Mantas and Mobulas: Everything you need to know - and then some!

Fantastic Manta Ray picture by Sasha!

Great paper!

And talk about comprehensive!

This is probably the most complete review of the current scientific information about the Devil Rays that comprise the Mantas and the Mobulas. Much too much for a simple summary, it's heaps of useful and fascinating information, and you can download the whole 45 pages right here.

For the others, here's a nice synopsis by Simon, one of the authors.

Very cool stuff indeed - and very well written, too! 

Manta Rays: The State of Knowledge 

Most divers will have seen, or at least heard of manta rays. They're huge, charismatic, and the very possibility of their presence makes for an exciting dive. You'd be forgiven, then, for thinking that scientists are equally familiar with their lives. 

In fact, we're rather in the dark.

We know that there are 11 species in the family (counting both manta and mobula rays)... except manta rays were only split into two species in 2009, and there's probably a third one in the Atlantic. Only a few people in the world can actually distinguish the nine mobula species - and even they have their doubts.

Unfortunately, these poorly-known rays are now amongst the world's most threatened fishes.

With all this in mind, Lydie Couturier - a PhD student from Project MANTA at The University of Queensland - recently brought together a group of her colleagues, including Dr Andrea Marshall and myself from the Marine Megafauna Foundation, to assess the knowns and unknowns of the manta ray world.

Manta and mobula rays share a fairly similar body plan.

Two of their more notable features are the cephalic fins on either side of the head, which are used to funnel plankton-rich water into their mouths while feeding. These fins gave them the common name of 'devil rays', although you wouldn't know it from the way they behave. Some animals have tough-as-nails common names - killer whales, hellbenders and woodchucks spring to mind - but devil rays don't live up to their moniker at all, threatening only zooplankton and the occasional small fish.

The fossil record suggests that devil rays have been around in their modern form for at least 20-25 million years. They originally evolved from stingrays, and a 'sting' is still present at the base of the tail in some mobula species. True manta rays first appeared in the fossil record approximately 4.8 million years ago. Recent genetic work by Tom Kashiwagi (Project MANTA) and co-authors estimated that the two contemporary manta ray species split approximately 300 thousand years ago - a blink of the eye in evolutionary terms.

This split occurred during recent glacial cycles, when there were some major changes going on in ocean circulation and global geography. To give you some idea of how much the world was changed, at that stage hyenas, rhinoceros and elephants still roamed the British countryside. It appears that ancestral reef manta rays may have preferred to remain close to the coasts of these ancient seas, while giant manta rays became more oceanic.

If that was the case, the difference still persists.

Giant manta rays appear in far-flung places such as southern Brazil and northern New Zealand each year, suggesting that long journeys or significant ocean crossings are no barrier to these enormous rays. Giant manta rays reach up to around 7 m in width - much larger than reef manta rays (hence the name). This size increase is likely to be related to the improved swimming efficiency that larger size confers - it may be worth noting here that Michael Phelps is 6'4 and Missy Franklin is 6'1!

This behavioural difference probably explains why giant manta rays are found in the Eastern Pacific, whereas reef manta rays stop at Hawaii and French Polynesia. This is not to say that reef manta rays, which grow to around 5 m width, are inadequate in the swimming department. Tagging studies in Mozambique have shown that individuals can move 70 km in a single day during normal activities, and they migrate at least 500 km along the eastern Australian coast each year.

So, just how many manta rays are there?

Counting them is made easier by the distinct spots and blotches on their stomachs. This allows each manta to be photo-identified, which can then be used to generate estimates of population size. At the moment, the largest documented population of manta rays is in the Maldivian islands, where over 2,400 individuals have been photo-identified. The new global manta ray database, powered by an algorithm developed specifically for manta-matching by Dr Chris Town and his team at the University of Cambridge, will make this job a lot easier.

Manta (and mobula) rays have the largest brains of all the approximately 32, 000 species of fish known to date.

On first glance, this seems rather odd... how smart do you need to be to outwit plankton? Actually, it appears that animals - especially primates - don't become more intelligent to catch prey so much as to outsmart each other. Recent studies have even shown that monkeys placed in larger groups increase their brain size to compensate. Could manta rays be the Einsteins of the fish world? They certainly display some behaviours that could suggest this, such as coordinated and cooperative feeding behaviours.

We're also becoming aware that giant manta rays, in particular, are truly deep-divers.

And it's cold down there. To keep these large brains warm, and possibly the rest of their body too (as in mobula rays pictured below), these rays have an amazing counter-current heat exchange system going on with their veins and arteries to become effectively warm-blooded, or at least keep their temperature more stable than most fish.

Sadly, manta rays face a very uncertain future. 

The global catch of manta and mobula rays has dramatically increased over the last decade due to demand for their gill rakers from China, where they are sold as medicinal products. Catches from the major existing fisheries are not even close to sustainable.

Few species are as vulnerable to over-fishing as manta rays.

We know that they have a very slow reproductive rate, producing only one large baby on average every 1-3 years. They also appear to be slow-growing and long-lived, with some wild manta rays being re-sighted over 30-year periods.

There is hope.

