The Shark Alliance Promo for European Shark Week

Mark your calendars, because from October 9 – 17th, our European Shark Week event will be taking place at the London Sea Life Aquarium!

Focus on Finning is this year’s theme, and we’re certain it will be an eventful time!

Myself and associates are working hard to wrap up planning for the week-long event.

We have a lot of activities for the kids scheduled, such as colouring contests, trivia, learning about the shark species in British waters, and prizes to be given away.

Next week a schedule and more details will be made available as the event draws near.

Camera crews will follow a tough and weathered group of hunters through the rainforest, laying down tens of miles of traps to capture any unfortunate creature that happens to stumble across them. Once caught, the rough and tumble crew will decide which animals to keep and sell for profit, while the rest will be killed and thrown into the brush. These hardened men will fight against fatigue, malaria, and the fierce animals they wish to conquer.

I call it: The Deadliest Poach.

Strangely, I have a feeling this pitch would not go over very well with the network or with viewers, and yet this is the programming that Discovery is moving toward in a sure and steady march toward ecological ruin.

It seems shocking that the same television network that airs Life and Planet Earth, programs that aim to educate and inspire us to conserve the natural world, would also feature programming that glorifies the systematic destruction of the same planet.

Following the disappointment that was this year’s Shark Week, the same old stories about bloodthirsty sharks and horrific attacks, maybe it isn’t such a surprise after all that the Discovery Channel continues its venture into reckless hypocrisy for the sake of ratings and making a dollar.

For example, the show Swords: Life on the Line, is a show of the same format as other reality/documentary programs such as The Deadliest Catch, or Ice Road Truckers.

Swords: Life on the Line

Swords follows several longlining boats in the North Atlantic off the New England coast; the prize is the large, elusive swordfish.

A swordfish caught on Swords (Photo: Discovery)

The longlines used on these boats are made of hundreds of hooks attached to a 40-mile long fishing line, the type of line that is responsible for the indiscriminate killing of many pelagic marine species and seabirds.

A sea turtle caught by a longline. (Photo: Sea Turtle Restoration Project)

Longline fishing is a controversial commercial fishing technique, and throughout recent history has been banned or limited in many fisheries.

In Swords, little is shown of bycatch, though one incident of a blue shark being caught was shown because a researcher was on board the ship and tagged it.

It is not at all surprising that inevitable bycatch is mostly ignored in the program unless it can be portrayed in a more positive light, but some instances have been more disturbing.

In one episode, a Mako shark (classified as “vulnerable” according to the IUCN Red Species List) was caught and repeatedly stabbed with a gaff before being thrown back dead or dying, with the same fate befalling a juvenile swordfish that “wasn’t worth the space” to keep.

It shouldn’t need saying that the needless slaughter of juvenile swordfish that have not yet had the chance to reproduce is counter-intuitive and wasteful, though it seems that the editor of the show thought otherwise.

Why Discovery Channel thinks this type of programming is appropriate for a network that simultaneously tries to promote conservation comes down to one thing: profit.

The network has the audacity to claim at the beginning of each episode that it does not “necessarily” endorse the actions or commentary in the show, all while promoting and profiting off the spectacle.

Unfortunately, that is just what the commercial fishing industry has become: a spectacle, where “fishing” is no longer fishing, but instead a wasteful and unsustainable industry.

Recreational fishermen and conservationists together have expressed outrage toward the longline industry, and here it is being promoted and glorified by a prominent educational network.

Some viewers I have spoken to have defended the show, saying that it brings to light the issues of longline fishing and can open up a debate.

That is, of course, pure nonsense, as I highly doubt that the average viewer will watch an exciting program about the dangers out at sea and suddenly become interested in sustainable fishing legislation.

Instead, what I have seen is a number of people who know little of the industry being drawn in by the perceived glory of such professions, and in a few cases, even the desire to eat swordfish more regularly.

What we are witnessing is the decline of a once respectable network. Discovery used to be the channel for education; now, it has all the integrity of any bloated network that scrapes for ratings wherever they can be found.

So, instead of tuning in to Swords, I recommend watching The End of the Line, and telling others about the consequences of longline fishing. A difference can be made if we seek to educate ourselves.

