May 22, 2008 -- BBC News - UK online news
Sharks swim closer to extinction
More than half of the world's ocean-going sharks are at risk of extinction, a new analysis concludes.
Specialists with IUCN (formerly the World Conservation Union) found that 11 species are on the high-risk list, with five more showing signs of decline.
Sharks are particularly affected by over-fishing as they reproduce slowly.
The scientists are calling for global catch limits, an end to the practice of removing fins, and measures to minimise incidental catches (bycatch).
"There's this idea that because these are widely ranging species, they're more resilient to fishing pressure," said Sonja Fordham, deputy chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG) and policy director for the Shark Alliance conservation group.
"In fact they're becoming species of serious concern because there are no international catch limits for sharks. There are intense fisheries on the oceans, and they remain pretty much unprotected."
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May 22, 2008 -- Reuters - UK online news
Fin soup threatens survival of ocean sharks
Overfishing partly caused by booming demand for shark fin soup, a delicacy in some Asian countries, is threatening the existence of 11 kinds of ocean sharks, an international study showed on Thursday.
The fish, often seen as ferocious sea predators, suffer from largely unregulated fishing for their valuable fins, said the report into 21 species of sharks and rays living in the open oceans.
The experts who wrote the study, organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, also urged governments to quickly impose catch limits.
"The traditional view of oceanic sharks and rays as fast and powerful too often leads to a misperception that they are resilient to fishing pressure," Sonja Fordham, report co-author and deputy head of the IUCN's shark specialist group, said.
Thresher sharks, silky sharks and the shortfin mako are all under threat, said the report, presented at a May 19-30 U.N. biodiversity conference in the city of Bonn.
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May 11, 2008 -- ABS CBN - Philippines online news
Weddings boost Shark's fin consumption in Singapore
SINGAPORE - 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.
Singapore consumed more than 470 tons in 2007, up from 182 tons the previous year and reversing a four-year decline, the Straits Times reported.
Strong economic growth in 2007 and a rise in the number of people getting married drove demand despite a 30-percent rise in shark's fin soup prices and appeals by environmental groups to ease consumption, it said.
Shark's fin soup is popular at Chinese wedding banquets, where it is seen as a status symbol.
"Most of the couple's parents consider this dish a premium and without it, they would lose face," Ruth Soh, communications director at the Mandarin Oriental, told the newspaper.
She said however that the hotel buys shark's fin only from fish farms.
Housewife Janet Gan was quoted as saying: "Shark's fin is a must at a wedding. It is like a birthday cake."
But Michael Aw, a marine conservationist, said more than 30 sharks have to be killed to feed a wedding banquet with 300 guests, according to the report.
"We must continue to educate the younger generation and make them see that sharks are guardians of the sea that ensure a balance in the food chain," Aw said.
The message is not lost to Melanie Tan, who will walk down the aisle next month.
"I don't want to be part of the cruel act of killing sharks just to make others satisfied on my wedding day," she was quoted as saying.
original article
May 7, 2008 -- Notiemail - USA/Venezuela online news
Mexican boat carrying 3 tons of shark seized
A Mexican boat used for illegal fishing that was carrying three tons of captured shark was confiscated by authorities, officials said Wednesday.
The Pargo V was being employed 8 nautical miles from the island of Roca Partida, part of the Revillagigedo Archipelago Biosphere Reserve, in violation of a law that stipulates such fishing must take place at least 12 nautical miles from the coasts in that area.
The boat's activity was detected by an oceanologist with Profepa, the federal agency that enforces environmental regulation, and later intercepted by members of that environmental organization and navy sailors. Its seven crew members were arrested in the operation.
The Pargo V was being used for shark fishing and, at the time of its seizure, was employing an 8-kilometer (5-mile) longline on which eight sharks had been hooked.
That vessel was the second boat confiscated in the area over the past three weeks for illegal fishing. In mid-April, the Sebastian I was seized 11 nautical miles from the nature reserve with 18 tons of shark.
Both boats currently are in the custody of the navy in the Colina port of Manzanillo.
The biosphere reserve encompasses the islands of Socorro, Clarion, Roca Partida and San Benedicto. It is protected under an agreement involving Profepa, the navy and the National Commission of Protected Areas that bans the fishing of species that are in danger of extinction, subject to temporary restrictions or located in a prohibited area. EFE
original article
March 21, 2008 -- The Raw Story - USA online news
Philippines raises alarm over shark 'slaughter'
The Philippines on Friday expressed alarm over the commercial hunting of the thresher shark, considered a vulnerable species worldwide.
They said there had been a wholesale slaughter of the 10-foot (three-metre) fish, considered a delicacy in Chinese restaurants here.
"We should stop this slaughter to preserve the ecological balance of our priceless natural heritage," said Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Joselito Atienza.