Giant manta rays were added to the Convention on Migratory Species in 2011, which is sparking coordinated national efforts toward protection of the species and their key habitats within member countries. Next year, the entire group is up for listing on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. A listing on CITES would be an acknowledgment that the gill raker trade is a significant threat to manta and mobula rays, and would help encourage more effective conservation legislation.

Manta rays are an amazing fish.

The more we know about them, the more interesting they get.

Let's make sure we keep them around!

If you'd like to support our marine research and conservation efforts, you can make a gift or adopt a manta or whale shark  to help us continue these initiatives. If you'd like to learn more about manta rays, check out (and vote for) Dr Andrea Marshall's recent TED talk. My contribution to this study was supported by Casa Barry Lodge, Ocean Revolution and our wonderful individual donors.

Great stuff, thank you Simon!

And here's Andrea's passionate and inspiring TED talk.

Enjoy!

Douglas about Manta Rays!

Epic pic by Douglas David Seifert

From Doug's article.

The Chinese dried seafood market drives the fishing industries of ‘Third World’ countries.
Those fisheries cannot compete with the ‘First World’ fishing fleets for top-price Eastern (Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan) and Western (European, American and Australian) markets which demand fresh and flash-frozen seafood products – and compensate accordingly. Instead, they struggle to make a living with marginally seaworthy boats, manned by illiterate and unskilled labourers, which are slow on the water and spend long periods at sea. Their decks are the drying space for netted, hooked or harpooned sea creatures cut into prized parts to dehydrate under a blistering tropical sun. The fishermen work long hours for little pay and no comfort, the traders and merchants make all the profit on the voyage, and the formula works with ruthless efficiency and all too successfully.

One segment of the dried seafood business is devoted to fulfilling gourmet ingredients for Chinese gastronomy, such as sea cucumber for sauces and shark fins for soup; the other segment is what is known as the Traditional Chinese Medicine market, where dried seafood joins other desiccated plunder of the natural world: rhino horn, tiger penis, seahorse exoskeletons and the like. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine assert that these ingredients are therapeutic and have legitimate curative use; the 2,000-year history of Traditional Chinese Medicine cannot simply be dismissed due to Western prejudices. Science is ever evolving and although some may turn their noses up at animal ingredients used in medicine, no one can say with any certainty why some things appear to work for some people and some do not. (Before you scoff: just ask yourself why chicken soup is so often prescribed to combat a common cold in the Western world?)

What can be said is that if an ingredient or compound has not been recorded in the meticulously detailed, long written history of Traditional Chinese Medicine, then it is not a studied and recognized remedy.
The use of manta ray gill rakers has no recorded history as an ingredient in TCM in any of the literature. It is only being recommended now and in the past ten years by a new generation of entrepreneurs playing upon the fears and superstitions of an unsophisticated but suddenly affluent clientele. Manta gill rakers are sold as a miraculous ingredient of a cleansing tonic or soup. The vendor spins his or her tale of the incredible properties of the gills, using crackpot reasoning about filtering seawater. Surely, they claim, there is a benefit from this filtration – especially when considering the terrible air pollution over China’s cities. Or they bolster the immune system; or perhaps act as an anti-inflammatory; or as a cure for cancer; or the chicken pox or, or, or… fill in the blank.

The term ‘snake oil salesman’ has a long history associated with charlatans selling pseudo-science to a gullible public. Today, the snake oil salesman has been supplanted by the Chinese seller of manta ray gill rakers. Sellers of manta ray gill rakers do not even necessarily label them as such for the consumer. Often, the translation is ‘Peng Yu Sai’ or ‘fish gills’.

As always (and here!), this is as good as it gets.
When Doug Seifert broaches a subject, he only does so after meticulous research and his pieces are always an impressive combination of erudition and eloquence, and garnished with his very unique brand of spectacular pictures. Alas, the online edition of DIVE has done away with most of the pics - but the message and the information are once again a must read. Doug is on the Board of Shark Savers and as such, he is one of the sponsors of the epic Manta Ray of Hope project that tries to find solutions for the very issues addressed in his article.
Should you want to get involved, you can download their epic report right here.

To access Doug's article, you will have to register with DIVE.
It's free and it's easy, so please do. You will then be able to read the article here.

Enjoy!

Manta Rays - the next Battlefield!

Heartbreaking - dead Mobula, pic by Shawn Heinrichs

Good on these people.
They are finally shining a light on a massacre that has been happening away from the public eye and in the shadow of Shark fishing, the indiscriminate slaughter of Mantas (yes that would be a plural!) and Mobulas.
The project is called Manta Ray of Hope and you can learn about it here.

Shame on me, actually.
The fact is, I've known about it for many years but have frankly totally underestimated its scope.
I've actually even eaten Manta Ray (and not liked it) back in the 80ies in La Paz, Baja where it was being served in all of the restaurants - and apparently still is. Back then, I've also witnessed alot of Mobulas being landed by the native Sperm Whale fishermen of Lamalera and more recently, I've discovered it in a Filipino recipe for a faux Shark dish, and I've even posted disheartening Elasmobranch fishing statistics from 2009 featuring a marked rise in Manta Ray and Mobula landings.
Totally mea culpa for not having caught on to it.