Concerned viewers can express their disappointment to the Discovery Channel by contacting the network using their Viewer Relations form.

If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of these magnificent creatures. This year, Discovery has partnered with Oceana to deliver a Shark Week that hopefully promotes the beauty and conservation of these predators.

Also, if you’re like me, you like to get free stuff.

I am giving away a few Save Our Sharks bumper stickers during Shark Week this year, along with some other secret shark swag:

If you want to win, here’s how:

1. Follow the blog on twitter: @bluelifeblog
2. Tweet the following: I want to enjoy #SharkWeek with free swag from @bluelifeblog!
3. Include in your tweet a picture of you (or your friends, or kids, or dog!) enjoying watching Shark Week!

For example, here is a photo of me enjoying shark week:

How many sharks are in this picture?

At the end of Shark Week, I will be randomly selecting a few photos from the twitter replies to select the winners of some super cool shark gear!

Have fun, and enjoy Shark Week!

*UPDATE: Winners will be drawn on Sunday, August 8th at 12:00 am EST.

Some endangered animals have received wide public support for their conservation, such as the seven species of sea turtle. Others are in populations so small and specialized, many don’t know that they even exist.

The eight marine species in this article are classified under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as being either Endangered or Critically Endangered.* The difference between Endangered and Critically Endangered is subtle, but those species that fall under the latter category face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, with less chance of recovery than those that are Endangered due to a significant difference in the number of mature individual animals that may aid in reproduction and recovery.

1. The Hawaiian Monk Seal

Status: Critically Endangered

A Hawaiian Monk Seal. (Credit: James Watt, Oceanstock)

Hawaiian Monk Seals are, as the name suggests, native to the Hawaiian islands. One of the most primitive seal species in the world, they have been threatened by the human development along its small habitat.

They are not migratory, making them more vulnerable to changes in their environment. They live, feed, and give birth in a relatively small area. Their habitat falls in an oceanic gyre, where trash is carried along the currents to accumulate in large quantities in small areas.

Entanglement in trash and debris is a threat to this species, as well as competition for resources from commercial fishermen in the region. It is estimated there are fewer than 1100 individuals left in the wild, and despite strong conservation efforts, it is likely the species will become extinct in the wild within 100 years.

2. The Caribbean Electric Ray (aka Lesser Electric Ray)

Status: Critically Endangered

The Caribbean Electric Ray. (Credit: Dr. Daniel Huber, Uni. of Tampa Shark Lab)

This nocturnal shallow water ray bears the scientific name Narcine bancroftii, coming from the Greek word “narke”, meaning paralysis. If harassed, this ray can produce a shock of up to 37 volts, though it is more prone to fleeing than defending itself.

Its most significant threat is commercial fishing. It is not a prized commercial species, but it is frequently caught as bycatch in shallow water commercial fishing, and is thrown back with a low survival rate due to the stress. They have a low age of maturity, which helps replenish the species, but in areas of intense fishing, such as the Gulf of Mexico, its population has been devastated.

Extraordinarily, pregnant females of this species are documented to have aborted embryos when subjected to the stress of being hauled in shrimp or fish nets, greatly reducing its reproductive capacity.

3. The Giant Sea Bass

Status: Critically Endangered

A Giant Sea Bass near a diver. (Credit: Scott Gietler)

The Giant Sea Bass, aptly named due to its capacity to grow to over 8 feet, is native to the waters off California and Mexico, and its decline over the last century is largely in part due to over-exploitation. Protection in Californian waters have aimed to help replenish the species over the last decade, but effective protections in Mexico were not put in place.

This fish takes a long time to mature, taking between 7 and 10 years to reach reproductive age. Current population trend data is not available, but it is very rare and it remains unseen if conservation efforts are having much effect, as population doubling time spans at least 15 years. Its limited range of distribution has made it susceptible to the damages of overfishing and pollution.

4. The Waved Albatross

Status: Critically Endangered

A Waved Albatross displays its wingspan. (Credit: Virginia Keenan, galapagos.org)

Despite having a wingspan of over 7 feet, the Waved Albatross is only of moderate size compared to its cousin species. Due to its breeding grounds being confined to a single island in the Galapagos Islands, they are particularly vulnerable to any change in their environment.

