Shark Tournaments - Change From Within

How do you effect conservation change?

That question is the million dollar or million shark question depending on which side of the conservation fence you are currently sitting.

Smart conservationists know that conservation change, real and long lasting change, does not come from direct action, protests, or petitions.

Conservation change comes from new ways of thinking, alliances with forward thinking individuals and groups, and effecting change from within.

That's why we support the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge.

We know hard core shark folks will decry the "support" of any shark tournaments but the bottom line is this - until today no one had taken a leadership role combining shark research, shark conservation, and catch and release into a certified tournament model. A model that will soon become the accepted tournament model to replace the 300 or so catch and kill tournaments currently operating in the USA.

Think about it.

Shark tournaments will not stop because they are money making propositions. Asking anyone to stop making money is hard, demanding that they stop without a sustainable replacement is a fools errand.

To change the shark tournament world you will first have to come up with a tournament model that is so successful that everyone will want to copy it.

Kudos to the team from the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge, and to Guy and his crew for supporting the evolution of shark catch and release tournaments in the USA.

Taking "marlin tournament model" into the world of ongoing shark research and conservation is the way you effect conservation change.

Kiwis Prepare for 1000 Years of Mojito Ice

A titanic iceberg some 500 meters wide, 50 meters tall, and 350 meters thick, containing enough fresh ice to power 11.9 billion Mojitos is barreling down on the New Zealand coast this week.

Loose from the Ross ice shelf in 2001 the unprecedented iceberg has members of the New Zealand cabinet rushing to emergency meetings with Cuban trade ministers to complete an ice deal with the tiny Caribbean nation, home of the tasty and iconic alcoholic beverage "The Mojito."

Said one staffer from Hon Tim Grosers office, "The Minister of Trade and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Associate Minister of Climate Change Issues are working round the clock to sell this iceberg to Cuba who, since 1997, have been under a US ice embargo."

The deal gets softer each day as the iceberg comes in contact with warmer waters.

The following Underwater Onion is brought to you by Shark Diver. Always drink Mojitos as responsibly as you can.

Happy Thanksgiving. Go Lions!

Sharks - Leading Economic Indicator?

All the financial Titans of Wall Street needed to do was look at the shark world to predict the slumping economy.

They look at their numbers to divine and predict the future of the financial markets and we look at ours.

According to the International Shark Attack File recorded shark attacks in 2008 slumped by 24%. If that's not a leading economic indicator please tell us what is these days.

So, in 2008 sharks took a break munching humans (thank you Mr.Shark) and in 2008 the housing debacle started to unravel in a big bad way. We will be the first to predict, based on our indicators, that 2010 will be an unheard of year for shark attacks on humans.

This shocking news will also dovetail nicely into the "great global recovery" story of markets near or at par with previously recorded highs - and all will be well with the universe again.

With the uncharted nature of global financial markets many ex industry titans have turned to jello, snow flakes, and oracle bones to peer into the future. We'll stick with sharks. A 24% slump is good news in our world.