15 Years of BAD Videos - Getting There!

Happy days.

And the saga continues.

Among many, many short and long film productions:

Behold the Fiji Shark Sanctuary that wasn't.

And lest anyone forgets: thank you Julie Andersen and her disastrous Operation Requiem for sabotaging years of hard work!

 

Shark Free Marinas in Fiji!



My favorite trailer for David's Of Shark and Man, filmed in 2011.




Hello Projects Abroad!



Jero and Ana of Pelagic Life in Fiji!



Shark Reef video!



Goodbye my friend and hero, Ron Taylor.



RIP my friend and buddy, Rusi.



To be continued!

Elasmobranch Protection in Fiji!

Nice!

Schedule 1 of Fiji's Endangered Species Act has been amended to include the Sharks and Rays listed at the top. This is on top of all species listed under CITES, i.e. the Sawfishes under Appendix 1 and the Basking, Whale, White, OWT, Porbeagle, Hammerhead, Silky and Thresher Sharks, and the Mantas and Mobulas under Appendix 2.

Yes I know I know.

It is not perfect - but it is certainly considerable progress. 

After the the failed Shark sanctuary campaign and especially, Andersen's ruinous Operation Requiem, others have had to pick up the pieces and try to re-establish trust, credibility, and a meaningful dialogue - and this may well be an indication that things are slowly looking up.

Baby step by baby step - and no, we definitely do not need your help!

Wildify?

I'm pissed off, so there.

And I cite,

What if conservation became easier than rallies, protests, radical groups and letter writing? What if the ability to save ecosystems, species and ultimately humanity was put into your hands and was as easy as the click of the mouse? What if the power returned to the people? What if we united and started a revolution to save the planet, and ultimately ourselves?

Right.

Regular readers may remember that stupidity from the 2012 recap where Julie Andersen's disastrous Operation Requiem and Rob Stewards moronic United Conservationists got the treatment they deserved. Thankfully, Andersen and the Shark Angels have since become utterly irrelevant, and I can certainly leave it at that; and with the whole moronic Revolution thingy having gone down the drain like anticipated, I was actually hoping that Rob would finally have the decency to just go away.

Alas, no such luck.

Turns out that the increasingly ghastly Justin Bieber of Sharkitarianism is still at it.

Don't get me wrong here.

Back then, Sea Shepherd's Sharkwater was different and did touch a nerve, and seeing the little privileged kid go and dive with Sharks and talk to actual Shark people was somewhat endearing. 

But far from being the genesis for the shark conservation movement, it was an early product of it. And rather than saving Sharks, the whole circus marked the beginning of the Dolphinization of Sharks and spawned a whole generation of self-promoting copycat Shark media whores and charlatans that have since become the bane of serious Shark conservation efforts worldwide.

And much like little once endearing Justin, little once endearing Rob has quite obviously since morphed into a little bizarre self-important  narcissistic megalomaniac.

To wit, this frankly shocking piece of smug garbage in the SOSF mag.

Wildify huh -  Pass the kouchie 'pon the lef' hand side!

But then again, totally not surprised.

Not by the smug brain farts, not by the fact that the new movie is once again gonna be a product of Sea Shepherd's slick  bullshit media machine, not by the resounding success of the funding drive despite of the usual conceited BS. After all, considering that 2016 marks the moment in time where Idiocracy became a reality, Rob's disjointed visions, or whatever, sound positively intellectual by comparison.

What however shocks me is the endorsement by the once stalwart, science-centric SOSF.

Or maybe not. Whereas the principal has always shunned any publicity and personality cult, the underlings and their sycophantic entourage increasingly do not - and shit like this is the inevitable consequence of that.

Oh well, whatever.

And yes, granted, maybe a tad harsh.

But it pisses me off. There are plenty of great people out there actually doing incredibly impressive stuff and achieving remarkable, hard-won progress - and having that little egocentric shit publicly belittle that collective effort is deeply offensive.

So get smart, people, and stop glorifying those pied pipers.

And should you really want to inform yourself about Conservation Ecology, stop listening to the self serving propaganda and e.g. start reading this excellent blog.

Minicene anybody?

Anyway.

Happy New Year! :)

Andersen - at it again!

And I cite.

I do not advocate touching sharks — and these days, I do my best to avoid it, regardless of how much those incredible moments fuel my drive.
Why? It’s simple: As divers, we assume a very important responsibility when we enter the water with sharks. We must always act with the utmost caution, to ensure no thoughtless risks are taken...