Due to ongoing struggles with long-line fishing practices in the region, this Albatross species is prone to being caught as bycatch when diving for food. Interestingly, a disproportionate number of males are caught as bycatch and as intentional catch for consumption, which leads to a decrease in reproduction.

Nest predation by other animal species also have a negative impact on their small breeding territory.

5. Sei Whale

Status: Endangered

Sei whales at the surface. (Credit: orcaweb.org.uk)

Like most whales, the sei whale’s population is spread over much of the world’s oceans. Sei whales, like many others its size, are baleen whales that feed primarily on krill and other small organisms.

The largest threat to the sei whale is the illegal whaling industry, which has devastated many whale species to a near irreparable extent. Due to illegal catches by whaling nations, the population is estimated to have been reduced by the hundreds of thousands in recent years, most notably in the South Pacific and the North Atlantic.

Despite being a protected species, whaling remains a large threat to this whale species. Current population estimates are severely lacking, but the general decreasing trend has placed it in the Endangered category.

And hundreds more…

These species are only a handful of the world’s marine creatures that are facing the threat of extinction, and it is evident that human interference plays a major role in their fate. The only way to protect the fragile balance that maintains the health of the world’s oceans is to evaluate our own impact, be it pollution and waste, unsustainable fishing and market demand, or our constant development which leads to the destruction of marine and coastal habitats.

Many species that have gone extinct have vanished due to unchecked human greed, and it is time that we remember we are not the only creatures that inhabit this world, and that the responsibility lies with us to protect those that can not speak for themselves.

*Much of the data gathered is dependent on the findings of the IUCN and independent research in order to provide the most accurate information available. Some data is subject to the date of last available information.

]]> http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/five-marine-species-on-the-brink/feed/ 2 kirstenrlamb hawaiian monk seal electric ray giant sea bass albatross sei whale http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/tide-turning-for-sharks/ http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/tide-turning-for-sharks/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:14:48 +0000 kirstenrlamb http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/?p=71 ]]> With approximately 70 to 100 million sharks being slaughtered every year for their fins, shark populations are in sharp decline worldwide. With media portrayals of sharks as vicious man-eaters or the scourge of beach-goers everywhere, their plight has gone widely unnoticed and under-reported.

The fear of sharks has led to a lot of misconceptions about this top predator, including how dangerous they are to humans, and their numbers in the wild. Every shark attack on a human (approximately 50 shark attacks occur every year worldwide, compared with 150 million jellyfish stings every year) spurs on a media frenzy on how sharks are mounting an offense off our coasts. These dangerous misconceptions have bred a misguided complacency when it comes to the need to protect the world’s sharks.

A fisherman boasts a scalloped hammerhead's remains. This shark's population has declined in recent years by 98%. (Credit: Scubatampa)

However, while most people feel ambivalent at best toward sharks, and some downright hostile, it is becoming clear that the tide may be turning on the gruesome practice of shark finning.

Hawaii recently passed a ban on shark finning, making it illegal to possess, distribute, and sell shark fins. It is the first and only state to pass such legislation, but it is a promising step in conservation efforts.

Even more promising is the recent unexpected development in Hong Kong, regarding a recent Citibank promotion. The campaign offered a 15% discount on shark fin soup in a Hong Kong restaurant chain. Hong Kong is the world leader in shark fin imports, where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy and a status symbol.

Shark fins being prepared for distribution. (Credit: European PressPhoto Agency)

In a shocking turn of events, the backlash against the campaign caused Citibank to quickly end the promotion. A public outcry on facebook gained fast support, and an e-mail campaign was launched against Citibank that successfully caused the financial institution to withdraw its promotion entirely.

These recent events are demonstrative of the growing concern and awareness about the health of our oceans and its inhabitants.

The Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week event begins on August 1st, where shark enthusiasts and anyone interested in these creatures can enjoy special programming devoted to sharks and their role in the environment.

Concerns about the priorities of the Discovery Channel’s programming regarding the emphasis of Shark Week on fear and danger, rather than respect and education, have been voiced more in recent years. It seems Discovery has taken notice, and their promotions this year have taken a different approach from previous years.

