A non-binding measure which called for increased transparency in the shark trade and more research into the threat of illegal shark fishing failed to pass at the U.N. wildlife trade meeting
Shark Savers and WildAid are collaborating on a multi-media campaign in China targeting the consumers of shark fin soup by putting up billboards in China that feature Yao Ming
The Shark Trust marks European Shark Week 2009 by heralding a UK decision to lead in the battle against shark “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea) with a complete...
As underwater photographers, we travel far and wide for the privilege of unique encounters with marine life. When the encounters and conditions all come together, we sometimes even have the...
Conservationists fear a falling shark population is prompting Asian chefs to look for manta and devil rays to help meet the voracious demand for shark fin soup
"Not On Our Menu" is a superbly produced anti-shark finning video, which urges people to sign a petition, which will be presenting to the United Nations Secretary General on world's Ocean Day June 8th
The largest shark fishing country in Europe is in agreement with Oceana on three groundbreaking conservation matters. The upcoming EU Action Plan for Sharks should improve their conservation in Europe
China's largest shopping site Alibaba.com has announced they will cease all shark fin trading and sales in all their companies including Taobao.com as of January 1st, 2009
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is pleased to announce the hiring of a criminal investigator with impeccable credentials to head up its investigations into international illegal activities...
Thank you to Shara Teter from the New York Underwater Photographic Society for heading up to Martha's Vineyard to cover the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament
This is from an email that I just sent to Disney's investor relations department. I am now publicly posting it as a letter to Bob Iger and the board of directors at The Walt Disney Company. Are you...
NOAA's Fisheries Service today announced a new rule to lower significantly the fishing quotas for sandbar and porbeagle sharks in order to rebuild these depleted species. NOAA also will implement...
The Shark Conservation Act of 2008, passed today by the US Congress should strengthen a U.S. ban on shark finning, improve shark fisheries data, and encourage international shark conservation
To support conservation efforts, one of Singapore's upcoming integrated resorts - Resorts World at Sentosa - said it would not be offering shark's fin on its menu when it opens in 2010.
Scientists fear Indonesian fishermen hunting whale sharks are responsible for a 40 per cent drop in numbers along the Ningaloo Reef in the past 10 years
During a time when "Australia links organized crime to illegal fishing", the Queensland, Australia Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries is creating a dedicated shark fishery of their own.
Shark's fin consumption more than doubled in Singapore last year from 2006, with demand driven by an economic boom and an increase in wedding celebrations, a report said Saturday
Peter Benchley Shark Conservation Awards to honor the memory of the late Peter Benchley, and spotlight those who are working internationally to protect sharks as valuable ocean resources.
Westchester County in New York may potentially be the first county in the entire US to enact a ban on shark fins and shark products. It is vital that we show support for this cause. Help set a...
The increasing international demand for shark meat and shark fins, which is pushing some species towards extinction, has caught marine scientists and managers by surprise, says one of Cape Town's...
Over-fishing and demand for shark fins, an expensive delicacy, have pushed one of the world's iconic animals towards the brink of extinction, say experts
Populations of tiger, bull, dusky and other sea sharks have plummeted by more than 95 percent since the 1970s as fisherman kill the animals for their fins or when they scoop other fish from the ocean
In December a New Zealand Department of Conservation ranger came across a gruesome find in the Marlborough Sounds: the bloodied carcasses of 30 sand sharks whose fins had been cut off by commercial...
Humane Society International and other conservationists applaud the U.N. General Assembly for its decision to enhance the conservation of sharks throughout the world
The Shark Alliance is welcoming the release of the European Commission's consultation document for a Community Plan of Action (CPOA) for Sharks, which, at long last, addresses the plight of sharks...
Sharks are more spread out in the winter waters of the Gulf of Mexico, so the 24-hour expedition was a gamble.
The team of scientists set out on a boat with four satellite transmitter tags in...