I also realize what I do influences others.
I’ve taken dozens of people into the water for the first time to dive with sharks. If they see me touching, I could be setting in motion a lifetime of shark petting. Or coral grabbing. Or turtle riding. It’s hard to know where to stop, and even harder not to get carried away when it comes to sharks. I don’t pass judgment on my peers, but I do silently wish some of those times I touched sharks had not been so widely publicized or shared...

As we collectively chase sharks to the brink of extinction, it's more important than ever to encourage people to gain an appreciation for their true character through safe diving. So, while contact feeds my conservationist soul, I’ll forgo touching to ensure just that, and hope that others will do the same.

And now, watch this.

Betcha that like always, the video and the proud FB post will be made private as soon as I call them out - but it hasn't yet happened, so enjoy or whatever.

I did call it back then.

And still, the hypocrisy and the narcissism really beggar belief.

Touching Sharks - Wildlife Harassment?

Source.

OK, first rant of the year.

This is thorny - but I just got to get it off my chest.

It concerns this hypocritical article by the increasingly irrelevant Executive Director of the increasingly irrelevant Shark Angels, and this comment by David.

Da che pulpito?

When it comes to Andersen, meh.

It is merely a continuation of this hypocritical rubbish, and instead of further debasing myself, I can certainly keep it with Martin who states.

Here is the problem with what Julie says.
She is known to the public, because of all the pictures of her, touching sharks. Now she says that she wishes some of those pictures would not be so public and that other people would not touch sharks. So let me get this straight, after she got her fame by touching sharks, she doesn't want others to do the same and she says it's not an ego thing? She does however have no reservations about using that fame when it suits her. I guess she just doesn't want others to get in on the action. She also is talking about sharks, like they are all the same. Well, it does say that she's an expert, so it must be true. It couldn't be that there are sharks that are social and touch each other and others that don't do that, at least not without eliciting a violent reaction. I wish we would just stop paying attention to all these wanna be shark whisperers and self proclaimed experts. Just because someone touches a shark, or goes outside a cage, where it is not legal, doesn't make them an expert.

Could not agree more!

And how about David's comment.

But first things first: I really, really like the guy! 

He's passionate, intelligent, witty, eloquent and incredibly erudite - but like I've just told a common pal, the young padawan needs a reminder that erudition is not always a substitute for experience!

This is what irks me.

Wildlife harassment is a legal term that in essence states, don't interfere with the wildlife unless authorized to do so, and by that metric alone, David is of course 100% correct - that is, provided that those Shark interactions are covered by the law! Are they? Because, again, no law no harassment - detail detail!

At the same time, however, much of David's research and that of his lab are predicated upon catching and manhandling Sharks - which albeit being perfectly legal, undoubtedly useful and sometimes even vitally necessary and thus not wildlife harassment in the legal sense, is nevertheless often brutal and does subject the animals to an experience that is orders of magnitude more traumatic than anything which is being reproached to the divers!

And if so, is David really in a position to lecture others?

Plus, there is this.

Contrary to David's sweeping statement, those different interactions between people and Sharks are by no means equivalent - maybe under the law (provided that it exists!) but certainly not in fact!

When Jimmy posted his video of Tarantino, a prominent researcher sent me a message telling me that he hated the anthropomorphizing but that he was wondering about the Shark's motivation as it was hard for his science brain to comprehend that video clip.

I did really appreciate that. In my experience, most Shark researchers understand very little about Shark behavior and human-shark interactions, this because behavior in general is difficult to describe to start with but above all, because far too few of them have spent enough time with the animals to properly understand them in the first place! There are obviously notable exceptions, like Juerg or after close to a year diving with us, El Diego - but it is glaringly apparent that David ain't one of them and I must really say, sutor ne supra! 
 

We in the Industry, on the other hand, spend heaps of time with the Sharks but often lack the training to properly describe what we experience, and often get too emotionally attached to the animals to continue being objective.

Be it as it may, take the example of our Rusi.

He has now logged 20,000 plus dives with those Bulls - d'ya think he may have learned something about them, and that it may be worth listening to what he's got to say? Or to Cristina? Or for the matter, to Jimmy?

So what about those interactions.