Now, it appears, things have escalated to new dimensions.
Watch this.



More here in an interview with Shawn.

So, apparently, Manta gill rakers are the new fad in Chinese medicine.
I really know way too little about this to venture an educated opinion, apart from the fact that it behooves us all to do whatever we can to try and save these wonderful animals.
I have learned that Mantas only have a single offspring every several years and from that fact alone, it appears unequivocal that any commercial fishing for them is undoubtedly completely unsustainable and simply devastating - maybe even more so than that for Sharks!

Being my usual me, I still would like to raise a couple of points.

• Big Kudos for this initiative!
  BUT, is this more than a mere media-based awareness campaign, i.e. are there real people on the ground pursuing real, tangible pro-Manta conservation measures - and how successful has that been so far?
  Strategies?
  How can we help?


• Is the gill raker trade really driving the fishing, or is it merely a by-product of it?
  I'm asking this because of the shocking population explosion in the lesser developed countries where millions, if not billions of small subsistence fishermen are wiping out the marine resources through veritable protein mining all the way down through the trophic levels and laterally, by consuming what were previously considered to be "junk fish", like Sharks (and here). The answer to this question will likely determine the best way to proceed, see below.
  


• This is most certainly a supply limited fishery.
  Like in the Elephant ivory trade (and that for Shark fins!) where the Asian demand will always be high enough to justify poaching the last Elephant, the demand for those damn gill rakers will always be high enough to wipe out the last Manta. Yes the demand for gill rakers may be a recent, and maybe reversible fad - but let me warn against only trying to re-educate the consumer via a media campaign.
  Like I never cease to repeat, supply limited fisheries need to be tackled where the fishing takes place, i.e. through local fishing bans, MPAs and Sanctuaries.


• One suggestion.
  What about expanding the current Shark sanctuaries to include the protection of Mantas and Mobulas. As far as I know, none of those countries has any active Manta Ray fishery so it should be relatively uncontroversial? Anybody talking to the unequaled team at Pew?

OK, enough wisdom, or whatever.
This is really a great undertaking and timely wake up call, and I totally support it and will do whatever I can to be of assistance.
Seriously, anytime - just say the world.
Again: Kudos!

And because they are so lovely, here's another video.
It depicts Mantas being cleaned by the beautiful endemic Mexican Clarion Angelfish. Hat tip: DNS.
Enjoy!

2012: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Part One!

Not this year's Picture of the Year, see below - but I found it cute! Source.

Here we go again!

2012 has come and gone and what remains are the results - good and bad!

For us at BAD, it has frankly been a rather mixed bag.

The principal good news have been: several awards, the principal one being the totally unexpected AON Award for Tourism Sustainability that acknowledged our years of hard work and perseverance; the devising and successful rolling out of the first two installments of the Great Fiji Shark Count; our new Nitrox setup that has been a great personal relief; and finally, reaching 1,500 blog posts - tho one has to seriously question whether this is really "good news" or merely proof of masochism!

And above all, we're still standing: the bills are paid, the staff have a secure job - and most importantly, the SRMR is thriving and delivering data for research, and sustainable income to its stakeholders whilst remaining a safe haven for its Sharks!

But unfortunately there have been really bad news, too.

The passing of my friend Ron has left me absolutely devastated; and the failure of the Fiji Shark Sanctuary Campaign, see part two of this recap, has been a major, albeit not totally unexpected disappointment.

But like I said last time, this is really not about us.

Is is about others - and here is the first batch of the infamous nominations! :)

But first a caveat.

This is a blog reflecting personal opinions - not Journalism!

Thus nobody here is claiming that this is the Truth - whatever that may mean in this sharky context! I do make an honest effort to learn about and convey the latest scientific insights when posting about biology and research, to the point that much gets vetted by selected researchers - but otherwise, I actually pride myself for saying it like I see it: strictly subjectively, in a highly opinionated way and completely devoid of political correctness both in content and in style - and let's be frank: that's why you read this blog! :)

Also, keep in mind that I'm posting from a remote island smack in the middle of the Pacific, and I thus raise no claim of even remotely seeing, let alone knowing everything! So if anybody should feel that I may have overlooked him or others, bear with me: I may not have noticed or may have forgotten.

Or I may simply not care - for that cause or for that person!

So without further ado!

The Good

Warning!

Even this section will contain some mild criticism - live with it!

1. Track back: reconfirmed

Please consult last year's introduction.

I stand by what I said there

This year's conservation posts have once again focused on the very same issues and generally reaffirmed and refined some of the same general principles.

With one addendum I am really passionate about.

When it comes to fisheries management, I strongly believe that we need to abandon  the old and largely failed approach and instead, that we must finally invoke the precautionary principle in all of its ramifications - seriously, the bloody procrastination must stop!

This includes acting preemptively wherever there is overfishing, this by drastically reducing quotas and in the case of Sharks, by enacting bans and establishing sanctuaries; and by demanding that the burden of proof  be reversed, whereby it would be up to the the fishing industry (and the trade) to come up with substantiated proof that their activities are fully sustainable and legal - much like a good old fashioned environmental impact assessment that has become so ubiquitous whenever anybody wants to tamper with nature on land!