An environmental group is urging companies to drop shark fin from their banquet menus as demand rises in the booming economy ahead of the holiday hospitality season, a media report said Tuesday
This month, the Shark Alliance is welcoming a suite of opportunities to secure a brighter future for beleaguered shark species, particularly those within Europe. Through deliberation of EU...
To create awareness to the worldside shark-finning problem, the Protect the Sharks Foundation has created the International Shark Photo Exposition (ISPE).
Sharks are particularly vulnerable to...
Just a quick update from the road ... After a week of rain and foul weather, the sky finally cleared up and we hit the water. As we continue our exploration of the unknown reefs and marine...
At the urging of the Department of State-led U.S. delegation to the United Nations, member states last week agreed to strengthen protections for vulnerable and endangered shark populations around...
A Japanese company is launching fake shark fins in China, hoping to tap a market as prices for real ones rise amid concerns the species is being hunted to extinction.
Shark fin is considered one...
Dear Ms. Decker,
It baffles me that a company worth billions of dollars would use its wealth to help destroy our oceans. Your investment in the Chinese company Alibaba has dramatically...
New York really does have a rejuvenated diver scene these days, thanks in large part to Ocean Blue Divers, the one year old dive club that boasts nearly 1,000 members, and the host of a lovely...
New York really does have a rejuvenated diver scene these days, thanks in large part to OceanBlue Divers, the one year old dive club that boasts nearly 1,000 members, and the host of a lovely...
MarineBio partner the Guadalupe Island Conservation Fund has been working hard to get Yahoo! and its sister company Alibaba.com to stop selling thousands of tons of dried shark fins through their...
This blog post is from the Alliance Diving Blog, via Dermot Keane, GM of Samus Tours and Founder of the Palau Shark Sanctuary, Palau Micronesia...
Just last week around August 15, yet another...
A joint Australian-funded operation between Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and the U.S. Navy has intercepted a tuna long-liner within Palauus economic zone waters loaded with illegal shark...
Humans kill something like 100 million sharks annually. More humans are killed annually by dogs and by falling coconuts than are killed by sharks. At such levels, humanity will certainly survive...
Federal fisheries officials are taking additional steps to protect sandbar sharks.
A new rule would ban the recreational harvest of sandbar sharks - recognizable by their long pectoral fins -...
A dramatic increase in shark fishing, fuelled by the lucrative shark fin market, is threatening already endangered species along the NSW coast.
Long-line fishing methods used by shark fishermen...
Sign a Petition to Reinstate the Shark Fin Ban in Ecuador. Last week we ran a story from The Guardian (UK): Hundreds of sharks have been slaughtered daily off the coast of Ecuador since a ban on...
Hundreds of sharks have been slaughtered daily off the coast of Ecuador since a ban on the sale of fins was lifted last week, prompting warnings of ecological disaster.
Fishing boats have returned...
President Rafael Correa said Saturday he has ordered a U.S. environmental activist deported from Ecuador for allegedly violating national sovereignty by taking part in a police seizure of two tons...
Police have seized about two tonnes of shark fins illegally fished in the days before a widely criticized presidential decree allowing the sale of fins if the sharks - some of them threatened...
Ever since Jaws debuted in 1975, Americans have been obsessed with sharks. And for the past 20 years, the Discovery Channel has been capitalizing on both our love and fear of the underwater...
Nikki Wernke hoped her shark tale would end happily.
The Dubuque resident created an on-line petition in June, asking Da Vinci's restaurant to cease serving a meal that included a threatened...
Ecuador's president overturned a ban on the sale of shark fins, which are popular in Asia, but stipulated they can only be sold if the sharks are caught by fishermen accidentally.
In a...
As shark populations plummet worldwide, Marine Reserves are the new target of illegal fisheries. Many of the world's marine protected areas, such as the Galapagos Islands and Cocos Islands, are...
A conservation group has warned that sharks could be extinct within a generation unless people lose their appetite for shark fin soup, Reuters reports.
WildAid today called on the Chinese...
Members of the International SHARK - L Discussion List have recently got together to write the following letter to Discovery Network regarding Shark Week programming.