What we and from many many conversations, our peers have learned, is that everything is situation specific. One thing we all agree upon, is that especially when it comes to those large, long lived carnivorous species, any two Sharks are as different as any two people. At least on those regular baited dives where many of the regular Sharks appear to be highly conditioned and tolerant of the presence of divers, there are clearly individuals that seek personal interactions whereas others clearly want their space all the way to retaliating against people that are too pushy.
Obviously much of that behavior is mediated by the bait - but there are occasions where getting fed does not appear to be the primary motivator and where we then inevitably resort to the dreaded anthropomorphizing by defining the Sharks as being  friendly, or cheeky, or sneaky, or cute. Pathetically unscientific I know - but nevertheless, something is going on, and the fact that it hasn't yet been described scientifically does in no way detract from the fact that it exists, that it is noteworthy and that it warrants further investigation!

So, which interactions are acceptable and which not?

The way I see it (and granted this is highly subjective) it really depends on the actual situation but also on the motivation of those people, see e.g. here where I also state that what may be OK today may well become obsolete in the future. Assuming the Shark does not get injured (and it rarely does), it really boils down to an ethical debate - and there, sensibilities and opinions will inevitable differ.
But before anybody thinks that I generally welcome those interactions - I generally do NOT! Sharks are no pets and the ocean is no fucking petting zoo - and abusing them as underwater scooters is an abomination!
 

But instead of pontificating further, how about some examples.
Everything except for the science pics fulfills the definition of wildlife harassment - but maybe in real life, things are not so unequivocal but instead, a tad more nuanced?

Yes it's legal, yes it's research, yes the Tigers are incredibly resilient - but that line choking the gills is wrong wrong wrong! Source. 
 

No it doesn't harm the Shark - but is this really conservation like asserted - or rather, pathetic self-promotion or just simply stupid? Source.
 

I got no problem with this - zero! From what I understand, the animals come in voluntarily, and even compete for Cristina's petting because it is quite obviously enjoyable to them. Source.
 

Totally against. This is the forced tonic I've ranted about here. Source.

I actually find this endearing. This is Rusi giving Monica, a Shark he has been working with for the past 10 years, a little pat after she popped by and hovered within inches from his face on yesterday's dive.
  

Any questions? Source.

No no no - but that was then and I'm quite sure that they would not do this now - so here's to evolution! Source.

The problem here is that I'm not even sure that this is Cristina. There are now too many copycats and what was once unique and thus amazing has been trivialized and is increasingly becoming nothing more than a gratuitous stunt. Source.

And how about this one from Bimini!

Are you deeply outraged as always?

You shouldn't be because this is Grant = one of the good guys, stopping a Hammer that is getting way too frisky as per one of his comments here - and whilst fulfilling the definition of wildlife harassment, it is nevertheless perfectly OK!
As I said, things are generally way more nuanced than at first glance!

Which brings me straight to the juicy bit - what about Eli?

Over the years, several regular commentators on this blog have seen it fit to unleash a barrage of expletives on the poor guy. Except for the racial slurs that are unacceptable and also stupid (= his family was there long before the white man took possession and then invented the immigrant), I've let those comments stand - but most of the time, I don't at all agree with them. Many of those commentators that hide behind aliases are pals of mine, meaning that I know that whilst some of them simply genuinely abhor any form of Shark wrangling, others have history and are settling old scores whereas others are engaging in good old fashionable and rather gratuitous Eli bashing (and comments!) without having the faintest idea about who Eli really is.

And I also know that they're all gonna crucify me for what follows!

The fact is that Eli Martinez is one of my pals.

I really do like the dude. He's a really nice, personable guy, he's an accomplished Shark diver, he deeply cares for the animals albeit obviously in his own way, he is really very good at what he does and finally, he really understands Shark behavior and I really enjoy some of his insights, as do my staff - meaning that in my book, he too is one of the good guys and that I do respect him!

Mind you, liking the person does not equate liking everything he does - quite the contrary! It's not like we correspond a lot - but when we do, we often debate like crazy! And I also will not shy away from criticizing him publicly for some of his most egregious stupidities!

Yes he's certainly a macho that likes his extreme Shark diving, yes he likes to showcase himself manhandling those Sharks, both of which I'm certainly no fan of - but that doesn't make him a bad person, that's just who he is! And contrary to all those hypocritical media whores, the cheats and the charlatans I frankly despise, he does not pretend to be anything he is not!

And what about the flipping of those Tigers?

Yes once again it's wildlife harassment - but it does not harm the Sharks that appear completely unfazed and sometimes come back for a second helping. But of course it got nothing whatsoever to do with what I would consider an authentic wildlife encounter. In essence, it's not unlike Cristina's vertical non-tonic: whereas years ago it may have been irritating but nevertheless also fascinating, now Eli's pals are increasingly trying to one-up and out-trick him (and e.g. here) meaning that what was once unique is now a rather gratuitous circus trick, to the point that TB is now the prime example of an iconic dive site that is completely going to shit because instead of having a common code of conduct, the craziest and most disrespectful inmates are running the asylum!

