Shark Fishers Try to Reel in Cash, Turn to Conservation

We have been beating this drum here at U.T for the past year. We are also huge supporters of Iemanya Oceanica whose local initiatives are changing the face and politics of shark fisheries in Mexico and Latin America.

So, here we are, at the starting gate with commercial shark diving vs shark fisheries. What's the next step?

We have a few ideas:

Tolon has been forced to think of ways to make his craft—and career—more sustainable, increasingly relying on organizations such as Iemanya Oceanica, a U.S.-Mexican nonprofit that is working with 12 Mexican fishing communities to help them find long-term economic security.

Iemanya Oceanica is advising Tolon and other fishers to partially transform their fish-based economies and to start thinking of shark-based ecotourism as a way to make money and preserve stocks for limited fishing.

Sarah Palin vs Miss Teen America '07

Yes, we're breaking format so avert your eyes if you do not want to see another Op-Ed on Sarah Palin.

Or...vert your eyes because this also has a video clip of Miss Teen America 2007. Gotcha!

The bottom line this this. America is in deep trouble right now people. We have two choices in less than 35 days. One is Obama/Biden, well spoken, thoughtful, and able to lead us in a new direction.

The other is a broken war veteran with a sidekick who's religious views border on scary. She's also about as intellectually astute as a brick, that is to say just a grade point higher than Miss Teen America 2007 here.

Choose wisely:

"Cats" responsible for fish declines?

The nice couple over at A Couple Dives posted the following story about the sheer amount of fish fed to "domesticated cats" worldwide.

Turns out the numbers are amazing, and may in fact be a leading factor in the collapse of fish stocks. Seems Rum Tum Tugger's got some 'splaining to do:

Apparently, our very own pet cats will soon drive us out of house and home!

Dr. Giovanni Turchini, with colleague Professor Sena De Silva, has found that an estimated 2.48 million tons of fish is used by the global cat food industry each year. Wild forage fish, such as sardines, herring, anchovy and capelin, account for the bulk of these numbers.

Editors Note: This is why we pull from other blogs as well, they get the goods, while we are off chasing Shark Free Marinas.

Shark Fin Du Jour-Sponsored by Yahoo! Inc

Our new weekly feature on Underwater Thrills:Swimming With Sharks is the "Shark Fin Du Jour".

It's a weekly look at Alibaba.com the NYSE of Shark Fin Products on the Internet-Sponsored by Yahoo! Inc.

We will take you into the individual sellers listed on that site and introduce the top companies, what species they sell and how many thousands of pounds of shark fins they have for sale on the global market.

Today our Shark Fin Du Jour is BTrade International who can source a staggering two tons of sharks fin per month:

Place of origin:	Bangladesh
Model No:	B.T
Fob Price:	FOB Chittagong, Air / Sea USD 1000~100000
Port:	Chittagong, Air / Sea
Payment Terms:	L/C,T/T
Minimum Order Quantity:	1 Ton Fish maws
Supply Ability:	2 Ton per Month 1
Package:	p.p bags
Delivery Time:	As soon Possible
Brand Name:	Shark Fin