If you feel that you agree...
We're here on Tioman Island for the kick off of the Tioman Mega Dive. Unfortunately, we're not going to be diving for more than two days while out here, but we're having a great time and enjoying...
Is that 180 bowl of shark fin soup really worth its eco-cost?
Did you know that this Saturday, July 14th, is official Shark Awareness Day? Much as we love to hate this fearsome predator of the...
In recent but more barbaric times, sharks caught as a by-catch of a tuna haul had their dorsal fins sliced off and were dumped back into the sea for a slow and agonizing death.
While the fins...
Another day of touring around the unique sites of Malaysia...
Far too often we use these international travel hubs, such as KL, merely as stop-over on the way to a dive destination. I highly...
An initiated global correspondence toward issue recognition, situational awareness and public information regarding biological destruction of sharks and related or associated species and systems....
"In recent weeks a fishing boat has been coming into Speyside in Tobago and shark fishing off little Tobago. This kind of targeted fishing is indiscriminate. They are catching sharks of all...
Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science said the presence of sharks in the state's coastal waters should not surprise or alarm people.
Dean Grubbs, a researcher at VIMS, directs...
NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have joined forces to expand their ability to analyze dried shark fins and identify the species from which they were removed. This new partnership will...
A Letter from Rob Stewart, Director of SHARKWATER
Help us convince Canada, New Zealand and United States to save two species of sharks.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered...
Sharks get a bad rap in the media, often portrayed as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters. But there's a profound change going on in the world's oceans, as sharks go from predator to prey.
It's...
Porter Erison and Cristina Spindler are the marketing and PR-executives of Alibaba.com - this is what I wrote to them today:
Dear Porter, dear Cristina:
Toward the end of October 2006 I...
The Ocean Conservancy and Defenders of Wildlife have applauded the adoption of an international ban on shark finning by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
Finning - the...
MarViva is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that works jointly with local authorities and communities in order to protect the coastal and marine resources of the Eastern Tropical Pacific...
It's always interesting to glean a perspective of divers from different regions of the world. After all, we collectively share the same passion for diving and the underwater realm. The Asian dive...
There is growing public support in China for shark conservation measures, but little understanding of the role of shark finning in declining shark populations, reveals a survey by WildAid, an...
There is growing public support in China for the need to protect the world's dwindling shark population, but little understanding about the connection between conservation and shark finning,...
Fisheries should be banned from cutting fins off sharks while still at sea, to stem a dramatic decline in their populations, scientists and conservationists warned yesterday.
The move would close...
The European Union's shark finning regulations are hopelessly inadequate, allowing vast numbers of sharks to be killed, finned and dumped at sea in secret, a report by a conservation group said on...
hark from further population declines, a new study published in the current on-line edition of Animal Conservation reports that the world's second largest fish is still being killed for its...
Despite regulations by some countries to protect the behemoth basking shark from further population declines, a new study published in the current on-line edition of Animal Conservation reports...
The goblin shark (shown here) and the frill shark are two of the rarest and deepest dwelling of sharks. Only two of each species have been taken in North America EVER. That's why researcher Jose...
In August 1999, I was a 19-year-old photographer on assignment to photograph sharks in the Galapagos Islands. Instead of filming the creatures in all their majesty, I wound up releasing dying...
Personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) arrested 10 Vietnamese fishermen who were caught poaching within the Philippine waters off an island in Balabac, Palawan, aboard a...
I am grateful to Sara Valentin for bringing attention to yet another establishment which sees no wrong in offering shark-fin products to its customers (See Woo restaurant, Going Out, March 22)....
The following piece was written by Shawn Heinrichs, who won first place in the 2nd Annual Wetpixel & DivePhotoGuide International Underwater Photo & Video Competition at Our World...
Manila Restaurants Abolish Endangered Dishes. Shark fin Siomai. Turtle Soup. Chilean Sea Bass. Three of many dishes widely served in local and international restaurants. Delicious perhaps....