Do I like it - certainly not!

Do I hate Eli because of it - certainly not!

But I'm digressing as always - long story short?

It's great that a lot of people are passionate about Sharks and love to talk about them. And although I often gnash my teeth in utter frustration, I can also live with all the nonsense that is proffered by all those bloviating enthusiasts, the more as most of them don't claim to know it all but are merely voicing their opinions.
But I'm really tired tired tired of the rampant ultracrepidarianism (google it! :)) of all those self-professed whisperers and sharxperts that are making it their mission to educate the plebs!
Can we do better this year?

There, now I've said it.

So, friends, bring it on - may the public crucifixion begin!

PS - David's response here.
Disagree with some of it - fully agree with the part about the  riding and aggressive handling for fun!
PPS - Eli here!

2013: the Bad and the Ugly!

Have you seen this shit?

Yes that would be the very same moronic website, and this is Brush.

Where to begin indeed!
This is the caliber of some of the self-appointed representatives of the global Shark conservation movement!
Compare that to this open letter by Kempster and those Shark researchers where FINALLY, somebody is starting to acknowledge that there is a real problem demanding real solutions that are more than the usual tired pro-Shark clap trap - and you may intuit why I despise that frothy solipsistic fringe of the movement nearly as much as that abomination that is the WA Shark cull!

So have you read those posts?

If not, do - they are here, here, here and here!

And more importantly - has anything really changed?

Not really - right?

And this is ultimately why!

And with that in mind, I'm not really gonna bother.

I've already said what I wanted to say ad nauseam, and will continue to do so whenever I discern a particularly egregious occurrence - but I've come to the conclusion that those yearly rants are pretty much useless.

Here's another excerpt I love.
I'm obviously 100% with Kyle!

And globally it's likely as bad - or even worse!

That's the audience those people play to, and whom they target with their various cons - and not only is there zero improvement in sight but things are continuing to get worse! Case in point: the Dolphinization of the Shark Conservation Movement has already spawned what a pal has dubbed the Unicornization, to wit.

Barf... Source. # mermaidwarriors huh...

Sigh...

So here's how we're gonna play this.
This time, you do the heavy lifting.
Everything, and then some, is already in the blog - so go and read it!

The blog offers two search functions - so if e.g., you wish to inform (!) yourselves about the world's foremost Sharkitarian visionary, or whatever, you can type his name into the search box in the top left-hand corner and then sort by relevance or by date; or, you may sometimes get a slightly different result by searching by label.

Same-same for e.g

• the Jersey girl's fake research institute with its remarkable prez and its complement of charlatans and pompous Sesselfurzers!


• Or Fischer vs the frothy anti-OCEARCH extremists inclusive of the fiery SvS, the bloviating fireman and all the various other dipshits with an opinion and a keyboard!


• Or Andersen with her pathetic retinue of sycophants and media whores - or talking of which, ABC4, Gurney and Shark porn!


• Or the various out-of-cage shenanigans in Lupe, from Amos to the perception-changing (read!)  Shark riding bimbettes all the way to the f@$%ing mermaid. Good that others are noticing, too!


• Or here are some industry thoughts - rants and otherwise!


• Shark-repelling wetsuits anybody?

And-so-on and-so-forth!
Notice the overlaps - and I cite, again.

It stopped actually being "about sharks" a long time ago.
It's about the individual and what the sharks as a vehicle to notoriety can do for them.

And for the masochists among you - I'm slowly WTF-ing my rants!

Surprisingly, they don't amount to more than a paltry 10% of this interminable opus - but they sure generate the overwhelming majority of the page views!
So here they are for your perusal and I discover, delectation - or for rekindling the various grudges!

Enjoy!

Operation Requiem - NOTHING huh!

Well well.

Talk about having ears on fire!

The pageviews of the Operation Requiem post have literally exploded, meaning that heaps upon heaps of people have chosen to click on the post instead of reading it on the blog, most likely in order to check out the comments.
Betcha that many of them are associated with those orgs, and betcha that this scribe has been the object of a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth?

And yet, there have been ZERO comments in support!

Not a single voice defending the oh-so-noble intentions and stellar achievements of those people, not a single attempt at justifying the project, let alone the stupendous expenditures, not a single answer in response to the following simple questions?

• Is the babemobile under its vociferous captain honoring the given assurances and patrolling the waters of Tonga, Kiribati and Vanuatu that gave such warm welcomes?