And at the same time, I equally advocate helping to establish a premium market for sustainably caught Sharks - meat and fins alike!

Too far out there and too controversial?

Again: please do peruse the links and if you believe that rationally (= as opposed to emotionally), this is a fallacy, tell me why - but should you agree with my standpoint, please do spread the word!

Yes it won't happen tomorrow - but it will happen if we keep talking about it!

And now to the line-up!

I must once again say, I largely stand by last year's nominations - but of course that was then and in some cases, things have obviously changed.

So there - are you ready?

• The Pew Environment Group's Global Shark Campaign remains the most impressive Shark Conservation Org.
  
  This is largely due to their awesome achievements in helping establish a further string of Shark sanctuaries, namely American Samoa, the Cooks (! - see below) and Kosrae, and in having been very much at the forefront in the enactment of  new Shark protection measures in Venezuela, in the European Union and at the WCPFC. And yes they may have been involved in more and yes I may have forgotten some - Angelo?
  And they once again scoop the Best Shark Conservation Resources nomination as their reports remain simply the best, e.g. this one!
  
  But it sure has not been all smooth sailing!
  The fishing industry has caught on to their MO and is fighting back vigorously by casting doubt on the effectiveness of those measures, and stupid commentators are gobbling up and propagating that disinformation. This has been one of the major contributors to the Fiji fiasco, see comments in part two.
  And on a strictly personal and probably terribly subjective note, I do bemoan the departure of Matt and accordingly, I sense a lack of leadership and at the same time, signs of unproductive picomanagement; and I just cannot get myself to like what I perceive to be the increasing populism (= dumbing down) of their outreach via the social media.
  
  And yes I shall certainly leave it at that!
  It is certainly debatable and ultimately, who am I to say - the results speak for themselves, and this despite of those real or perceived pewculiarities!

• The Shark Savers have continued to be simply brilliant.
  
  You can check out their yearly recap here.

Love the patrol boat: so much good for so little money! And I want to once again thank them for their invaluable support of the GFSC where I must commend the indefatigable Samantha  for having made a tremendous contribution! Thank you!
And then there is of course the terrific Manta Ray of Hope project, see below!

• Same-same for One World One Ocean!
  
  Check out their website and also their Facebook page - stellar stuff!

• Stefanie Brendl!
  
  We've finally met and I now like her even more!
  As always, she is working hard behind the scenes. I'm not in a position to divulge details - but do expect something real cool in the not-too-distant future!
  But this year, the title of Most impressive individual Shark Conservation Advocate goes to somebody else - and I'm quite certain that she would agree with my choice!

• The Manta Ray of Hope project remains the best Elasmobranch Conservation Initiative - by far!
  
  Scroll down this list of blog posts and you will see that the outreach has been simply awesome - this owing to the tireless efforts of my personal hero and sounding board Da Mary, of Shawn  who keeps cranking out fabulous media but also thanks to people like Lydie Couturier or Simon and Andrea of the Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna - and many others like Sarah Fowler who I hear has co-authored the CITES proposal!
  Like I said then, this is as good as it gets, especially since the project reunites all the very best in that field!

• The outreach by Neil Hammerschlag and the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program remains my favorite, however with the Heithaus Lab a close second - I think!

• What about last year's Most promising Shark Conservation Newcomers?
  
  David has really done himself proud, especially with A  Ray of Light but also his terrific PSAs The Sanctuary and Love Sharks Love Fiji. He is still desperately trying to finally get a major break but he has certainly not been sitting idly but instead, continued to stack the chips in his favor with a new production company, upcoming new websites and shortly, new attempts at marketing and crowd funding. And thankfully, there have been a few jobs allowing him to pay for the bills on the way.
  But he deserves better - so please, if you should be mulling a shoot and are looking for a brilliant all-in-one movie maker: do think of him!
  
  And the others?
  I see that Christine is still with Neil and trust that she is behind some of his stellar media outreach; but I frankly don't quite know what she is currently doing - but whatever it is, I wish her well.
  Same for Madi Pip - however she is off my list. As an example of alas many, check this out - that's not something I would ever want to be seen endorsing in so many ways! I'm sure you understand - and if not, wait for part two!
  Yes I'm frankly disappointed!

• Best Shark Facebook Page: Shark Savers
  
  Once again, a difficult choice - but that (and the Shark Year Magazine, see below) is the ressource I inevitably find myself consulting when I want to inform myself about the latest conservation- and research-related Elasmobranch news.
  
  Shark Defenders on the other hand has shifted towards more and more populism, see my comments above under Pew. Alas - but then again, that's just my personal perception.

And I reiterate what I said then about the BBC (obviously!), Shark Year Magazine, Elasmodiver and of course Doc who doesn't need any further accolades to be the undisputed Grand Mufti of Shark Behavior and one of my very favorite people on top of that!


2. New Winners and New Categories

• Most impressive individual Shark Conservation Advocate: Mary O'Malley.
  