This is the 2009 Shark Week promotional spot.

It’s refreshing to see an ad that doesn’t rely on the fear of sharks or showing a threat to humans, instead choosing to show footage of a shark breach in a much more upbeat fashion.

Complaints from conservationists and shark enthusiasts have been voiced to Discovery for many years, and it seems that they are listening. This year’s Shark Week will hopefully be a turning point in the portrayal of sharks by the media, and will bring the truth of their endangerment to the forefront of this year’s programming.

While the future of the oceans’ sharks remains uncertain, it seems that there is hope yet to save these creatures. The power of social media and events like Shark Week are having an impact. The spill in the Gulf of Mexico is turning more eyes to the dangers that face marine creatures.

Be sure to turn in to Shark Week, starting Sunday, August 1st, and let us know what you think.

The International Whaling Commission’s convention in Morocco, complete with 88 member nations meeting for debate and negotiations over the future of the whaling ban, ended with one conclusion: there isn’t one.

A mother whale and her calf hauled aboard a whaling ship. (Photo from the Brisbane Times.)

A deadlock between pro- and anti-whaling nations has led to frustration and anger on both sides of the debate at the IWC’s inefficacy, with the ultimate resolution being a postponement of the vote for another year.

The ban on commercial whaling remains in place, but has possibly become even weaker due to pro-whaling countries threatening to withdraw from the Commission altogether, thus releasing them from being bound by any regulations.

Anti-whaling countries, such as Australia, are preparing to take the issue over the authority of the IWC and take Japan to an international court over whaling practices in protected Antarctic whale breeding waters.

The ultimate question that must be asked is: are the whales safe, now that the whaling ban remains intact?

The answer is, unfortunately, far from simple.

While the result of the convention has preserved the whaling ban and successfully prevented the moratorium from being lifted, frustration with the IWC is at an all-time high, and it is likely that many nations will resort to escalation in their whaling practices.

The vote is now postponed for one year, and it is now more essential that the push is made for a strengthening of the ban, rather than maintaining the status quo.

It is clear that the whaling ban needs a major overhaul; the ability to enforce regulations is extremely weak and is riddled with loopholes, which has allowed Japan to increase illegal hunting by disguising the practice as research.

A Japanese whaling ship claims they are collecting tissue samples from a hunted whale. Whale meat for sale in supermarkets has been tracked to these "research" whaling ships. (Photo Credit: greenpeace.org)

The only solution is an all-or-nothing approach: the ban must either be strengthened and enforced so that all must abide by its decisions, or it must be eliminated. The latter option is a losing scenario for whale populations, as once the ban is lifted, it has historically been proven that whaling countries will exceed quotas and under report catches.

This is supported by the fact that whaling nations have, in anticipation of the reversal of the ban, have begun developing more consumer products derived from whales, such as golf balls, “eco-friendly” laundry detergent, hair dye, and more. Japan has also begun preparations to purchase its largest whaling ship in history.

It should be clear now, then, that the only way to truly save the whales is to strengthen the ban to the fullest extent possible.

The current resolution to maintain the current flawed ban only serves to encourage whaling nations to take advantage of loopholes even further. While this remains a preferable alternative to reversing the ban entirely, it does little to prevent whale populations that are already on the brink of extinction from being wiped out.

A hunted fin whale. (Photo Credit: In Defense Of Animals)

The battle is far from over, and whales are still at risk of extinction from illegal hunting.

The fact that the whaling ban has not been overturned is a small victory, but it must be emphasized that the ongoing debate is becoming more heated than ever before, and the push to end whaling must strengthen in response.

Again, I encourage you to join the anti-whaling efforts of many nations and organizations by visiting the following links. The future of whales is still undecided, but our ability to make a difference must not be underestimated.

Please look into the efforts of the following groups and see how you can continue to make a difference:

• SaveTheWhalesNow.org

• Oceana.org

• Ocean Conservancy

• The Ocean Futures Society

A sea turtle killed by a longline. (Photo credit: The Sea Turtle Restoration Project)

Imagine now hundreds of sharks being hooked by this line, and being reeled in one by one. As each shark is hauled aboard the boat, a fisherman takes a large knife and slices off the dorsal and pectoral fins of the still living shark, only to throw it back into the water to die a long and painful death by blood loss, suffocation due to not being able to swim and pass oxygen through the gills, or being eaten in its weak state. The boat fills with thousands of fins, and a shark population is systematically eliminated.