• Are the SSCS and/or the Shark Angels working collaboratively with those several South Pacific governments and NGOs as announced - and if so, where, and what are the results?


• And what of those LMMAs - what is the progress there?

Is that really it?

Is there really gonna be zero accountability for this monumental fiasco?

Really?

And if not - lemme cite myself.

It's all so fucking pathetic.

Under the executive direction of Andersen who would give an arm and a leg, or for the matter, any body part for being featured on national media, the Shark Angels have become the repository of all those hypocritical Shark media whores, starting from the great pornographer all the way down to all those desperate self promoting wannabees. No wonder they endorse Shark Week - they all desperately want to be in it and will certainly never bite the hand that could once propel them to perceived fame and riches!

And the others?

I'm frankly totally baffled.

Not the shameless self promoters. Not the Sea Shepherd drones. Not the media whores. Not the Shark pageant kids. Not the chicks with the moldy duck wings.

Those who really want to make a difference, who invest hours upon hours of their free time trying to educate the public or running campaigns, those who want to get the job done and don't appreciate and are frankly embarrassed by those relentless pathetic shenanigans by the narcissistic leadership and its cronies.

WTF are you still doing there - you are being tainted by association!

You know who you are.!

Operation Requiem - Anniversary!

Where's the  babemobile now? Source.

So there.

This brief exchange reminds me of unfinished business.

It is now one year since Julie Andersen and Co got their hands on Sea Shepherd's pointy babemobile and embarked on a junket across the South Pacific - and it is now high time for one last look at that shit.

But first.

Remember the bombastic announcement?

It still makes me puke whenever I watch it.

Like I said from the outset, the whole BS about kicking ass, stopping at nothing, putting one's life on the line and being willing to DIE had nothing to do with conservation but was instead Andersen's attempt at starring on some sharky Whale Wars clone on Animal Planet. But worry not, I'm not about to bore you with yer another repetitive rant. Should you really have missed the whole kerfuffle when it happened, you can check out what I've posted here when I awarded it the Shark Conservation Con of the Year.

Instead, I want to talk about this.

Sounds great doesn't it - were it not for the fact that like the whole campaign, it's just simply a big heap of BS! To wit, protected one of the world’s largest marine reserves, stopped illegal fishing = boarded legal purse seiners in the PIPA! Talk about a double con: the specific activity but also the fake protected area! 

Anyway.

Even if one overlooks the details, the general gist of that page is that Andersen's junket has been a great Shark conservation success and that it has paved the way for greater and better things to come, see the reference to several partnerships with local governments and NGO’s and the laying of the groundwork for the establishment of locally protected marine areas in 3 countries.

And the reality one year later?

• Is the babemobile under its vociferous captain honoring the given assurances and patrolling the waters of Tonga, Kiribati and Vanuatu that gave such warm welcomes? 
• Are the SSCS and/or the Shark Angels working collaboratively with those several South Pacific governments and NGOs as announced - and if so, where, and what are the results? 
• And what of those LMMAs - what is the progress there?

Or may Operation Requiem STILL be nothing but a scam?

I'm asking because I am hearing and reading NOTHING - and I betcha it's because NOTHING is happening! From what I can discern, Andersen has been terminated, see below;  Fisk, meh; and the sly Ms Basset is back to being her radical shepherdette self in Hawaii. Initiatives from those quarters, let alone successes in protecting the Sharks in the South Pacific: a big fat zero.
On the contrary: Tonga under its Shepherd of the Sea has since opened its doors to unlimited Shark fishing and finning - and the PIPA has since been fittingly outed as a scam! 

Or not? Surprise me!

The Pacific Voyagers?
Having employed some of the voyagers, my impression was that this was nothing but yet another junket on other people's money, namely some wealthy and IMO hopelessly romantic and credulous German dude who came up with and financed the whole exercise - and observing the local leaders parade around in their big SUVs whilst preaching sustainability to others has certainly done nothing to dispel my reservations.
I believe that this pseudo-cultural retro movement does nothing in addressing the aspirations of the young generation of Pacific Islanders that are desperately looking for a vision of the future, foremost of which decent jobs and decent lives. For that, like anybody else, they will need to have a good education and then be willing to work hard - and I'm concerned to see zero reference to that in the Voyagers' messaging. But as always the proof is in the pudding, and it remains to be seen whether now that the voyage and with it, the indiscriminate funding have ended, there will be any lasting and tangible legacy.
But I'm obviously digressing - progress for Sharks, zero!