  She's gonna hate me for this because like the vast majority of real conservationists including her predecessor Stefanie, she has no interest whatsoever in standing in the limelight but prefers to shine through her achievements instead of her announcements and self promotion. But let there be no doubt that whenever something is really good, she has likely had a hand in it!
  Among several others, one of her most recent projects is Manta Ray of Hope, see above - and if the Mantas will have any chance at this year's CITES convention, it will undoubtedly be the result of her tireless work and networking where once again, I discern no ego but instead, nothing but the genuine wish to reunite and motivate others to pursue a common goal in the most efficient and effective way.
  
  And I want to say this: it's about bloody time for some public accolades!
  No not this poor little laudatio on an obscure Shark blog, nor this truthful and loving hommage by Stefanie - I'm talking about something major, some Shark and Manta Hero award or the like! DaMary gets nothing - but the Boo Boo keeps getting nominated?!?
  C'mon you award folks - do something!

• Most impressive Shark Conservation Achievements, ex aequo: Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary and French Polynesia Shark Sanctuary.
  
  Just awesome!
  I did not at all expect the declaration by French Polynesia - and knowing how rigidly the French manage these matter in their DOM-TOMs, this will incidentally result in the exact opposite of a SINO, this also owing to the vigilance of the dive operators and the researchers of the ORP!
  
  And in view of all the alleged shenanigans, I was of the firm opinion that the Cooks were a lost cause - so huge kudos to its visionary president Henry Puna, to Pew but also to Steve and Jess of PICI  - details here!

• Best Blog Posts on Shark-related Issue: the coordinated Deconstruction of the infamous Oxygen Myth.
  
  I must say, I'm mighty proud of this effort!
  And it has been loads of fun, too - to wit here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here! Simply brilliantly epic!
  And... have we been successful in eradicating that stupidity?
  Check part two! :)
  
  And i did love love love Cristina's posts on the Shark Savers community pages!

•  Most promising Shark Conservation Newcomer: Michelle Wcisel
  
  I have no clue whether she's to be considered "new" - but I've only caught on to her this year.
  And I must say, I like what I see - and so will hopefully you once you explore the links, including those of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust where she works!

• Ocean Hero of the Year: Tony Burke, current Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
  
  This is the guy who has had the courage and the vision to establish what could well be the largest network of contiguous MPAs in the world - and this against the stiffest political resistance. Backbone and Leadership in politics - stuff the Americans can only dream of! 
  Bravo! 
  
  But Harold Martin of New Caledonia is certainly a close second! 

• Best Conservation Org: Pew Environment Group
  
  Check this out - bloody impressive!
  Not really convinced about the part about Rio+20 where I once again had the impression that nothing tangible was achieved - except, of course, for the decision to reconvene = further millions spent on junkets and a further stupendous incremental carbon footprint!
  But again, that would be me and I've frankly stopped caring.
  On the other hand, the list is just awesome!
  
  Would there be anybody else coming even remotely close?
  Maybe the ubiquitous WWF, or CI with their tremendous Seascapes? Or the fantastic IUCN that achieves so much - and this silently and completely collaboratively?
  Maybe - but for 2012, I stick with my choice!

• Best Elasmobranch Papers, ex aequo:  Neil on Tigers, Heithaus on Shark Bay,  Mantas and Coconuts and of course (!), the Fiji Shark Diving Paper and the Fiji Bull Shark Poster!
  
  Each of those is brilliant in its own way - read them!

• Best Shark Book: Domeier on Great Whites
  
  When it comes to GWS, this is really the bible, with each chapter being a peer-reviewed paper by the most eminent GWS researchers. Don't talk GWS biology if you haven't read it - and you can get it cheaper here!

• Most inspirational Visitors, in no particular order: Le Didier, Stefanie, Tanya, Samantha, ozzie Sam, Lill, Stephen and Takako, Cristina, Demian and Debra, Jaap and Taryn (you know who you are!), Lucia and Andre - thank you!

    My deepest apologies to those I may have forgotten - it has been a very long year and my faculties of recollection have become somewhat fuzzy!

• And a special h/t to you RickMac for being so sharp, erudite and witty, and for what you do for our oceans - truly you are one of our unsung heroes!

• Special Thanks to you Doug and Emily for always having been there for Ron and Val;  to you Gary and Brenda, for always being there for us, and to you Juerg , for the always stimulating excellent cooperation – would you believe it, 10 years now! To you Drew, Nani, Papa and Rusi, for so many fabulous years of loyal friendship and adventure!

3. Not nominated

• Blogs - both about Sharks and about marine topics in general
  
  This is a tough one as I continue to peruse many of them, especially those in the Blog Roll on the side bar. But, I am sensing some widespread fatigue that echoes my own - see the very different monthly counts in the Blog Archive that reflect my work load (turns out that retired really means re-tired) but also, my faltering mojo!
  Yes SFS cranks out the occasional brilliant post like here; yes DNS publishes the occasional epic rant against the latest pseudoscience; yes the Monster continues its valiant fight against climate change denialism - but I sure miss the randalierende Wolf and Patric's incisive sharkasm!
  And then, there's the competition by the one-liners on the zillion FB pages and by those tweets - and the frustration at the seemingly unstoppable creeping progress of the Dolphinization of the Shark Movement.
  The question is, are we merely preaching to the converted in some global circular echo chamber whilst being overrun by that deluge of truthiness and idiocy - and if so, should we be investing our time more productively on other projects?

