Shark Tournaments - increasing Traction for Catch&Release Format!

Those game fishermen continue to kill Sharks.

But the tide is clearly turning.
Congratulatory reports like this one are thankfully disappearing.
Instead, the media are increasingly adopting a much more critical view by focusing on the ethical implications of those feats, or whatever and the plight of the animals that are being targeted.
This is specially apparent in the case of those horrible Shark kill tournaments.

Case in point, this article from Bermuda.
It bemoans the wanton killing of eleven Tiger Sharks (for Lobster bait?) and contains references to the Shark Free Marinas Initiative, the work of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Ultimate Shark Challenge. All-in-all and despite of the appalling circumstances, this is excellent pro-Shark advocacy and kudos to James Whittaker for having listened to the right people!

And then, there is this post by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership.
Very unfortunately, it provides a platform for once again highly problematic statements by a Shark researcher, this time by one Lisa Natanson who appears to be a habitual groupie of the East Coast's kill tournaments.

Yes, taking samples from Sharks that have already been landed by fishermen is vastly preferable to lethal sampling.
But to then go as far as to become a vocal public apologist for the kill tournament format is totally unacceptable. Will those people ever learn to just keep a low profile, do their job and keep their mouth shut?
Thankfully, other more enlightened colleagues raise their voice in dissent

While acknowledging the scientific benefits that can accrue from tournaments, Dr. Robert Hueter of the Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida nevertheless believes that the pressures on sharks are too great for tournaments to continue.
“I’m not saying that we aren’t gaining useful data from this sort of sampling,” he says. “But scientists have been taking these sorts of samples at tournaments for nearly 50 years.
It’s questionable that the research benefits gained at this point justify the cost to shark conservation.”

Exactly!
How many more vertebrae does Ms. Natanson need to collect before waking up to the reality that Sharks are endangered and require protection and advocacy - especially by the people who research them? Will people like her ever overcome that apparent pervasive fatal disconnect between their research and the required ethical sensibility?
Yes, what may have been OK in the past is not OK anymore - how about some adaptive evolution!

Once again, kudos to Bob Heuter for having spoken up.
Having very much been part and parcel of the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge, he knows what he's talking about and represents the future of Shark research, as do Neil and of course Juerg!
Well said!

Left to die

Got the following two e-mail messages today.

I am sad to report that on Tuesday evening a pregnant Bull Shark was killed in the keys from beach shark fishing activities.
The fishermen were using two 16/0 "J" hooks to catch the animal. The animal was caught in the gills with the J hook and left to die on the beach. As you can see from the pictures, there were 12 pups ready to be born (6 male, 6 female). Very sad and wasteful.
This is a nightly occurrence!


Sadly we have a very similar report from Delray Beach today.
A pregnant Great Hammerhead washed up on shore in Delray a little before 2pm.

The Shark was hooked in the mouth with a large J Hook.
I don't know the specifics about the hook, but we have the hook and the line that was attached. A friend happened to be at the beach when this happened and called me. She said that the shark looked pregnant. Somebody asked me to bring a knife so that we could try to save the pups if they were still alive. There were 35 pups -- 21 male and 14 female -- all fully developed and ready to be born.

Unfortunately they were all dead already.

The measurements of the mother were 13 feet total length; 10 feet 4.5 inches fork length and 9 feet 8 inches pre-caudal.
This is another example of why female Sharks need to be protected in Florida, especially in Spring and Summer when the females come close to shore to give birth.
Sorry to have to share this sad news.

Are you as angry as me?

This may surprise you but I'm actually an avid game fisherman.
Being a Shark conservationist, I obviously don't target Sharks - but even as a "sportsman", or whatever, I personally believe that Shark fishing really sucks: they are way too easy to attract and catch, with the exception of Makos they put up a very poor fight, many end up being gut hooked and perish even when released - with land based fishing for Sharks being even worse since the big ones need to be completely subdued in order to be landed, meaning that many are likely to die of exhaustion.

But that's just my personal opinion which is certainly not shared by many game fishermen.
I must also acknowledge that there is a movement from within aimed at reforming Shark fishing by promoting less invasive methods like e.g. catch & release and circle hooks.
Pragmatically speaking, it's unfortunately the only way forward, at least in the short term - but I still don't like it and have thus refrained from promoting any Shark fishing and specifically, the new format of Shark tournaments, forward looking as they may be. Thing is, I'm still not convinced that they are not merely the brain child of some clever businessmen who want to establish, market and exploit a new business niche by pandering to the eco movement, as opposed to the genuine desire to reform the existing kill tournaments.
I would however be convinced if the net result would be a) existing kill tournaments being reformed, b) no new Shark fishing tournaments being established and c) less people game fishing for Sharks. Anybody taking bets?
Yes I'm digressing and as always, we will see!