Sea Shepherd?

If my suspicion is accurate and NOTHING has happened in the past twelve months and that consequently, the overarching campaign is nothing but hot air - why, exactly, is this stuff still on their website? 

Whereas I will always remain opposed to the personality cult and its brand of radical activism, Sea Shepherd's largely overlooked Shark conservation activities in the Galapagos have been nothing short of stellar. And I must also say that as of late, I've been rather impressed with Gary Stokes' work at CITES and more recently, on the airline and shipping lines campaigns - the more since trusted friends think very highly of him. Plus, would that be a vintage BAD t-shirt? :)

So why tarnish the Shark conservation effort with this shit - the more as the Pacific is already so well served by the literally countless NGOs and especially, Pew?

Or again: surprise me!

And the breathy Director of Shark Campaigns?

According to this posting on SSCS France, she has been terminated because when questioned about her association with Scubapro that stands accused of supporting marine Mammal captivity, she has by no means put her life on the line, or whatever, but has instead chosen to continue taking Scubapro's money - and no I'm not at all surprised!

But fear not, she's obviously completely unfazed, still desperately kissing Discovery's arse and already working on her next Shark con - and talk about a revealing choice of name if ever there was one!

To be continued no doubt - alas!

Shark Savers and WildAid - Merger!

Boy oh boy.

I've been asked to write something constructive - but to be perfectly frank, I don't quite know where I stand on this.

So bear with me - it's gonna be what it's gonna be.

So there - the cat is finally out of the bag.

Shark Savers and WildAid have announced that they are merging pending ratification by the relevant authorities. This is the official announcement by Shark Savers, this is the official announcement by WildAid, and these are some further explanations and reflections by Michael Skoletsky.
The merged org will be called WildAid.

Prima vista, this is obviously a good thing.

There are way too many orgs in Shark conservation, and pooling one's resources is certainly the rational thing to do. Shark Savers and WildAid have a long and successful history of cooperation, latest of which the brilliant Manta Ray of Hope project and subsequent stellar advocacy at CITES - so judging by those metrics alone, the future looks bright indeed. I'm also really, really happy to learn that Michael, DaMary and Sam are joining the new org as they are all friends with a terrific track record.

And yet I am saddened.

Ever since the eviction of Andersen and all her crazy BS, I've been a staunch supporter of Shark Savers' agenda of pragmatic and science based conservation initiatives and messaging.

WildAid, not so much.

Check out this interview with Tod Bensen.

This is of course compelling stuff.

And there is certainly a need to curb demand.

Indeed, if you look at the 2000 numbers (click on the graph), finning accounts for 908 tons of the 1411 tons of caught Sharks that were not discarded, making it 64% or roughly 63 million Sharks of which we can state that they were caught for their fins alone. Then of course there is an additional albeit unknown number among the IUU and FAO number - and judging from what we learn about what is happening now in the W/C Pacific, those trends do not appear to have been much reversed.

So once again, judging by those metrics alone WA's principal focus is certainly legit.

I also understand the part about the need to be a niche player.

And still, for me, this is just too uni-dimensional. I won't bother you with the usual ranting about the fact that "Sharks" are not Rhinos and neither all endangered, nor apex predators nor keystone species, or about supply limited fisheries and sustainability, let alone certified Shark fins - just read the links if you care, or don't. The real world is way more nuanced, and so must be the different conservation strategies.

What I will however say is that Shark Savers has a broader scope and that I like that - so here's to WildAid becoming more broadly involved as a result of the merger!

And then, there's the messaging.

Shark Savers has it down to an art, both on their website that is easy to read and navigate, and brimming with excellent content, and on their stellar Facebook page where Sam is doing an excellent, commendable job. WildAid's website is frankly optically rather shocking, and their FB is a mish-mash of different causes that will not equally appeal to all the Shark people.

So here's to a better website and to a dedicated Shark FB page!

Long story short?

One will need to see where this is going.

The merger can result in a better, better funded, more broadly based and generally much improved organization and as long as it appears to be heading that way, it still has my full support and Godspeed to everybody involved.

And if not, not.

To be continued no doubt!

So THIS is Shark Conservation!

And I cite.

I was swimming through a pool of my own blood...

He (= the Shark) was tearing the hamstring out of my leg, and tearing my hand off...

Watch this.

Oh yes this would be once again Gurney Productions.