Local marine conservationist Gerry Reyes said many of the sharks were caught in the Verde Passage off the south coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon, which the government has designated a protected area.
Government patrols have recently seized thresher sharks caught by local fishermen living on the northern edge of the Verde Passage, Reyes told AFP.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which put the thresher shark on its "vulnerable" list last year, says the Verde Passage has the highest concentration of marine life in the world.
Atienza said he had asked authorities to help prevent the hunting and slaughter of the sharks there.
original article
September 16, 2007 -- Radio New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand radio news
Raid in Palau finds Taiwanese fishing company with huge haul of illegal shark fins
A raid on one of Palau’s largest foreign fishing companies has uncovered over 1,000 pounds of shark fins and crocodile meat.
The search was carried out at the facilities of Palau Marine Industries Corporation or PMIC.
The illegal items were frozen and wrapped in plastic bags and stored in a large container for possible shipping.
PMIC, a Taiwan fishing firm, is the same company that was found guilty of major tax evasion charges, involving 5.8 million US dollars.
PMIC is one of the three major fish exporting companies in Palau along with Kuniyoshi Fishing Company and Palau Marine Industries Corporation or PITI.
PITI was the subject of an August 15 Marine Law Enforcement seizure of 94 shark carcasses, 10 shark heads and 650 shark fins.
original article
May 14, 2007 -- Earth Times - London / New York online news
Hong Kong hospital group bans shark-fin soup from its menus
A hospital group that is Hong Kong's oldest and largest charitable organization has become the latest group to ban shark-fin soup from banquets, a newspaper reported Monday. The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals said it had decided to stop serving what is considered one of the most prized Chinese delicacies over concern about the world's declining shark population, the Standard said.
Shark fin has now been replaced by bird's nest or other Chinese-style soups.
Environmentalists estimates that millions of sharks are killed each month by finning, the process by which the fins of the shark are sliced off and the creature is left to die... more
May 11, 2007 -- Environment News Service - USA online news
Australia's Newest Marine Reserve Safeguards Sharks
Habitat for a harmless shark that is one of Australia’s most threatened marine species was protected today by a new marine reserve in Commonwealth waters off Australia's east coast.
The Australian government announced the creation of a 300 hectare reserve to protect grey nurse sharks at the Cod Grounds, a key aggregation site about four miles off the New South Wales coast, near Port Macquarie.
The Cod Grounds Commonwealth Marine Reserve will come into effect on May 28, said the Department of Environment and Water Resources, DEWR, in a statement.
Historically, due to their fierce appearance and being mistaken for other sharks that pose a danger to humans, large numbers of grey nurse sharks were killed by recreational spear and line fishers and in shark control programs, particularly in southeastern Australia.
The greatest threat to the grey nurse shark is from fishing and accidental hooking, and shark finning. Despite legislation prohibiting their capture, there are now fewer than 500 individuals on the east coast and the population size continues to decrease... more
May 5, 2007 -- ZNet online news
Feeding Frenzy: Why is it still acceptable to eat the endangered large predators of the sea?
To Ransom A. Myers, who died on March 27th.
If these animals lived on land there would be a global outcry. But the great beasts roaming the savannahs of the open seas summon no such support. Big sharks, giant tuna, marlin and swordfish should have the conservation status of the giant panda or the snow leopard. Yet still we believe it is acceptable for fishmongers to sell them and celebrity chefs to teach us how to cook them.
A study in this week's edition of Science reveals the disastrous collapse of the ocean's megafauna. The great sharks are now wobbling on the edge of extinction. Since 1972 the number of blacktip sharks has fallen by 93%, tiger sharks by 97% and bull sharks, dusky sharks and smooth hammerheads by 99%(1). Just about every population of major predators is now in freefall. Another paper, published in Nature four years ago, shows that over 90% of large predatory fishes throughout the global oceans have gone(2).
You respond with horror when you hear of Chinese feasts of bear paws and tiger meat. But these are no different, as far as conservation is concerned, from eating shark's fin soup or swordfish or steaks from rare species of tuna. One practice is considered barbaric in Europe and North America. The other is promoted in restaurant reviews and recipes in the colour supplements of respectable newspapers... more
November 6, 2006 -- Underwater Times - USA online news
Email Campaign Initiated Against China's 'Irresponsible' Alibaba.com Over Shark Fin Marketplace
The Ocean Realm Society will join an email campaign opposing the business practice of the online trader Alibaba.com to allow the posting of shark parts for purchase and sale.
According to the company web site, Alibaba.com Corporation is China's leading e-commerce company, operating the world's largest online marketplaces for both international and domestic China trade, as well as China's most popular online payment system, AliPay. Alibaba.com also owns and operates Yahoo! China, which it acquired in October of 2005.