But wherever you're coming from - this cannot be tolerated anymore!
This has catapulted the reputation of land based Shark fishing back to the stone age and confirmed all of the anti-fishing stereotypes.
If those people ever want to rid themselves of the stigma of being nothing more than primitive murderous yahoos, their associations will have to do much, much better. Let us see the immediate and unequivocal public condemnation of these shameful events; let us see them issue regulations aimed at ensuring that despicable shit like this will never happen again, coupled with sanctions against any transgressors.

As to the targeting of pregnant Sharks - how can anybody possibly justify that?
Do I really need to spell out the ethical implications and the value of mature breeding females for endangered stocks?

And yet, by its very own regulations, the IGFA still promotes this abomination.
All-tackle record Sharks will always be pregnant females and as long as those shameful records are being certified, game fishermen will continue to specifically target those animals. Can you imagine the reaction of the public and even, the hunting community if similar "feats" had been perpetrated by hunters?

All very sad, really.
My only hope is that those 49 dead Sharks will serve as ambassadors, like other dead Sharks have done in the past: for credible reform among the fishermen and their associations and failing that, for better legislation aiming at protecting those valuable animals when they are most vulnerable.

PS: also posted by Neil Hammerschlag here - read the shocking testimony of a beach cleaner in the comments section and yes, Shark fishing is illegal in Delray Beach.

Sun Sentinel article here.

PS2: great blog post by Mary here.

PS3 toothy comments on SDI's new blog!

Shark Con???

Is this even for real???

Tragically, I fear it is.
It features this asshole and it also features stupid sound bites by Mr. No-PhD, the inevitable token expert, and then the heroic feats of "somebody" who believes that it's cool, no: EPIC!, to feed Sharks whilst wearing a baseball cap put on in reverse. Gee, talk about an EPIC! lineup! Oh and did I mention that the footage is from Tiger Beach?
Galatians 6 : 7-9 indeed!

It's all so bad I that I'm really at a loss here.
Anyway, have a look at this shit.

Hat tip: Wolfgang (but I frankly dunno if I should thank you for this buddy).

PS good reaction by the smart people over at Underwater Thrills here.

The little dirty Secret?

Somebody sent me this.

Looks like the H1N1, or Swine Flu vaccines may contain Squalene as an immunological adjuvant.

Now, to be perfectly clear, I don't know if this is Shark Squalene, a fact that I would bemoan.
I also don't know if this is credible or yet again, one of the many medical hoax warnings issued by quacks. Dr. Mercola is controversial and so is Chiropractic. And no, for once, I really don't want to go there and get drawn into a debate where I dispose of insufficient knowledge and that is simply not one of my fights. I will thus delete any according comments.

But I wanted to report that there may be a connection between the Swine Flu and the global slaughter of Sharks.
Maybe.

Abomination 3.1.

Remember the drunken morons of the South Florida Shark Club.

They just killed this big beautiful female Bull Shark - likely once again a pregnant mother as Bull Sharks migrate to their nursing areas in Summer which in the Northern Hemisphere is in May to June.

Sad "story" here.
Let's hope "somebody" puts them out of their unholy business very soon indeed!

Get out your Barf Bag!

Meet the Sharkman of Cortez!

He barged in on an interview by the Shark Safe Project and I invite you to view that remarkable document. Alas, there's no embedding feature so please go to the relevant Facebook page.
No - wait a minute! Felix just posted the YouTube video! Good find my friend!



There you go - these are the people Shark Safe and Shark Free Marinas are trying to convert.
Just long haired rednecks! Right!

It's gonna be a long, steep road!

Abomination 2.1.

Pic: Lill Haugen, who else!

Back to Destin.

I'm running out, and I'm also tired of posting pics of dead pregnant Sharks so here's one of our very much alive newcomers. We have named her Nani in honor of our incomparable Nanise and no, that's not because she's feisty and has a big mouth!

Note the bent up tip of her pec which will make it easy to identify her going forward. The gash in the mouth is from a fishing leader which Rusi managed to remove last week. Yes, that was tricky!

Anyway, the Destin abomination is now getting the attention it deserves.
First, there was this funny (!) article in the Daily News. Then, Luke Tipple's op ed in the Destin Log. Finally, the Log is running an online poll on the subject - when I entered my vote in the bottom field on the right-hand column, the result came out as 55% No and 38% Yes. Let's hope the vote stays the same and Ms. Donaldson listens!

Talking of which, I cannot access the Discovery Petition site!
Just a Fiji thing - or is it global?
And if so, why?

5,341 Bucks!

Yes this pic is from Destin! Great destin-ation marketing huh!

Pretty sweet!

That's what Team Tim's Tree Service bagged for catching and releasing a 7 1/2 feet Hammerhead at the Are You Man Enough Shark challenge this week in Fort Myers. And they could have earned themselves another ten grand by catching one of the previously tagged five Sharks.
To me, that should be plenty of incentive for keeping this format in the future - and hopefully, for getting rid of the horrible name in the process!