They are Discovery's el cheapo go-to house for Shark porn, and once again regale us with the usual diarrhea of Shark attacks, teeth, blood and gore, all the way to a re-enactment of those tired old idiotic experiments, or whatever. Yes, now we finally have PROOF that Sharks are now so desperate that they will eat people - and watermelons, because they look like fucking sea turtles! Sez this clown! 

Special mention: the sped-up close-up of one of those poor harmless Bimini Hammers, and the Mako Shark slo-mo - and where have I seen that one before?

And huge props for introducing mammal meat to a popular Shark diving site - great idea!

And ABC4 is their el cheapo go-to shooter for that shit!

THIS is what he really means when he assures us, so eloquently, that he loves Sharks. PERIOD and that he makes an honest effort to avoid films that involve shark attacks and negative portrayals of sharks - see the citation at the top! And his assertion that he's ultimately only the hired cameraman, with no control over the editing? Bollocks! Having worked with Gurney many times and even produced that Fiji shit,  he went into it eyes wide open -  pecunia non olet all over again!

Like I said - so far so bad!

It's all so fucking pathetic.

Under the executive direction of Andersen who would give an arm and a leg, or for the matter, any body part for being featured on national media, the Shark Angels have become the repository of all those hypocritical Shark media whores, starting from the great pornographer all the way down to all those desperate self promoting wannabees. No wonder they endorse Shark Week - they all desperately want to be in it and will certainly never bite the hand that could once propel them to perceived fame and riches!

And the others?

I'm frankly totally baffled.

Not the shameless self promoters. Not the Sea Shepherd drones. Not the media whores. Not the Shark pageant kids. Not the chicks with the moldy duck wings.

Those who really want to make a difference, who invest hours upon hours of their free time trying to educate the public or running campaigns, those who want to get the job done and don't appreciate and are frankly embarrassed by those relentless pathetic shenanigans by the narcissistic leadership and its cronies.

WTF are you still doing there - you are being tainted by association!

You know who you are.!

Amish Sharks?

How come I'm not surprised.

I've reiterated what we think about Discovery here.

Read the links!

The Shark Angels, on the other hand, endorse that shit.

The pro-Discovery marketing comes from none other than serial el cheapo Shark pornographer ABC4 who earns his living from filming and producing that crap  - and very much looking forward to being eventually regaled with the results of this year's round of shenanigans in Bimini!

And from the serial Shark molesting Executive Director!

Now that she has apparently repented, or whatever, she dances - not because she is a narcissistic self promoter but because THAT is gonna convince the Indonesian, Indian and Mexican fishermen to stop killing those Sharks! Ain't REAL conservation just a wonderful, wonderful thing - and so much fun on top of that!

A HERO no less - watch this space!

“But at the end of the day, Shark Week gets people talking about sharks – isn’t that what it is all about?”

No it is not -  but that's of course what Andersen is all about: talk!

And moldy duck wings!

Others are not amused.

See here, here, here, here, here; here, here and here - and there's undoubtedly more to come once Kurr's idiotic serial killer Shark goes on air!
And here's the take by the Shark Defenders!

Just appalling.

Wolfgang and Ila are absolutely correct - it's same old same old, and if this analysis is correct, the pressure to keep up with their abominable peers is likely to lead to even worse, not better programming!

And so it goes!

DaMary!

DaMary, Lupodiver and the predators!

We've just said goodbye to Mary and Lupo.

We're honored, really.

Mary is of course none other than the same Mary O'Malley who pretty much single-handedly developed the Manta Ray of Hope project (of course, h/t to Shawn and to Paul Hilton!) and doggedly stayed the course  all the way to the epic decision of CITES to list them on Appendix 2 - and this also very much in the face of all that petty bickering by those Mobula fans, or whatever! And btw, now that she has shown everybody how to do it: have those EXPERTS learned the lessons, and will they come up with anything substantive for 2016?

We shall be watching!

Anyway.

Mary is my current Shark Conservationist of the Year and one of the very few people in Shark conservation I respect unreservedly and whose advice I will often seek and mostly heed.

This has really been rather epic.

Mary and Lupo are both accomplished and highly experienced Shark divers and also photographers, the Bull Shark action was off the charts, and we managed to stage some memorable (...!) encounters - not to mention the conversations on and off the boat!

And the bikini?

Yes she wears one!

Because she can, in spades - but under the wetsuit!

In fact, whilst being equally pretty, she is everything those bikini bimbettes are not: smart, determined, result-oriented, diplomatic - but above all, frustratingly humble all the way to outright self-effacing. 