According to founder Richard H. Stewart, the Ocean Realm Society will enthusiastically support an email write-in campaign initiated by noted underwater photographer Wolfgang Leander, who currently resides in Bolivia. Leander’s ‘shark-finning’ story is featured in the current edition of the Ocean Realm Journal, the society’s publication for which he servers as a contributing editor... more
October 26, 2006 -- Environmental News Network online news
Study Reveals More Sharks than Estimated Killed for Fin Soup
LONDON -- 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 million and 73 million sharks, weighing up to 2.29 million tonnes, are killed for their fins which are used in the delicacy that costs $100 a bowl in Chinese restaurants.
Figures reported to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation put the number at 0.4 to 0.6 million tonnes a year.
"Our findings confirm that a far larger number of sharks are being caught every year than current databases indicate. The fin trade is continuing to expand and thus the pressure on shark populations is constantly increasing," said Dr Shelley Clarke of Imperial College London... more
September 25, 2006 -- Underwater Times - USA online news
World Fin Trade Industry Estimated to Harvest 23 to 73 Million Sharks per Year; 'Real Data'
The first real-data study of sharks harvested for their valuable fins estimates as few as 26 million and as many as 73 million sharks are killed each year worldwide—three times higher than was reported originally by the United Nations, according to a paper published as the cover story in the October 2006 edition of Ecology Letters.
“The shark fin trade is notoriously secretive. But we were able tap into fin auction records and convert from fin sizes and weights to whole shark equivalents to get a good handle on the actual numbers," says lead author Shelley Clarke, Ph.D, an American fisheries scientist based in Hong Kong and Japan.
A team of researchers calculated the number of sharks represented in the fin trade using a unique statistical model and data from Hong Kong traders. When the figures were converted to shark weight, the total is three to four times higher than shark catch figures reported to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)... more
November 18, 2005 -- The News.Telegraph - UK
Shark poachers defy machineguns to seek prey
Machineguns and machetes are being used in a growing conflict between Australia and Indonesian pirate boats poaching sharks for the lucrative Chinese market.
Record prices for shark fin soup have lured more and more poor Indonesian fishermen to Australia's tropical northern waters.
They are making audacious forays along the sparsely populated coast because over-fishing has all but wiped out sharks in other parts of south-east Asia. Up to 25,000 tons of shark were poached in 2003, a government report found... more
November 3, 2005 -- The Standard - Hong Kong
HKU bans shark fin dishes
Shark fin soup is off the menu at Hong Kong's oldest university.
Shark fin soup is off the menu at Hong Kong's oldest university.
Hong Kong University Tuesday banned serving shark fin dishes, according to a statement issued to staff.
"The university hopes not only to encourage all students, staff and alumni to eschew shark fin dishes at all times but also to give a lead which others in Hong Kong will follow," said the statement signed by university vice chancellor Tsui Lap-chee... more
October 29, 2005 -- The Sydney Morning Herald - Australia
Illegal shark hunters use hit-and-run tactics
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 study, obtained by the Herald, warns that the so-called Bodi fleet presents a big threat to the marine environment and protected shark species.
The study, compiled by Professor James Fox of the Australian National University, and based on interviews with Indonesian fishermen, i warns that many more of the small, fast boats - designed to avoid capture by Australian authorities - are being produced... more
October 20, 2005 -- Science Daily - USA
Australia detains 200 Indonesian fishermen
Australia has detained more than 200 Indonesian fishermen caught poaching for shark fins for Chinese-owned companies, The Australian reported Thursday.
The fishermen are being held in a makeshift detention camp at the northwest port of Broome, the report said... more
June 29, 2005 -- Environment News Service - USA
Shark Finning Banned in Eastern Pacific Ocean
LANZAROTE, Canary Islands, Spain, June 29, 2005 (ENS) - An international ban on shark finning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean was approved by consensus Monday by an intergovernmental fisheries management body meeting in Lanzarote.
Finning, the practice of slicing off a shark's fins and discarding the remainder of the fish - alive or dead - is driven by the lucrative market for shark fin soup and has drawn condemnation from conservationists and members of the public... more
June 13, 2005 -- The Standard - Hong Kong
Sellers shrug off shark fin brouhaha as just business
In Sai Ying Pun, where the dried seafood and Chinese delicacies business is concentrated, many shark fin sellers do not know the sources of their merchandise.
For these stores, many of which have been around for more than half a century, the importance of maintaining what they call a diminishing business far outweighs that of saving sharks from extinction... more
May 31, 2005 -- The Standard - Hong Kong
End this 'barbaric and cruel waste'
Marine conservationist Brian Darvell does not mince his words when it comes to the controversial shark's fin business.
"It's a barbaric and completely wasteful trade,'' Darvell said in an interview with The Standard.
He caused an international outcry earlier this month when he sent a letter to Disney's US-based chief executive, Michael Eisner, strongly objecting to the theme park's decision to serve shark's fin soup for wedding banquets when it opens Hong Kong Disneyland in September... more
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