• Other Media - journalism, pics, television and  movie.
  
  Nothing truly extra-extraordinary has caught my eye - probably my fault for not having paid attention!

• Best Shark dance
  
  Does the Nureyev of Shark dancing continue to dazzle the masses? No idea!
  But above all: eagerly awaiting news of the dance-off with Angelo!
  
  

Phewwww.... that's it I think!
And now, over to the infamous Part Deux!
I'm currently multitasking and honestly drowning in urgent stuff - so bear with me if it'll take a while, as it's gonna be long.

But it's gonna be interesting!
And that's a promise! :)

PS: Dang I've forgotten one - again!
So there: granted, that was late in 2011 - but still!

• Best Shark Sculpture: Victor's Fiji Bull Shark - magnifique!

PS2: Time Danaos et dona ferentes!
In case you thought that being nominated here is good - think again! Public praise by DaShark might just be the beginning of your demise! :)

PS3: Wolf here!

PS4:  Check out Part Two, Part Three and Part Four!

2011: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Part One!

Shark pic of the Year!

So there.
2011 is slowly petering out, the shop is closed so that the staff can enjoy a well deserved rest and I’ve got some spare time on my hand – so brace yourselves for a lengthy recap of 2011!
You have been warned!

This time, it’s not gonna be about BAD.
Thanks to our clients that have once again visited us in record numbers, we did very well indeed – and so did Shark Reef where biodiversity continues to increase and where once again, we recorded a record number of Bulls - and it ain’t over yet: from what we can already see now, we will very likely witness a further increase in 2012!
As of September 1st, we are also completely carbon neutral after having sponsored the planting of 330,000 mangroves, very likely a world first – and again, this is just an intermediate step as we’re currently planting more in order to offset the carbon footprint of our clients!
Finally, we’ve again met some wonderful new people, many of which researchers, and are involved in several ground-breaking projects that will hopefully come to fruition next year.
Keep watching this space!

But as I said, this post is not about us.
2011 has been an exceptional year for global Shark conservation and outreach. It has also seen the continuation of the usual shenanigans.

And without further ado – 2011 as seen by DaShark!

The Good

This is the easy part.

But lemme first tell you where I’m coming from here.
The way I see it, the only metrics for effective Shark conservation is that less Sharks are being killed, full stop. The rest is just fluff and we shall talk about it later.

Having now been involved in Shark conservation for close to a decade and having seen the varying success of various approaches, I remain firmly of the opinion that regardless of the anger at seeing the all-pervasive global slaughter of Sharks, the only winning strategy when advocating Shark conservation is to remain strictly fact-based, pragmatic and willing to compromise.
Successful conservation is always the result of negotiations where we are asking others to enact pro-Shark legislation - and whereas sometimes popular support (and thus petitions) may help, the arguments must never the less be rock solid. Never forget that legislation can as easily be repealed – and it will if the arguments supporting it are proven to have been fraudulent!

By the same token and very much like the science it is based upon, Shark conservation remains always in flux and is evolving rapidly based on the latest science but also on the success (and the failings) of the latest conservation initiatives.
As an example, legislation has evolved massively in 2011 as the forces of evil have shown considerable cunning in exploiting loopholes and otherwise circumventing the law, and as it has become painfully evident that the best legislation will always remain completely toothless unless it gets adequately enforced. The latter requires considerable resources for capacity building, monitoring and prosecution that must be an integral component of any such initiative in developing countries.

And one last thought.
As the global recession is far from over, 2011 has seen a further shrinking of the resources available to research and conservation. With that in mind and because the Shark fin industry is supply limited, we need to prioritize our resources and invest them where the Sharks are being killed - and yes, like an old broken record, I'm repeating myself - and will continue to do so, over and over again!

Anyway, here is the list.

• Most impressive Shark Conservation Org: The Pew Environment Group's Global Shark Campaign.
  
  I must confess that for once, I’m quite at a loss of positive attributes here. I was going to painstakingly try and enumerate the many achievements but thankfully, they have done so themselves. Far from the huge bureaucratic overhead of the established NGOs, this is but a tiny group: but its members are smart, dedicated and extremely hard working individuals who know how get the job done and who like in the real world, operate under a strict regime of deliverables, deadlines and accountability. And no, they don't achieve their success by throwing money at the problems as some of their pathetic detractors claim, but by being solution-oriented, strictly science-based, pragmatic and diplomatic - and thus widely accepted as valuable expert interlocutors by the powers that be.
  The strategy has been to concentrate on the supply side by successfully advocating changes in fisheries policies at national, regional and global levels.
  This is how you do it – which of course begs the question, what have all the other, bigger, more established and more vocal orgs been doing all these years!
  