Iconic image of a Scalloped Hammerheard Shark, recently finned and thrown back into the water still alive. Scalloped hammerhead populations have been reduced by 83% in recent years.

This gruesome practice is indiscriminate. Any shark species, regardless of size, sex, age, or endangered classification is subject to the brutal slaughter. The fins of larger endangered species, such as the whale shark or basking shark, are especially prized. A single whale shark fin can be sold for an extremely high price to chinese restaurants in particular, who will display it in their shop window to advertise that they sell shark fin soup.

The fin of a whale shark, the world's largest fish and highly endangered, in a shop window to advertise shark fin soup. (Photo credit: whalesharkproject.org)

Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in Chinese culture. What was once considered a dish consumed only by the elite, is now produced and consumed by a large middle class as a status symbol. Estimates currently show that between 73 million to 150 million sharks are killed every year exclusively for their fins.

Spain is the number one exporter of shark fins, while the United States is in the top 10 offenders.

Countries that export shark fins to Hong Kong. (Credit: Oceana.org)

The export of shark fins to Asian countries is not the only concern. In the United States, shark fin soup is common in chinese restaurants. In Florida, a restaurant called Landshark’s Pizza, which prides itself on being the “home of the shark pizza,” serves the vulnerable-to-extinction Mako shark on one of its “specialty” pizzas (information on contacting this establishment to demand the removal of shark pizza at the end of this entry).

Several dead sharks that have been thrown back into the ocean once their fins were removed. (Credit: stopsharkfinning.net)

Many people have asked me why shark finning is such a big problem. “They’re only sharks,” some have said. Regardless of how you feel about sharks, if you are terrified of them, believe they are a nuisance to swimmers (see my earlier entry on misconceptions about sharks), or are simply indifferent to them, their existence has a direct impact on the health of our planet and the health of the human race.

As the top predators of the ocean, sharks maintain a healthy balance in the ecosystem. As their populations dwindle at a staggering and alarming rate, overpopulation of smaller organisms occur, leading to the decimation of micro-organisms that are the foundation of a healthy ocean. The world’s oceans are our planet’s largest carbon sink. As it loses its ability to absorb carbon as the micro-organisms disappear, the rate at which carbon builds in the atmosphere rises dramatically.

Sharks have very long lives and take decades to reach sexual maturity. Their reproduction rate is very slow, meaning the practice of shark finning is decimating shark populations much faster than the sharks are able to reproduce. Many shark species are on the brink of extinction. In recent years, Scalloped Hammerhead populations have been reduced by 83%.

While many countries have banned shark finning in their waters, the practice is currently entirely unregulated and unmonitored.

Hundreds of shark fins out to dry. (Credit: sustainablewaters.com)

Suddenly, shark fin soup seems to have a higher cost than most people have realized.

This assault on our oceans and its inhabitants affects all of us, and I strongly encourage you to take action to end this brutal and destructive practice.

Remember the Florida pizzeria mentioned earlier in the post? Contact them and express your concern over their exploitation of our shark populations. Spread the word on facebook, twitter, or any other medium and raise awareness that this sort of exploitation needs to stop.

The following links are to organizations that have made some amazing progress, and I urge you to join them in their cause.

• Stop Shark Finning – Keep sharks in the ocean and out of the soup. This organization has a list of petitions and ways you can help raise awareness and end shark finning.

• The Shark Alliance – This coalition of organizations regularly updates on conservation efforts and the latest news regarding sharks. It has many articles and studies available for reading published on the website.

• SHARKWATER – This documentary focuses on addressing the misconceptions about sharks and tackles the shark finning industry. A must-see for anyone interested in how the industry operates. The trailer on the website is worth a watch.

• The Global Shark Initiative – Join like-minded people to learn about upcoming petitions and events.

