FriendBurst Blog

Sharks are killed for a whole manner of reasons, their meat is used for food, fins for soup, cartilage in health supplements, livers for oil, skin for leather and teeth for curios, some are even killed for the sheer pleasure of it.

And demand is increasing. As whitefish stocks have collapsed, previously unprofitable shark fisheries have become commercially viable and shark meat more acceptable.

Even in the most optimistic of scenarios this slaughter cannot be sustained. Sharks do not produce huge numbers of eggs like other fish, their young are either born live or in egg cases, and the average brood is only about 12 pups.

Sharks first appeared on earth some 400 million years ago, before land vertebrates and before many plants had colonised continents. Modern sharks, such as the mako and the porbeagle, are regarded as living unchanged from the species we see today, 100 million years ago. The oldest great white shark teeth date from about 65 million years ago, around the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The fact that present-day sharks have not changed substantially for the last 100 million years suggests that they may have attained a level of evolutionary perfection that is unmatched by any other animal. And yet during the last 20 years alone humans have done more harm to sharks than had been done in the previous 100 million years, with some species of shark declining by 90%. It would be sadly ironic that having survived the extinction of the dinosaurs sharks may well disappear from this planet for the sake of a rather tasteless soup.

Humans have been responsible for the extinction of a single species of animal in the past, but never have a whole order been endangered as we see with sharks. In barely the time it has taken to set up and establish a cohesive shark conservation strategy we are in danger of losing one of the most iconic and evocative animals this planet has ever known.

Shark fishing is mostly unregulated, and conservation measures have been too slow in coming, but we can act now individually. If you see a Chinese restaurant selling shark fin soup, or a health food shop selling shark supplements, or a shop selling shark meat, or a media piece showing a sports fisherman with his dead shark trophy, take five minutes of your time to tell them that this is totally unacceptable.

This short documentary shows one of the most mysterious phenomena in the animal world; amazing animals, showing a totally different behaviour then most people would expect.

Documentary “GIMME A HUG” selected for screening at
“Chinese International Animal & Nature Film Festival” in Ya’an, China.

GIMME A HUG (trailer)

Available with French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Greek, German, Turkish, Chinese and Dutch subtitles.

If you want to receive a full (13m30) version of GIMME A HUG on DVD, then click HERE

Sharks are considered to be an apex predator, meaning that as a species they are on the top of the marine food chain. There is however an even more deadly predator, OURSELVES! Sharks are a key bio- indicator of the health status of our marine eco-system, and are part of the delicate and tenuous balance that exists.

It is predicted that if over exploitation, coupled with lack of shark conservation continues at current levels it is widely believed that many species will become extinct by year 2028. However this is disputed by a few, as there never really has been an actual record of the number of sharks in the first place.

The clear and simple FACT is that the explossion in demand for shark fins has drastically reduced the global numbers of all the top species. It is lso a fact that at current fishing levels this is NOT sustainable fishing.

Please watch videos closely and imagine that someone had cut your spinal cord or tied your arms and legs tightly together, leaving you to endure a slow and painful death. This is exactly what has happened here, these sharks have been cut and all this does is immobilize the shark to die very slowly.

About Project Shark Fin NZ

Here at Dive Planet we are very supportive of Project Aware and the great work that they do, and have an association through Coastal Aware Projects, i.e. monthly coastal clean ups. The time has come where we believe that awareness of shark finning and shark fin products must be openly publicised. Due to our relatively small population New Zealand is often used as a test bed for topical social issues, Dive Planet proposes that shark finning and shark fin products be outlawed, initially in New Zealand and eventually globally.

The Project Shark Fin Campaign

PSFNZ wants Shark Finning STOPPED in NZ with huge fines impossed to any person or company dealing in the Trade of NZ Shark Fins.

PSFNZ wants a TOTAL BAN on the importation of Shark Fins including other products that are processed from Shark Fins.

PSFNZ will protest all eateries that support the Slaughter of Sharks for their Fins. Will will Blacklist these eateries for all to see and avoid.

PSFNZ wants everyone to boycott Restaurants and Suppliers of Shark Fin Products.

PSFNZ will make this barbarrick practice known to all New Zealander’s that are unaware of the slaughtering that is occuring in our Country along with the dangers of New Zealand allowing the Trading of Shark Fins.

PSFNZ wants everyone to voice to government departments the need to stop the slaughter and save our Oceans before it is too late. Tourism in NZ will suffer for our allowance of Shark Finning.

Sharks and By-Catch

Looking at the number of sharks that are caught on Longlines or in commercial nets as a by-catch, should the sale of these sharks’ fins be allowed. We would like to get the viewpoints of anyone including commercial operators that wish to pass comment. Please send your opinions to paul@diveplanet.co.nz

PSFNZ Opinion By-Catch

It is the opinion of PSFNZ that all sharks that are caught as By-Catch should either be taken whole or left out at sea whole. Sharks that are returned whole by the fishermen should be utilized if they can be. We strongly feel that the fins of these sharks should not ever be sold or traded as this is opening a wide loophole for the Trading of Shark Fins, the very cause we want to eliminate. To many this may seem a waste but how can we STOP Shark fin trading if we have loopholes that can be exploited.

Urgent Research Needed

There is an urgent need for more research into shark populations in New Zealand waters. Without vital information on shark numbers, population trends and breeding patterns, we simply do not know that the number of sharks being caught is sustainable. Until we have this information the commercial fishing quota for shark species should be zero.

This video above shows examples of Shark diving and how the sharks should be in their natural environment

Footage is courtesy of Andrew Fox. Paul Morris filmed with the Fox Experience in the making of Animal Planets episode Your Worst Animal Nightmares Sharkbait. Here Paul gained valuable information about sharks in general especially the Great White shark. The Great White is also a threatened species.

Shark diving is another way countries can benefit greatly with tourism dollars without needlessly slaughtering sharks for a quick buck. Support Project Shark Fin NZ and ensure your future generations can experience the beauty of these mighty predators that we everso depend on, to keep an equal balance in our marine ecosystem.

Please sign the Project Shark Fin NZ Petition

How you can help Project Shark Fin NZ, click HERE

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Recents news about sharks (Updated July 2011)

July 6 , 2011
Breaking: Chile Passes Shark Finning Ban

June 29, 2011
Battle over shark fin soup heats up in California

June 16 th 2011 (Thank you Nan Sea Love for sharing )
Victory in Oregon! HB 2838 Bans Shark Finning

May 24, 2011
Progress! California Assembly Passes Shark Fin Ban

April 30th 2011
IUCN report shows that 40% of all Mediterranean shark and ray species are threatened

April 6th 2011
Pew Environment Group Encouraged by Chilean Senate’s Efforts to End Shark Finning

January 5th 2011
Bill passes banning shark-finning in U.S. waters

November 2010
Shark Sanctuary declared in Raja Ampat

Some petitions for sharks

DON’T LET SHARKS BE FISHED TO EXTINCTION (U.S. only)

STOP SHARK FISHING IN PERU

PETITION TO THE MALDIVES FOR BANNING SHARK FISHING


STOP SHARK FINNING ! ( Deadline August 5, 2011)


SAVE SOUTH AFRICA’S SHARKS


CITY OF TORONTO SHARK FIN PETITION

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Websites to learn more about sharks

Shark Alliance

SHARKWATER

Stop shark finning