Compare that to the measly 250 bucks for landing the biggest of many dead Sharks in Destin, and it should be pretty obvious what they guys over there ought to do.

Yes, as WhySharksMatter said, the victory in Fort Myers has indeed been the result of clever and respectful Shark Conservation - but let there be no doubt that threatening to disrupt proceedings via a vocal Conservation rally played an important role as well!

That's also the message to Devin: evolve, and everybody will be happy to work with you in order to find attractive alternatives - or else!

Talking of which, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has scheduled a series of public workshops this month to receive comments on the management of sharks, including possible changes to Shark bag and size limits, the prohibited Shark species list, and Shark landing requirements and gear rules.

Would be great if this could be turned into an ethical debate, as in stopping the despicable slaughter of pregnant females. No reason why the fishermen shouldn't follow the lead of the hunters - or is there?

Time for IGFA to show some leadership!

Abomination 3.0

From the South Florida Shark Club's Triple Crown site

Sometimes, I'm just simply speechless.

Like when I was copied on this letter.
To his credit, Vice-Mayor Eliopoulos has already answered that he is concerned and will look into the matter.

Dear Vice-Mayor Eliopoulos,
There is a very disturbing issue concerning Delray Beach which I would like to bring to your attention.

A local shark fishing club has been chumming and fishing for sharks right on our main beach in Delray, and is now aggressively promoting this activity and recruiting new members.

While drinking and fishing may be legal and fun to them it is cruel to the animals and dangerous to Delray's citizens and tourists. This group claims to promote catch and release fishing, which may sound relatively harmless, but based on the discussions in their forum (as well as their recipe section) and the pictures on their website, this is not the case.

First of all they are chumming or using bait (sometimes smaller sharks that they've caught are used as bait for larger sharks) to lure the sharks close to shore. Once hooked the sharks are fighting for their lives and are landed exhausted from their survival attempts. After these fishermen have looked at the shark, high-fived everybody in sight and taken some pictures, they attempt to push, pull and roll the injured sharks back into the water.

Potential outcomes that we as Delray residents should be concerned about:

1. These fishermen are throwing chum -- fish heads and chopped up fish into the swimming area on Delray Beach. While snorkeling looking for shells on Sunday, one of us saw several large fish heads in three feet of water and chopped up fish pieces floating on the surface. A passerby on the beach told her that he'd just seen some guys throwing the bait into the water. Aside from the obvious problem that this bait is intended to attract sharks into the swimming area, it is smelly and disgusting! Not what you want to see when you're taking a nice swim or looking for shells!

2. Dead sharks will end up washed ashore by morning. This has already happened on Delray Beach. We have seen dead sharks on the beach while taking a morning walk.

3. Exhausted and injured sharks may be eaten by other larger sharks. As sharks are opportunistic hunters, larger sharks will be attracted to feed on the weak and injured sharks that have been released back into the water. These larger sharks will come to recognize that Delray Beach is a good place to visit for an easy meal. Large sharks coming into the shallow water on Delray Beach looking for the dead and injured sharks that are the aftermath of the previous evening's fishing party is certainly not the type of shark behavior we should encourage.

4. During the struggles between injured sharks that are fighting for for their lives and [inebriated] fishermen trying to return the sharks to the ocean, the chances of someone being bitten are almost inevitable.

5. Some of the injured sharks will not have the strength to swim far away and will be hanging around in the shallow water. Sharks normally go out of their way to avoid people, but a desperate, injured animal can be dangerous to unsuspecting to swimmers.

Are these the types of images of Delray Beach that we want to portray to our citizens or tourists?
We do not want or need the negative press that will surely ensue when a beach goer is bitten while enjoying our waters. Even a scratch or small bite by a shark makes the news as a"Shark Attack".

These fishermen are actively recruiting new members, which will bring more fishermen and sharks to our waters and more bloody sharks onto our beaches. Having bloody sharks on the beach is again, not an image that Delray Beach wants to promote. Newspapers and TV stations will get wind of these developments and will display these horrific images to their viewers and readers.

As you know, Delray Beach is a coastal tourist community that depends on the ocean and the life in it. It is an outrage that we would allow such blatant disregard and disrespect for our coastal environment. The shark fishing activity that this club is promoting paints a very ugly picture of Delray Beach, is potentially dangerous to our residents and tourists and is just all around a bad idea.