• The Blue Ocean Guide to Ocean-Friendly Seafood – Blue Ocean is a wonderful organization that focuses on marine conservation. They have a thorough guide on where seafood comes from, how sustainable it is, and its impact.

• OCEANA – Put an End to Brutal Shark Finning – Oceana is a global organization for marine conservation. The link leads to a petition for Americans to contact their senators about regulating shark finning. For everyone else, visit Oceana.org.

This harmless and beautiful whale shark belongs in the ocean, not in soup.

]]> http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/the-global-shark-finning-crisis/feed/ 0 kirstenrlamb turtlelongline Long Line Fishing: Cocos Island whale shark fin oceana shark finning finned-sharks-ocean shark fins whaleshark http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/consequences-of-reversing-the-whaling-ban/ http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/consequences-of-reversing-the-whaling-ban/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:00:14 +0000 kirstenrlamb http://bluelifeconservation.wordpress.com/?p=41 ]]> Disclaimer: Some images in this post are graphic.

On June 22, 2010, the International Whaling Commission and its delegates from 88 member nations will convene in Morocco for a final vote on ending the moratorium on whaling. The whaling ban, which has been in effect since 1986, is on the verge of being completely reversed. The implications of such a proposal, should it be realized, are significant.

The Japanese vessel Yushin Maru during a kill. Photo credit: AFP and Greenpeace

The whaling ban itself has had its fair share of criticisms: the act has made concessions for whaling that is conducted for “scientific research,” a loophole that has been abused with little to no repercussions.

In a twisted sort of logic, it is this abuse of the ban that has inspired the proposal to end the moratorium on commercial whaling. The International Whaling Commission, unable or unwilling to tackle the problem of the loopholes that have allowed whaling to go largely unchecked by such offenders as Japan, Iceland, and Norway, instead is proposing to reverse the ban as a “compromise.”

If you fail to see where the “compromise” is, you are not alone.

Those who support lifting the ban claim that doing so will be beneficial to whale populations. The basis for this claim lies in the idea that by legalizing commercial whaling, offending nations will no longer seek to take advantage of loopholes and will be more willing to follow international regulations.

The concept is not fooling many people; it amounts to rewarding the illegal actions of offending nations, and of course encouraging commercial whaling will have zero benefit to whale populations who are already on the brink of extinction.

A whale carcass being processed. Photo credit: Greenpeace

Prior to the whaling ban, there was nothing preventing countries from under-reporting their catches to fall within accepted quota limitations, as the Soviet Union was guilty of in the 1970s. There is little reassurance that this time around will be any different.

Shockingly, the United States is in support of the reversal of the ban, a complete turnaround from President Obama’s campaign promises to maintain the moratorium on whaling. Not only does the United States support the reversal, it plans on subsidizing the industry.

What this means is that should the ban be lifted, United States taxpayers will be footing the bill. If estimates are correct, such a plan will cost U.S. taxpayers in the tens of millions of dollars.

Aside from select native Alaskan communities, the United States has no national interest in whaling, and does not profit from the industry. Culturally, whaling is not something the Americans tend to approve of, nor should they. Whale meat contains extremely high concentrations of mercury, as it bioaccumulates throughout the food chain. For humans, such levels are toxic if consumed with regularity.

Canned whale meat. Photo by Alex Brooke, biotechlearn.org.nz

And yet, the United States is poised to subsidize commercial whaling; to what end, and to whose benefit?

Certainly not the benefit of the nearly wiped out whale populations, or the people whose health is at risk from mercury poisoning, or the monetary interest of American citizens who are already reeling in a recessed economy, and from the ongoing damage of the Gulf Oil Spill that shows no sign of ending.

In less than two weeks, the whaling industry could be digging into the pockets of American taxpayers, and destroying a true natural wonder that now, more than ever, needs protecting.

The only solution to this global crisis is by demanding that regulatory bodies are able to enforce the existing ban. Public awareness must be such that reversing the ban would stir global communities to action and demand that those who represent them keep their promises.

I urge you to become involved. The following links are to organizations that are involved in stopping this proposal. Make your voice against whaling heard, and your anger and frustration felt. It is time that our politicians and delegates act on our behalf.