Shark's fin soup should be removed from the menu at Chinese official banquets to prevent damage to the country's image during the Olympic Games next year, according to a lawmaker Tuesday....
The U.S. Coast Guard seized a Mexican fishing boat carrying tons of shark and an undisclosed number of shark fins after the vessel was spotted Sunday allegedly poaching 11 miles inside U.S....
Marine environmental group Project AWARE foundation has appealed to the Yemeni government to take action against shark fishing, after it received reports about systematic shark slaughter taking...
Alibaba.com is one of the largest online traders of seafood and other products, especially shark fin - without regards to source or sustainability. The practice of shark finning, where a shark is...
In a surprising move, the Mexican government has recently published sweeping new regulations and protections for sharks, including a shark finning ban, an extension of the moratorium on new...
One of our underwater.com.au members alerted me to this story and yes there have been way to many crazt stories like this in the press lately.
Jo's words on this topic:
Many more similar...
LOOKING for that sumptuous dining experience as Chinese New Year approaches? TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, says that by avoiding or carefully sourcing certain foods, such as...
A family who boycotted their favourite Chinese restaurant because it served shark fin soup is celebrating after it was taken off the menu.
The Oxtoby family, who are keen scuba divers, made their...
Established in 1997, the Shark Trust promotes the study, management, and conservation of sharks, skates, and rays. Working through scientifically-supported campaigns, research, and education...
We have been following the developments and progress of the new Misool Eco Resort, which would be only the 2nd land based resort in the entire Raja Empat region. This update includes some images of...
Victory! Today, Amazon has pulled all shark fin related products from their offering. No official statement has yet been made by the company; however it appears that they have chosen the...
The ongoing saga continues with Alibaba.com supporting the destructive and cruel practice of shark finning.
Our friend, Michael Aw, a professional photographer from Australia, has posted the...
We mentioned last week that Amazon was carrying shark fin soup through third-party vendors Roland and Pacific Rim Gourmet. Amazon has since dropped Pacific Rim's product, but has continued to sell...
Alibaba.com, one of the largest online trading companies in the world, is offering shark related products mostly in the form of fins. In a recent newsletter published by the Shark Research...
Yesterday, after numerous complaints from DivePhotoGuide, Divester, Wetpixel, Fins, and other sites about their peddling shark fin soup, Amazon pulled the product from its pages. However,...
Local fisherman in Raja Ampat, Indonesia after a day or shark finning. Fins are drying on the deck while the bodies of juvenile black tips roll on the shallow reef below the boat. The fisherman...
Anti-drugs taskforce is fighting a new war against the irregular and growing trade in fins. A single bowl of some varieties of shark fin soup can sell for over $150 in top Chinese restaurants....
I read about this on one of the online forums. Let's do something about this one guys! Please email Amazon (ir@amazon.com and advantage@amazon.com) and explain how horrible this is - how sharks...
Populations of two shark species used for meat and consumed mainly in the European Union are on the verge of collapse, says WWF and TRAFFIC.
The international trade of porbeagle and spiny...
Southeast Asia's voracious appetite for shark fin soup may be contributing to a dramatic drop in the number of reef sharks in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a marine scientist says.
Dr Sean...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a $68,000 civil penalty and a 100-day permit sanction to the owner and operator of the fishing vessel Sea Angel for multiple...
A few days ago I came across this post by Doctor Mark Hyman touting the medicinal properties of food. During his recent trip to China, the doctor was "treated" to the "delicacy"...
The Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) decided recently to halt targeted fishing of vulnerable sharks in the Southern Ocean. France proposed...
When you think of sharks - you may think of magnificent ocean creatures that are sleek, fast, and invulnerable. But, sharks are in fact exceptionally vulnerable to fishing because they grow slowly...
Up to four times more sharks than previously thought are being slaughtered to fill the increasing demand for shark fin soup, scientists said on Wednesday.
They estimate that each year between 26...