• Most improved Shark Conservation Org: Shark Savers
  
  Shark Savers continues to evolve and I like where it is going, the more as I’m good friends with several of the people involved, some of which for a very long time indeed. 2011 has seen a long overdue consolidation at the top where the org is now being steered by intelligent, pragmatic and solution-oriented individuals, resulting in solid Shark conservation successes. Case in point: this year's Florida Shark protection measures where they have played a preeminent role, the stellar project Manta Ray of Hope, see below, and much along the lines of think global act local, this recent victory in the Midwest (bravo Penny!).
  


• Most promising new marine Conservation Org: One World One Ocean
  
  This is a brand new undertaking and there is thus no track record except for a stellar PSA.
  But I like the people, the pragmatic message and the mission and look forward to many successes in the years to come. The principal difference to other media-based initiatives: no personal self promotion but above all, a long term track record of getting the message across – meaning distribution distribution distribution!


• Most impressive individual Shark Advocate: Stefanie Brendl
  
  The victim of an appalling and by no means resolved witch hunt in Hawaii (check on the oldest posts), Stefanie has not given up but instead, completely re-invented herself and become one of the most respected global Shark advocates in the process. Following their ground breaking Shark fin ban in Hawaii, she and Senator Clayton Hee have successfully expanded the concept to several US territories and states. Their approach has been quiet, rational, pragmatic and science-based diplomacy instead of activist clamoring. Passionate, goal-oriented and doggedly determined, Stefanie gets the job done whilst operating in the background and leaving the limelight to others – deservedly and alas, very much not so, see Part Two.
  So here’s to Stefanie, heroine of Sharks!


• Most impressive Shark Conservation Achievement: Bahamas Shark Sanctuary
  
  Who would have thought!
  Having previously talked to literally scores of insiders about the need to protect the Sharks there, everybody was telling me that getting meaningful conservation enacted in the Bahamas was strictly mission impossible – and then Pew and the BNT (and yes: many others did help) managed to pull it off without any notable hiccups in a matter of mere months! This is a massive achievement and a testament to the quality and effectiveness of the approach by Pew and it cannot be applauded enough!


• Best new Elasmobranch Conservation Initiative: Manta Ray of Hope
  
  Although not directly an initiative by Shark Savers (or is it?), it is very much associated with them. Once again, kudos for a brilliant, important and timely project!


• Best Shark Conservation Resources: Reports by Pew
  
  Once the clear niche of Oceana of which I used to be a fan but where I am increasingly becoming critical, the reports authored by Pew are a meticulously researched treasure trove of hard facts, always up-to date science and pragmatic solutions – the latter very much setting them apart from the widespread whining and lamenting! A must-read for anybody wanting to stay abreast of modern, solution-oriented Shark conservation!


• Best Outreach in Shark Research: Neil Hammerschlag and the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program
  
  This is how you do it.
  This is simply brilliant outreach via blog, Facebook, video and undoubtedly many more outlets, showing that Shark research can be fascinating, fun, hip and young. I remain concerned by those SPOT tags and only time will tell whether the data will somehow justify the invasive methods – but all-in-all, I really do like the people and the energy and am impressed by the passion and also by the willingness to tackle some of the more controversial aspects of Shark research.
  Well done!


• Best Shark Conservation print Media: Juliet Eilperin
  
  Juliet’s contribution to catapulting Shark conservation into the mainstream media has been invaluable. Extremely well informed and (frustratingly) balanced, she continues to crank out stellar pro-Shark pieces that directly counteract the appalling hype by the tabloids.
  


• Best Shark Conservation television programs: CNN
  
  Bravo and thank you CNN for having embraced the cause of Shark conservation with frequent, balanced and always interesting programming!


• Best Nature Programming: BBC
  
  Who else – the measure of all documentary work, the one and only, the best of the best, forever emulated and forever unrivaled and unmatched!
  Need I elaborate? I sure hope not!


• Best Shark Conservation Movie: Sanctuary: The Last Stand for Sharks
  
  So far, it appears that it has only been shown to select audiences in the Bahamas. Funded by Pew and (I believe) produced by Shawn, it combines great visuals with strict scientific data. I’ve seen it at DEMA and it is my hope that there will be a less Bahamas-centric director’s cut for viewing by a larger audience.
  Great job Shawn, I'm actually quite impressed!


• Best Shark Picture: this one, featured at the top!
  


• Best Shark Dance: David Shiffman
  
  Nobody and i mean Nobody! comes even close to David’s beautifully choreographed species-specific routines combining his dazzling footwork with exquisite artistic expression, period! Here’s to the Fred Astaire of Shark conservation - and frugal fashionista to boot!
  


• Most promising Shark Conservation Newcomers, ex aequo: Madi Pip Stewart, Christine Shepard, David Diley
  
  The common denominator: passion and a lot of talent.
  But as always, this is only the beginning. Having witnessed how other promising talents have quickly succumbed to the temptations of fame and money, or just simply lost interest, only time will tell whether these are mere blips or whether we are witnessing the start of careers that could be remarkable indeed.
  So far so great!
  


• Best Shark News Website: Shark Year Magazine
  
  It may well be an old hat but having only discovered it recently, it's new to me. Shark Year Magazine impresses by being exhaustive in covering all aspects of Shark news from fishing to strikes to the latest science.