• Avaaz.org – The World in Action is running a campaign to buy ad space and create handouts for the meeting in Morocco. Donations are accepted here.
• SaveTheWhalesNow.org has a petition you can sign, as well as other media and information for you to browse.

One needn’t look far to see the evidence: the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill continues on its relentless spread through the Gulf of Mexico and to the Atlantic. Every day, new photographs are being released of oil-covered wildlife, as well as globs of the black substance washing up on beaches and marshlands. BP continues its attempts at damage control by purchasing Google search terms, effectively controlling the flow of information. The United States government is now reopening offshore drilling in shallow waters, promising “strict regulation” to prevent further environmental damage. This promise may sound familiar, as it is the same platitude given to opponents of offshore drilling from the beginning, and here we are now with our hands stained black from the greatest marine disaster we have ever seen.

A pelican covered in oil from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Later this week, the United States Senate is also scheduled to vote on a bill to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate pollution by stripping the Clean Air Act, a bill which is unsurprisingly sponsored by Alaskan Senator Murkowski (whose track record includes supporting drilling in ANWR, as well as shutting down proposals to examine the state of Alaskan wildlife) and supported by the big oil companies.

The United States is also on the verge of supporting a reversal of the moratorium on whaling, a proposal put forward by the International Whaling Commission in an attempt to legalize commercial whaling. They claim that legalizing the slaughter will be beneficial to whale populations, and that the current whaling ban lacks enforcement. Despite what they would have us believe, commercial whaling will not preserve whale populations. Illegal whaling is the practice of hunting whales and claiming it is for scientific research (when in reality these slaughtered whales wind up on the market). Giving and raising quotas for whaling does not save the whales, it merely makes an existing practice legal. The same number of whales, if not more, will be hunted down.

A mother minke whale and her calf hauled aboard a whaling ship in the protected waters of the Australian Whales Sanctuary. (Photo from the Brisbane Times.)

The danger is not only to the whales: but to people. Whales, which exist at the top of the food chain, have extremely high concentrations of mercury that has bioaccumulated in their edible tissues, making them toxic to humans.

Shark finning bans in some of the world’s last shark sanctuaries have also been reversed, and places like the Galapagos Islands where sharks used to thrive will see species practically wiped out entirely. The practice of shark finning is the capture of large numbers of sharks, slicing off their fins and throwing their still living bodies back into the sea, where they bleed out, are eaten, or drown due to air not being able to pass effectively through the gills.

A Scalloped Hammerheard Shark, recently finned and thrown back into the water still alive. (Photo from protect-the-sharks.org)

Protections for small cetaceans, such as dolphins and porpoises, are still non-existent.

At the present, World Oceans Day feels more like a day of mourning than a day of celebration.

Still, things are not hopeless. Every year more and more people engage in ecotourism, including SCUBA diving and snorkeling to see the natural world as it was meant to be experienced: healthy and beautiful. More people are seeing the horrors of whaling, shark finning, and irresponsible exploitation, and demanding that something be done before the damage become irreversible.

In celebration of the spirit of this cultural awakening, I would like to share some information on ways you can help to make a difference. The following links are all to organizations and their current action to save our world’s oceans, including petitions and letters to your political representatives to urge them to represent you and everyone else who wishes to see our ocean’s thrive. I encourage you to look at all of them and see what interests you: it may be easier to make a difference in this world than you imagined. It is time to see where we stand, and what we can do for ourselves and future generations.

With the National Wildlife Federation: Ask your senators to finish what they started, and pass a clean energy bill NOW.

At Oceana, an organization dedicated to preserving our oceans, sign the petition to end Offshore Drilling, and urge your senators to vote NO on undermining the EPA and the Clean Air Act.

Watch the documentaries Sharkwater and The Cove to learn about shark finning and the Japanese dolphin slaughter, and the damage it is doing to the oceans.

Join the Global Shark Initiative to learn about campaigns to save the ocean’s apex predators.

Visit The Shark Alliance , a coalition of non-governmental organizations for the conservation of sharks, to read up on the latest news in conservation efforts.

Acquaint yourself with current endangered species lists according to group (fish, mammals, reptiles, etc.).

Happy Oceans Day.