Other reasons why allowing this activity to continue in Delray Beach is a bad idea:

1. Sharks are seriously threatened due to overfishing:
* Over 150 shark species are on the IUCN list of endangered species. Nineteen shark species are prohibited under Florida law. It's clear from our conversations with members of this club that these fishermen are not able to identify the shark species they're catching, nor do they care.
* Populations of many shark species have been reduced by over 90% in the past 30 years (over 100 million killed per year worldwide -- mostly for shark fin soup).
* 80-90% of all shark populations just in the Atlantic have been reduced to levels that scientists believe can never recover.
* As apex predators, sharks are absolutely vital to the ocean's ecosystem -- they maintain the balance in the oceans. Without sharks the oceans die.

2. Shark meat is highly contaminated with mercury and other toxins, yet this group is promoting consumption of shark meat and even have recipes posted on their website. The 2008 publication titled "Your Guide to Eating Fish Caught in Florida" says the following with regard to sharks (page 21):
For all Florida coastal waters, all shark species:
* Sharks less than 43 inches
- Women of child bearing age and young children - DO NOT EAT
- Everyone else - Limit to one serving per month
*Sharks 43 inches or more
- Women of child bearing age and young children - DO NOT EAT
- Everyone else - DO NOT EAT
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/medicine/fishconsumptionadvisories/fish_eating_guide_eng.pdf

3. Monday June 8th is World Ocean's Day.
At this time more than ever we need to promote and share the beauty of our ocean environment and educate young people about the importance of respecting and saving these vital resources.

Delray Beach is wonderful, beautiful and vibrant community.
We love living here and greatly appreciate all the hard work that you and your colleagues have done to make Delray a great place to live and visit. We want to keep it that way and we're sure that you do too! This is why we are urging you to institute a ban on shark fishing on Delray's Beaches as quickly as possible.

Thank you for you attention to this matter.
Please feel free to contact us anytime.
Sincerely,

Bless the author for having been eloquent, extremely well documented, convincing and polite. This is pretty much the case in point for what we said a while ago - just much much more intelligent and better presented!

And what's going on is much much worse and obscene than I could have ever imagined! I didn't know that people like that even existed!
More disgraceful pics of the drunken mob parading the Sharks if you go through the forums in the above website.
Shocking!

Abomination 2.0

250 bucks!

That's the weekly prize for killing the biggest Shark in Destin's month-long Fishing Rodeo.

The reasoning behind the new division is “to get more people fishing in Destin,” said Rodeo Executive Director Helen Donaldson.
With the lack of red snapper on the boards for the Rodeo, due to the closure of the fishery as of Aug. 15, the new category was birthed.
“We were just looking for a way we can help the charter boats,” said Rodeo board member Tim Broom. “And not having the red snapper, we needed something else to fish for that will draw excitement. “And a shark on the docks creates more excitement than any other fish,” Broom said.
“I think it will be a good time,” said Capt. Bud Miller, a Rodeo board member and captain of the Melanie Dawn. “And I think it will draw a big crowd when the Rodeo needs one,” he said. “You’ve heard it said, ‘People will step over a 1,000 pound blue marlin to see a 200 pound shark,’ — and they will,” Miller said.
Lemon and nurse shark are not eligible as well as any other shark that is state or federally protected.
However, shark that are open game are Bull, Mako, Hammerhead and Tiger to name a few.

Just great!
Thing is, they should know better. Apparently, this particular Shark killing event had already been discontinued due to the lobbying by one Gail Powell. But the local Chamber of Commerce, in their wisdom, think otherwise.

"I think the national spotlight is a good thing," said Shane Moody, president/CEO of the Destin Chamber of Commerce. "These people who threaten protests, were they in Pensacola when they had their shark tournament? Why are they singling out Destin?"

Indeed, why?
Did I say because yer a bunch of Shark murdering morons? Of course not!

Looks like another chance for the good folks from the Shark Safe Project to capitalize on their recent success in Ft. Myers - this time aided by a local Shark conservationist. Yes, like a prominent Shark person just wrote, Here we go again!! Its like pigs in a sac -get one and another jumps out!!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Shark conservation!

Change is in the Air

1917 - and very likely pregnant!

Bless the folks of the St. Petersburg Times!

Following the umpteenth killing of a big pregnant mother Shark by some white trash in Florida, they went out to collect the public's reactions and came up with this astonishing and highly welcome article. How cool is that!

Coming on the wake of the launching of the Shark-Free Marina Initiative and the resounding victory of the guys from the Shark Safe Project in Ft. Myers, it appears to signal a shift away from the tired old and deadly preconceptions and towards a more enlightened view of Sharks and their role in the Oceans, at least in that nick of the world.
Finally! Let's hope it lasts!

Wouldn't this be a fantastic opportunity for some smart and forward-thinking politician to step up and promote a pro-Shark agenda? And prove that not all of them are opportunistic bottom-feeders like Gene Ward?

Fingers crossed!

Ethics should not need to be regulated

Amen to that!

Sharky of The Chum Slick has written this great post about the recent killings of Sharks by sport fishermen. And let's not forget Mr. Donlon's abomination in Ft. Myers!

