach sand, falls in and gets buried alive. Drama sells, and let's face it... a shark attack is more dramatic than a hole in the sand. Does that make you angry? Then combat the media prejudice by telling everyone you know how threatened sharks are, and how much more of a threat humans are to sharks than vice versa.

And don't wait till the next shark attack makes headlines. Tell people now.

Bluefin tuna quotas doubled

2007-06-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Despite a high-visibility cover story in National Geographic this spring about the precarious future of bluefin tuna populations in the Mediterranean, as well as rock-solid scientific evidence and recommendations supporting a drastic reduction in quotas, the EU voted to increase quotas to twice the level that scientists say the populations can support. See full story.

If you're a sushi eater and still consume tuna (maguro and toro), please stop. And, with all overfishing-related issues we care about here (not just sharks), please help spread the word.

Big Media & Mexico

2007-05-28T19:25:00.000-04:00

Big Media has finally taken notice of the plight of sharks, and reports on Mexico's new law, which bans shark finning. Two great steps in the right direction!

Read MSNBC article here

Chinese Want to Protect Sharks?

2007-05-25T07:42:00.000-04:00

A new survey finds that the Chinese want to protect sharks, but have little understanding of the connection between shark finning and conservation. Read the full story here.

Ban Shark Finning

2007-05-18T08:24:00.000-04:00

This the home of the Ban Shark Finning campaign launched by Oceanblue Divers. It is a place to discuss sharks and to report any restaurants in the New York City area that serve shark fin soup so that we can educate them about the plight of sharks and hopefully convince them not to serve it. The ultimate goal is to enact a city-wide ban on shark fin soup and send a message to the world that we need to save our sharks!

Please subscribe to our mailing list:

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You can also send a blank email to bansharkfinning-subscribe@oceanbluedivers.net in order to subscribe.

Stay tuned for updates.