A pair of wild dolphins off the coast of South Carolina. (Photo taken by author.)

The novel and film adaptation Jaws had a major impact on how people view sharks.

For most people, the thought or sight of a large fin slicing through the water is enough to inspire panic. While animals such as elephants, tigers, lions, and bears (which combined kill hundreds of people every year) receive strong public support for their conservation and protection, all it takes is one fatal shark attack (of the five that occur on average every year from all shark species combined) to inspire mass hunts of this much maligned predator. Fishermen and sportsmen take to the sea, beyond the reach of the average beach swimmer and armed with harpoons, to find and slaughter any shark that is unfortunate enough to be within reach.

Why is it that sharks inspire this reaction?

Perhaps the answer is simple: we do not understand them. The simple answer, however, is not enough to really make ourselves question our deep-seated fear of an animal we are likely to never encounter in the wild, and we must examine why we do not understand them.

How many advertisements on television or on billboards that promote wildlife conservation have shown a panda bear, with its warm eyes and cuddly exterior imploring you to protect it? And how many advertisements or billboards have you seen that show the grim visage of a great white shark, fearsome teeth and all, with its unblinking black stare, bearing the same message?

Humans find it easier to relate to mammals such as ourselves. They demonstrate intelligence and instinct not unlike our own; they nourish and care for their young; they express emotion and pleasure and pain. In this way, we are able to empathize.

Contrast this with the typical image of a shark. They are already alien to us in that they live underwater, having mastered a part of the world that we can only barely function in, and clumsily at that, which threatens us. But there is empathy for whales and dolphins, mammals like us. But the shark, the shark has black eyes that never blink, unreadable and cold. Their mouths never smile, only occasionally show a glimpse of the teeth that millions of years of evolution has perfected. They appear cold, calculating, and completely devoid of emotion or feeling. Humans rely on facial expressions and body language to determine the motives and mood of other creatures. Animals such as sharks that we can not read are terrifying, much in the same way that robots that closely resemble humans unnerve us.

To prove a point, here are some photographs. The first is a sandbar shark that has been caught by a fisherman, and the second is a mako shark that also has been caught. Which one inspires the strongest gut reaction, not of fear, but of pity or compassion?

A caught sandbar shark. (Photo from tx-sharkfishing.com)

Caught mako shark. (Photo from spire.com)

Hazarding a guess, the first image probably evokes more sympathy than the second image. The first image is remarkable in that the shark appears to be conveying emotion through certain visual cues that humans instinctively pick up on: namely, the eyes. They are not the typical “sharky eyes” that we tend to imagine when we think of sharks. They appear almost human, with color and shape. The second image is more stereotypical, black and vacant. The mako looks cold and mean, while the sandbar appears more pitiful and sad. Both have suffered the same fate. Neither were able to scream in pain or horror as they were pulled into the air to suffocate, hooks through their bodies and unable to escape. Perhaps if fish were able to scream, or even whimper, fishing would no longer be within the realm of those with a weak constitution.

The sad truth is that it is easy for us to justify harming that which we believe can not feel pain. A fish, aside from wriggling ineffectively when pulled from the water, is unable to convey its suffering. A slow suffocation and brutal death is somehow acceptable as the norm in the sport of fishing, but frowned upon heavily in hunting. We lack empathy for creatures that are so unlike ourselves that we can not fathom the scope of their intelligence or ability to feel.

It is this lack of empathy that inspires not only cruel disregard, but fear as well. Somehow, a lion does not seem as terrible as a shark, because we feel that we know where we stand with our fellow mammals. We can read their body language and know when there is danger. With a shark, it merely needs to swim in the wrong place at the wrong time to bring out the worst of our fears.

The challenge, then, is to conquer this inability to empathize. We must remember that sharks and all fish are living creatures just like ourselves, that feel pain and suffering, that are capable of social organization and community, and above all else, that they are not indiscriminate man-eaters. The five deaths a year, with millions of people traveling to beaches year after year, can attest to that. The ocean is their territory, and largely, they leave us entirely alone.

Maybe they’re smarter than we think, and that irrational fear and hatred will evolve into respect for one of the planet’s most magnificent predators.