What is particularly riling is that in order to book themselves an IGFA record, they specifically target the largest individuals - and those are invariably pregnant females, i.e. the very breeding stock that would deserve special protection, and not persecution. To compound the problem, they are very easyly caught as they turn up at predictable times in the coastal Shark nurseries.

How does it feel to kill a pregnant mother and dozens of babies? Or to sit in a bikini on the corpse of a threatened animal?
So much for IGFA's "sportsmanship" and proclaimed conservation efforts - and I'll leave it at that.

Luckily, some are bucking the trend.
Very shortly, I'll be able to tell you about a great initiative that aims at protecting Sharks by working organically with the sport fishing community.
Keep watching this space!

Real Men 3.0

Finally, somebody is doing something!

From Oceanic Dreams:

Are You Man Enough Shark Challenge

I am not kidding - this is the name of a shark fishing tournament that is taking place this June 6 - 7, 2009 in Ft. Myers, Florida. The people over at Shark Safe Project are organizing a demonstration after several attempts to have the format of the tournament changed to catch & release without any luck.
The Protest Demonstration will be held May 23 and 24 2009 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Participants will meet at View Map Lynn Hall Park at 11:00 AM. Please bring a sign or banner to get your message out. Please come and support the cause... For more information regarding Shark Safe Project go to http://sharksafe.blogspot.com

More about this abomination here and here - yes i get carried away when I see that kind of Shit!

And a whole lotta sense here.
Kudos to Sharksafe and its anonymous instigator (you'd be surprised!).

Shark killing Shenaningans - revisited

From The Chum Slick, June 9, 2008.

Long Island Cares Inc.--The Harry Chapin Food Bank, said it will no longer accept the 6,000 pounds of Shark meat it has received annually from Long Island Shark tournaments.

"We made a decision not to be a beneficiary [of the donated meat] because of the potential risk to women and children and the potentially inhumane way in capturing these fish. So we believe we are doing the right thing," said Paule Pachter, executive director of the Hauppauge-based, non-profit anti-hunger organization.

[Source]

This is a big deal because some Shark fishing tournaments have long been hiding behind food bank charity giving as a defense to justify their decadent and cruel bloodsport. While Shark fishing tournaments are not the biggest killer of Sharks, so many of the species targeted by Shark tournaments are critically endangered--particularly Mako, Probeagle, Thresher, and Blue Sharks. This is not Shark killing on a commercial scale, but it is still completely unnecessary Shark killing.

On the "people" level, the largest recipients of the donated Shark meat from food banks are pregnant women and children. Pregnant women and children are precisely the populations at risk of mercury poisoning from eating Shark meat. Large Shark fishing tournaments often give out hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money. If the organizers of these tournaments were so concerned with feeding the poor they wouldn't need to kill Sharks to do it.

Same-same for this year's abomination in Ft. Myers.
People in the know tell me that contrary to Mr. Donlon's lies assurances, the Salvation Army want nothing to do with meat from unethically killed and potentially contaminated Shark carcasses.
Actually, it appears that they have already turned it down last year!
"Thrilled" my ass!

But of course, Real Men (and their wives!) know that when it comes to killing, a little bending of the truth is perfectly acceptable and should never be an excuse for not doing the right thing! And let there be no doubt that Jack is a Real Man!
E-mail is Sharkchallenge@aol.com and Sharkchallenge@aim.com.
I'm sure he's gonna be delighted at receiving some fan mail!

To Kill or not to Kill

Nomen is not always Omen.

Case in point: Ed Killer who runs a weekly fishing newsletter in the TCPalm.

Three weeks ago, he published a piece with the same title that touches on two recent posts of mine: the one dealing with Jack Donlon's abominable Shark Monster tournament; and Animal Planet's despicable portrayal of Bull Sharks.

Kudos to a sports fisherman for having come up with an unbiased and nuanced description of the current debate - and with an equally impartial description of Bull Sharks! If all his peers were like him, we could surely find some common ground for taking this issue forward.
Again, well done!

Despicable!

Some morons have killed a Tiger Shark.

That in itself is certainly sad - but shit happens and it may have been in perceived self-defense.
Not very likely considering the "circumstances" as told - but possible.

What has really angered me and countless others within the Shark Community is the ensuing media spectacle: and lemme tell you, when the story even makes it onto the venerable "Fiji Times", someone has pulled every possible marketing stop!

In retrospect and with that in mind, the whole event appears staged and questions like "why didn't they jump into their boat and leave" or " wouldn't the Shark have left once shot for the first time" are more than justified, along with ethical concerns about the countless pictures of the diver stabbing the animal with his knife and then posing with the tail and jaws. The way I understand it, it goes against everything serious free divers stand for, and that is a profound knowledge and respect for the Ocean.