In fact, where everything the bimbos do is geared towards shameless self promotion (yes Julie Andersen, I'm looking at you!), Mary would rather totally fade into the background, and her many accomplishments would go completely unnoticed were it not for the accolades by her friends and admirers - as it should be!

But I'm digressing as always.

This has been a really memorable, productive and highly rewarding week, and good things will come from it. There are great developments within Shark Savers where Mary sits on the board, and our already proven cooperation is about to be expanded to new projects.

Keep watching this space!

Aliwal Shoal - too good to be true?

Undoubtedly the Rosa Parks moment of SA Shark Conservation - or maybe not! Source.

Check out this surprising post!

A Victory for the Remove the Nets Campaign
On November 7th 2012, we claimed a great victory for sharks and a testament to the power of the local grassroots activism Shark Angels inspires.
Thanks in part to the hard work from several shark angels for almost four years, KZN Sharks Board has buckled under the pressure and has recommended the removal of four gill nets in the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area within the next year.
This includes nets at both Scottburgh and Park Rynie and is a monumental step towards the abandonment of shark nets throughout the country – and hopefully at some point, the globe. The announcement, which came at the quarterly meeting of the Aliwal Shoal Forum in KwaZulu Natal, was made quietly and without fanfare - because it signals the weakening of the Sharks Board and constitutes an incredible triumph for those working hard to protect sharks, who have been struggling to achieve the removal of the nets since 2008.

Really?

If so, this would indeed be a great accomplishment by the South African Shark Angels, and huge kudos to everybody involved.

And yet...

Maybe it's just me with my visceral suspicion of anything associated with Julie Andersen for whom I have zero respect. Can't quite put a finger on it - but I got a big nose, and this breathy self congratulatory victory lap before anything has been confirmed by facts on the ground just doesn't smell quite right...

Recommending does not mean deciding or promising, and within the next year (2014?) appears awfully vague, too!

Happy to be proven wrong though - seriously!

As always, we shall see - and being me, I've prophylactically copy/pasted the whole announcement lest there be latter editorial changes like so often! :)

Anybody in SA who can independently verify this?

PS: Patric - OMG!!!
PS2: Lesley Rochat here.
PS3: And here comes the latter editorial change - much as anticipated!
        NOW, the post reads

Progress for the Remove the Nets Campaign
On November 7th 2012, great progress was made in the campaign to remove South Africa’s shark nets, marking a huge step forward for shark conservation and standing as a testament to the power of grassroots activism.
At the quarterly meeting of the Aliwal Shoal Forum in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, Shark Angel Mark Addison witnessed the KZN Sharks Board recommend the removal of the gill nets at Park Rynie to the local municipality. If this recommendation is acted upon (as every other Sharks Board suggestion has been) it will constitute the first step towards the abandonment of shark nets throughout the province. The Sharks Board also recommended the replacement of the two nets at Scottburgh with drumlines. The Park Rynie and Scottburgh nets are both located within the boundaries of the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area. This recommendation by the Sharks Board signifies a positive shift in their attitude to shark conservation and an incredible triumph for sharks, the Shark Angels, and all who protect sharks and have been struggling to achieve the removal of the nets since 2008. 

An incredible triumph for the Shark Angels huh.
And this original statement (yes I really did copy/paste it!) that boasted that

The Angels creatively organized a display of support of such huge proportions it gained worldwide attention.

On May 6th 2012, members of all water user groups gathered on the beach at Scottburgh to demonstrate their disgust with the Sharks Board, and their support for the sharks. The “paddle out” protest led by the Shark Angels was inspired by Hawaiian surfing tradition to honouring dead surfers. The fact that the local community was so moved by the deaths of the tiger sharks is a huge testament not only to the work of the Shark Angels in the area, but to the compassion and understanding that is possible between humans and sharks thanks to education, media and the encouragement of ambassadors

has been changed to

However, the local community nevertheless perceived it as a massacre of such horrific proportions, one that impacted a community financially and ethically to its core, that it triggered a mass demonstration a week later. 
On May 6th 2012, members of all water user groups gathered on the beach at Scottburgh to demonstrate their disgust with the Sharks Board, and their support for the sharks. The protest, organised by African Diver magazine co-founder Cormac McCreesh, was inspired by Hawaii ‘an surfing tradition for honouring dead surfers, and took the form of a paddle out to the backline and the laying of flowers on the sea’s surface. The fact that the local community was so moved by the deaths of the tigers is a huge testament not only to the work of the Shark Angels in the area, but to the compassion and understanding that is possible between humans and sharks.  

Busted!
And I've again copy/pasted this version lest there be another editorial change!