Quod erat demonstrandum........

I cite.......

"The group is collecting information about the species to help the government of Canada to determine whether or not to list Basking Sharks as endangered off the coast of B.C (my emphasis).

After the sharks clashed with fishing equipment mid-century, the Federal Government embarked on a Basking Shark eradication program from the late 1940s until the 1960s. Blades were attached to the front of boats and driven through the gentle giants and since the 1990s, there have only been sporadic sightings of Basking Sharks on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Researchers previously scanned the waters on the West Coast in the spring and last fall and didn't come up with any sightings."

The article I'm citing from is titled "One year and no sightings of Basking Sharks" and describes the futile search for Basking Sharks by some scientists from Canada's Pacific Biological Station. Not having found any at all (in fact, the last sighting of a Basking Shark dates back to two summers ago), the group is planning to go back in October to "hopefully collect more baseline information", undoubtedly at more cost to the Canadian taxpayer.

Beg you - what???

"Baseline information"???
As in: there's no more Sharks???

And I cite again:

"After that, the Federal Government will consider whether or not to add the sharks to the endangered list of species. If they do, McFarlane said, following that decision would be the requirement to develop a recovery program for the species."

I've just blogged about it and here is the case in point: Fisheries Biologists "collecting data", Governments "considering", Conservation being "developed". In the meantime, the species has gone locally extinct and this thanks to, of all things, a Government eradication program.
Bet it didn't take years to ponder about that one, huh?

Enough said.