Patric over there has addressed the whole shenanigans first in this post and then, in this op ed.
The latter is as good as is gets, well worth reading and reflecting about - and you may want to read the comments by many prominent advocates of Shark Conservation.
Bravo Patric!

Saving the Bahamas Tigers

There has been a lot of brouhaha about a series of images depicting the killing and butchering of a pregnant Tiger Shark in the Bahamas. Here they are.
I'm obviously outraged and saddened.

Several Shark Diving blogs have posted them along with scathing comments and much energy has been invested in trying to ferret out the perpetrators. So far, it seems, they haven't been identified, nor the exact location and circumstances of this despicable act.

Question is: then what?
Are we going to inundate them with hate mail once we know who they are? Write more blog posts? Contact the mainstream media? Launch petitions?
And if so, is that going to make them behave differently in the future? Is that going to save a single Shark? And even if the answer is yes, would that be the most effective way to channel our frustration?

Thing is, people like that think that we're just a bunch of whackos anyway and could not care less about our opinion.
And why should they. What they do is perfectly legal and "Sport" Fishing has a following numbering in the millions and disposes of a well-organized and powerful lobby that will easily dispose of such a minor inconvenience.
It is also very good business for many Island Nations, one of them being the Bahamas.

Wanna see what those people are really capable of?
I pulled the above pic from the image gallery of Mark "The Shark" Quartiano, a mega-asshole and VIP favorite operating out of not some oscure Third World Country, but Florida, USA. A guy like that doesn't even get nailed when he kills protected species, like the Bigeye Thresher depicted. There are 1073 pictures, 90 pages of murdered Sharks - and this by just one man and one boat!

Keeping that in mind, do you really believe that our outrage and let's face it, our hopelessly incestuous blogging, petitioning and clamoring is going to make any difference at all?
Hardly - unless we take it to the next level.
But if we do, I'm convinced that we do in fact have an excellent chance for success.

No, not in having recreational Shark Fishing banned in general, that would just be delusional.
What we need to do is to heed this as a wake-up call that something has to happen. When it comes to the Tiger Sharks in the Bahamas, I believe that we should stop whining and instead focus our energy on making a real contribution to Conservation, and that right where it really matters to us. As Shark Diver (yes them again..) correctly remarks, now is the time for action and not only words.

Here's what I believe can be done.
Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm by no means an expert in Bahamian diving and have no clue of the "politics" and the like - but the impression I get is this.

We all know about the uniqueness and popularity of Tiger Beach.
It has been featured "everywhere" and has become one of the world's safest, most reliable and most widely published hotspots for diving with macro Sharks. Everybody who has been there raves about it and it is consequently attracting more and more tourists, film crews and scientists, to the point that bookings have now to be made months in advance - and this despite of an increase of dive Operators targeting that site. It is safe to assume that all of this it is very good business indeed.

On the negative side, lacking any established user protocols, there is an incipient issue of overcrowding. Some documented incidents show a trend towards ever more reckless, and thus dangerous interactions with the Sharks. There is a bitter ongoing feud between the Bahamian dive Operators and those Operators visiting the site from the US. There's another feud between "established" Operators and perceived interlopers. The site's notoriety is also increasingly attracting Shark fishermen who can legally target the animals.

I've said it before, if one disregards the feuds, politics and history, the crux of the problem is that Tiger Beach is not being protected.
Now, wouldn't that be a wonderful opportunity and challenge for somebody? To make a real difference?
Do I hear "Petition", "Ethics", "Image", "Public Opinion" and the like?
C'mon guys - get serious.

In Banking, we have a saying that Money talks, Bullshit walks.
The Bahamas are a poor Island Nation which is desperately dependent on Tourism income. Which begs the question, how much do the Bahamas get from the Shark Tourism to Tiger Beach?
In licensing fees from the Operators? Directly from the Divers? In ancillary revenues by the Tourism Industry as in flights, meals, accomodation, souvenirs, duty free sales, gambling etc etc? In terms of local employment? In berthing fees, fuel sales, shipyard business?

And how much income do the Bahamas derive from the Sport Fishing business?
Get the gist?

Thing is, it doesn't have to be that way.
Think about e.g Cocos or the Galapagos - and the solution could be this.

• Tiger Beach is declared a Marine Sanctuary - and thus fishing there is being outlawed
• there is a code of conduct and access is being regulated
• any Operator wanting to work there will need to obtain and pay for an according license that can be revoked if he infringes on the regulations
  
• when a vessel operates there, there is a daily park fee for the vessel and each of the customers
• ideally, that money is being used for enforcement, along with the obligation, and authority of each Operator to be of assistance

Is there anybody over there in the Bahamas or in the neighboring US who would like to step up to the plate and get the job done? As in, talking to the Bahamian Authorities and having it implemented?

But, I hear you ask, isn't that a mission for somebody "important", a powerful NGO or the like? Hell No! Anybody can do it!