• Best Shark Info Website: Elasmodiver
  
  Andy Murch’s Shark website is truly a treasure trove of information, often interspersed with personal and intelligent observations by the author who proves to be a true Shark expert – and this for once in a positive sense!


• Best Shark Blog: Underwater Thrills
  
  How could it be any different!
  His is the other watchdog blog and like this scribe, Patric does not shun to dabble in controversy of which there is plenty – especially if you got no patience for bullshit! The difference being, where I regularly get outraged and start firing broadsides, he retains his composure and dissects sarcastically, something which is both way more effective and also, way nastier! Whereas we sometimes disagree vehemently, we are united by the fact that we get called names by very much the same people, something I carry as a badge of honor – as I suspect does he!
  


• Best Marine Science Blog: Southern Fried Science
  
  In all honesty, this is likely the last year where I would assign the honors to them. I sense that the boyz are growing up and being kept increasingly busy pursuing their professional careers. Blogging is excruciatingly time consuming and requires staying on the ball, something very few can afford once they enter the daily treadmill. But for 2011, SFS has continued to be my very favorite marine blog, this largely to the epic posts mentioned below.


• Best Blog Posts on Shark-related Issue: WhySharksMatter on the Junior Controversy.
  
  I must say, David’s two posts here and here, and especially, the ensuing epic threads and moderation by both David and Andrew have been nothing short of stellar. This is a brilliant exercise in investigative journalism shining a cold spotlight on the Californian GW research scene - more in Part Two.


• Best Shark Facebook Pages, ex aequo: Shark Defenders and Shark Savers
  
  There is now a legion of Shark conservation Facebook pages and making a choice has been difficult. My personal criterion: whether or not they allow the Shark whacks to post their ramblings – and both these pages do thankfully not but instead, they are regularly updated and feature interesting news and causes worth pursuing.


• Most deserved Accolades: Doc becoming a featured Nat Geo Explorer
  
  Whereas it is quite impossible to overstate Doc’s contribution to Shark research and Shark conservation, I believe that his true legacy will be that he has found the time to educate and mentor a whole new generation of brilliant and equally passionate Shark researchers who are truly among the crème de la crème in their field.
  

So, have I already managed to piss somebody off like usual?
Wait til you see Part Two! :)

Oceana?

They got every reason to smile - well done Alibaba!

And I cite.

The incident has shown why communication is so important.
I hope that Oceana sends its apologies to Mr. Jack Ma personally after deliberately connecting him with the manta ray profiteering. Jack Ma and people like him, who consistently make the moral choice, should be acknowledged and thanked, particularly in such a sensitive context as the Asian market and shark finning. Alibaba has become a beacon of hope to us who have had faith all along that if the Chinese people only learned the truth about shark finning, they would change the recipe for their special soup.

Bravo Ila, spot on - it's high time for some accountability here!
It really looks like Oceana has committed a major gaffe by launching a petition without ever bothering to first do their due diligence, let alone get in contact with the petitionee.

Wolfgang has then resolved the whole issue with one single e-mail message.
I must say that I concur with his assessment: at least prima vista, this very much looks like an exercise in self serving hot air that has now sorely backfired. Having checked, Oceana is not a partner in the iconic Manta Ray of Hope project and having missed that train, there may have been pressure to be seen as doing something - very much like in the case of Shark conservation which is the current big thing and where everybody and his dog, and the dog of his dog are jumping on the bandwagon. Having noticed the last minute vociferating by Oceana in Florida, this after others had done all the ground work, I would not be surprised at all - and to think that like Mark, I used to be a fan! :(
But I don't know the facts and will defer my final judgment until I see what happens next. For now, the petition is still online which may be an indication of the fact that somebody there is either deaf, stubborn or stupid, or all of the above.

Talking of which, it may be even simpler.
I had to laugh out loud when I saw the name Elisabeth Griffin.
Remember her, the blissfully unrepentant Ms sippy champagny of African Elephant and US geography fame? May this be nothing more than yet another one of her blunders?

But I'm clearly speculating.
As always we shall see won't we!

PS Oceana have decided to spin this & are screaming Victory!
And now, thanks to your efforts...?
Where have I seen that MO before... and like there, I am very much not impressed!

PS2 Ila's take right here!

Manta Ray of Hope - Global Threat to Manta and Mobula Rays!

All aboard the Manta Train! by Christian Loader, from this astonishing compilation.

Excellent job by Shawn - again!

This is his grisly travelogue.

This is urgent and important.

I've been a huge fan of the Manta Ray of Hope project since its inception, and urge you to inform yourself about the status of Mantas by visiting the link but especially, by consulting the 2011 report and the 2012 paper. The two Mantas are proposed for listing under CITES II at the next CoP in Thailand.

Now the project team are asking for your help.

Any donation will be matched and used to educate the CITES delegates.

These are brilliant, passionate, intelligent and above all, 100% honest people and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Accomplishments here - of note: just facts, no fanfare whatsoever.

And here are the next steps, basically a how-to guide for excellent, targeted marine conservation.

Kudos!

Please, if you can, give generously.

This is money well invested.