Some chicken stock, a few mushrooms, chicken breast, scallions, a little sherry, oil, spices-shark fin soup is fairly easy to prepare. But to make soup for six, you'll also need about a pound (half...
A regional organisation for the protection of marine resources along the coastlines of Namibia, Angola and South Africa has banned shark finning.
It has also placed a moratorium on all fishing...
EUROPE'S shark finning laws - which it is claimed allow shark suffering and put many species in danger of extinction - must not be relaxed by Spanish MEPs this week, the Conservative fisheries team...
A new study by Miami's Pew Institute for Ocean Science shows that the number of sharks in the ocean is declining drastically thanks in part to the demand for shark fin soup.
The Pew Institute...
CONSERVATIONISTS are pointing to the importance of a vote in a week's time in the European Parliament on the tightening or weakening of the European regulation on shark finning.
The debate is set...
Starhub, one of Singapore's leading telecommunications, television and internet providers, recently sent out a promotional package which includes a seemingly contradictory message.
On the one...
The Pew Charitable Trusts has launched "Shark Alliance," an international coalition of non-government organizations dedicated to the science-based conservation of sharks. The "Shark...
Sharks face a grave risk of extinction because the ruling body on European fishing is attempting to weaken the restrictions on finning, conservationists say.
The Shark Alliance, which includes...
Launching a report today over the "dangerous decline" in shark populations caused they say by European fishing policy, the newly formed Shark Alliance expressed "dismay" at the...
CONSERVATION group Oceana is concerned that the European Parliament may support a proposal to encourage the illegal practice of shark finning in the European Union
The international marine...
An international marine conservation organisation is concerned for the welfare of sharks following the potential support of 'shark finning' within the European Union.
The marine conservation...
Federal enforcement agents spotted the suspicious bag while touring the building of a New York seafood dealer on a routine visit. Amid a half-ton of shark fins destined for Asia and the delicacy of...
A fish dealer has agreed to pay a $750,000 fine after admitting it bought shark meat without a federal permit and possessed fins from seven protected species.
In settling the case with the...
Another Indonesian fishing boat has been brought into Darwin Harbour after being caught operating in Australia's northern waters.
A Customs spokesman says the shark finning boat with seven crew...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation has assessed a $98,500 civil penalty and a 90-day permit sanction against the owners...
It was the catch of the day for two Indonesian fishermen, Muji and Kastan, when they hauled back a 500-kilogramme pregnant Tiger Shark to Jerudong shore from Champion 7...
Mexican marine biologist has discovered a new shark species in the murky depths of Mexico's Sea of Cortez, the first new shark find in the wildlife-rich inlet in 34 years...
A Western Australian Government research program is hoping to find out more about threatened species the whale shark.
The shark is targeted by Indonesian fisheries for its fins...
The regulatory authority of the Galapagos National Park suspended Celebrity Xpeditions from operating tours in the Galapagos Islands for two months as a consequence of an illegal shark-fishing...
Shark finning articles are becoming more mainstream. The NY Times has an article about shark fishing in Manta, Ecuador, a location I have been to and documented as well. It's a well-written...
To all involved in the battle against shark finning.
Mozambiquean colleagues of ours sent us yet again more disturbing images of finning taking place on an ongoing basis. We are getting similar...
The next advance in cameras is becoming a reality at the University of Rochester. Imaging chips revolutionized the photography industry, and now the chips themselves are being revolutionized. A...
A new Indonesian fleet of more than 400 speedboats is taking thousands of sharks from northern Australian waters, and is behind a recent upsurge in illegal fishing.
An Australian Government...
Late last week, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) adopted an international ban on shark finning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The lucrative market for "shark fin soup" is the...
Michael Aw writes "Imagine shark fins to be the hand and legs of Mickey Mouse; chop them off and throw the lame struggling body of Mickey on the side walk to die a slow painful death!. That is...
Disney - which claims to be environmentally friendly - is "making a mistake of the highest order'' in serving shark fin soup to high-paying guests at wedding banquets, warned leading...