Me, a nobody, did something very similar all by myself in Fiji, and then expanded on the concept with the help of BAD that was created for just that purpose. And I'm proud to report that others are now proudly reporting our achievements!
But I'm digressing. Shame on me.

Back to the Bahamas.
Run the math and you'll see that it's a compelling case, an easy sell.
It's not like you would be asking for some wide-ranging legislation, or the like. In the big scheme of things, Tiger Beach is nothing but a small speck in the middle of nowhere and you would be providing the Authorities with a viable concept, incremental income, good publicity, even the formula for enforcement!
Why would they ever say no? For them, there's only upside!

Will it be tedious, difficult and controversial? Not really!
Will the Operators gnash their teeth and try to convince us that such a measure would mean the demise of the business they run? Sure they will - but, does Cocos work? And the Galapagos? I mean, business-wise? The fact is, Clients love to pay for Conservation and most of the incremental costs could easily be passed on to them. Will their numbers dwindle because of that increase in price? Certainly not!
Granted, the "code of conduct" may deter some of the more "demanding" Clients - but how much of the target customer base would that really be? Provided that the ever-present Huggers don't get the upper hand when formulating the rules (and we can pre-empt that by proposing those rules ourselves), I can very well imagine a set of protocols that would improve on safety whilst still offering a great experience to the Clients. Isn't that what we should be striving for anyway? Wouldn't it be fair to anticipate that a protected site featuring more "orderly" protocols may even attract more Clients?

Makes sense? Any takers?

Hell, it's such a no-brainer that I might even decide to do it myself!
Just imagine the huge blow to the egos , and the reputation of the concerned Operators, Shark lovers and Shark user groups if some loudmouthed bozo from the South Pacific parachuted in and managed to pull this off right in their own back yard!
And if he then would publicly flaunt them for not having protected their own Sharks due to their laziness, narrow-mindedness and petty bickering. After having been shown how to do it!

Because, believe me - and if you don't, go ask my friends: that's exactly what I would do!
And that's a Promise!

Busted!!!

Say "See Ya Later" To Another Big Beautiful Shark (yes this is a link)

Well well...

A nip at New Smyrna Beach helps Volusia County break its own record by reporting its 23rd Shark bite for 2008.
And in Islamorada, a heroic owner rescues his dog from the maws of a Lemon Shark, thus un-busting one of Mythbusters' busts!

So what, I hear you say.

The "what" is that both locations are in the State of Florida.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but that would be the very same State of Florida that decided to enact a Shark feeding ban in 2002, thus putting a grand total of three or so operators out of their unholy business - this of course for the benefit of the poor harassed wildlife and for the safety of the public (and pets!) at large - Right?
Yes, Florida, home to the people who gloated and felt "vindicated" when tragedy struck in the Bahamas!

And yet, it appears, the numbers aint dropping!
And how about Hawaii, the second State to pass such groundbreaking and "eco-friendly" laws?
Thought so...

So, what's going on?
Who are those people that continue to attract the Sharks to the beaches by throwing in bait and chumming the waters?

Might those be the very same guys who lobbied to have the Shark feeding ban enacted in the first place? And their trigger-happy brethren?

The same people whose "game" Association endorses the killing of Sharks for "sport, fun and relaxation", including a "Royal Slam" for the successful demise of nine species? And "Monster Tournaments" aimed at wiping out the last breeding stocks? The same people who fill websites with detailed instructions about how to mix up a batch of rubby dubby, or chum in order to motivate their prey to come inshore?

Yes, to lure them Inshore! As in "Shell bars, grassflats, jetties, inshore cuts and channels, mangrove and grassy points, docks and rocks, ledge dropoffs and similar fishy locations"!

So much for Myth versus Reality, eh?
Busted!!!

Bahamas - Shark Free Marinas!

The guys of Shark Diver have started an initiative.

Here's what they write (and don't miss the ensuing interesting discussion thread right here!):

"We have decided to act.
The Government of the Bahamas allows sport fishing for sharks and we fully support sustainable catch-and-release fisheries. However, the taking of gravid female sharks for a one-time photo op and a set of jaws is a senseless waste of a valuable resource.

The Shark-Free Marinas Initiative is a way to work with existing resort marinas in the Bahamas that cater to sport fishing vessels, seeking their cooperation in asking them not to allow sharks to be taken and displayed at their marinas. This initiative, in turn, encourages the use of catch-and-release programs and promotes sustainable fisheries.

Each marina and resort that supports this initiative will receive both, a metal sign and logo we have created to post in their marina office and the following information for posting on their marina websites:

(Name of resort and marina) supports the Shark-Free Marinas Initiative in the Bahamas region. The Bahamas is home to many shark species and the healthy reef systems that support these sharks. We feel the one-time harvesting of sharks for photo images or souvenir jaws is not in the best interests of the Bahamian people or Bahamian tourism.

Worldwide, sharks are being decimated for fins and jaws at a completely unsustainable rate. An estimated 60 million sharks per year are taken in this manner. By asking vessels not to arrive at our facilities with sharks, we hope to encourage responsible sport fishing, thereby ensuring a lasting and healthy population of sharks in Bahamian waters for future generations and contributing to the overall health of the Caribbean.

Please practice catch-and-release with all sharks and enjoy our facilities.

Welcome to the Bahamas.

Editors Note (this being Shark Diver...): This initiative is not only limited to the Bahamas and the several marinas who have expressed an interest in joining it (press release to follow). As a concept we will allow and help promote any organization or group to use this logo to enact their own regional Shark-Free Marinas. In places like Florida and the East coast this could conceivably help redirect shark kills and weigh ins. It offers the opportunity for marinas to claim the "Green Card" while at the same time redirecting fishermen into sustainable fisheries. Special thanks to Richard Theiss RTSea Productions."

This Editor says: Well done!!!
This is thinking outside of the box at its very best. It creates a win-win situation by promoting a feel-good, green label that could motivate the Marinas to participate in view of the likely positive publicity this would bring about. If one could quickly reach critical mass, it is safe to assume that other Marinas will be compelled to follow suit, if only to avoid becoming the odd man out.

Which begs the question, will the Bahamas Dive Association support this initiative and declare all of their Marinas off-bounds for landed Sharks? Will they be at the forefront in trying to convince other Marinas to join in?
After all, one would assume that those Dive Operators operate Marinas where fishing plays, if at all, only a secondary role. Instead, they cater to divers who are generally very receptive to Conservation. Their joining would thus be virtually "risk free", without putting any of their principal business at jeopardy but instead, with the benefit of earning plenty of brownie points from their customers.

After the infamous and embarrassing weighing-in of their President during the Bahamas Shark Incident controversy (and I spare you the link), they find themselves long on words and short on action.
Or have they bothered to pick up the ball when, once again, Shark Diver proposed to have Tiger Beach declared a protected area?
Yeah, right.

Guys, the world is watching...

And for you out there that may want to do some "prodding": here are the land-based ops, and here, the liveaboards - e-mail and all!

The Shark Killers

If you believe that the Shark fishing, and finning fleets come from the "bad" Asian countries Japan, China and Taiwan, think again!

After having cleaned out the North Atlantic stocks, none other than the European Union is reaping and pillaging far from home all across the World's Oceans.

"The European Union includes some of the most important Shark fishing nations in the World. In 2005, European nations caught nearly 100,000 metric Tons of Elasmobranches (including Sharks, Rays and Sawfishes). Spain took the largest share at 39% of the EU total, followed by France (22%), Portugal (16%) and the UK (11%)."

Just in case you've missed it: that's one hundred thousand Tons or one hundred million Kilos!!!!

"Sharks were usually considered as bycatch in fisheries for highly migratory species like Tuna, Bonito and Swordfish.
This report shows that Sharks are the main targeted species of more than 200 efficient European longliners operating all over the world's oceans. Each vessel is free to catch as many Sharks as it can. European Union Member State fleets take advantage of this opportunity in European waters and in waters around the globe - fishing for economically valuable species in high demand and without the requirement to respect any kind of management measures that limit the catches.

The Spanish and Portuguese longliner fleets are fishing for Sharks in all of the world's oceans: on the high seas, outside domestic Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and even in the EEZs of some of the poorest countries in the world under so-called bilateral fishing agreements with third countries. "

And then comes a long and frustrating list of the countries that have been suckered into signing those deals. Has development aid payed a role in making them more "responsive"?
You bet it has!

All of this from Oceana's "Hunted for Fins", another chilling review of what's going on out there.
There is also "Fishy Business" for those wishing more facts.
And you can also read this short executive-summary-like synopsis.

As a Brit operating in precisely one of those fragile countries, I'm appalled and ashamed.

But surprised? As a European, not really.
We all know all too well what's going on in Brussels, the EUs headquarters.
A "Parliament" that is a repository of politicians that are either unsuccessful or unwanted in their home countries and where "democracy" is a travesty of Zimbawean proportions. An inflated Bureaucracy and Commission where allegations of inefficiency, corruption, mismanagement and illegal appropriation of funds are rife - but never adequately investigated and even less, prosecuted. As always, lacking adequate supervision, Greed and Stupidity reign supreme! Sound familiar?
No wonder if that spawns a fertile operating ground for lobbyists and no wonder if the bureaucrats that get parachuted into the EU's foreign missions are of the very same breed, small fry by European standards but over here, highly courted big honchos with big mansions, big cars, big mouths, big and poorly audited pockets and an equal risk of both corrupting and being corrupted.
Yes, I'm really not surprised!

I say: EU, shame on you!