Good news? Bad news?

Popular wisdom holds that Sharks do not get cancer. That is why shark cartilage is widely used to prevent/treat cancer. Turns out that popular wisdom is once again proven wrong. According to an article in "livescience" sharks can indeed get cancer.

Credit: Andrew Fox and Sam Cahir

The article states Recently, researchers in Australia noticed a large tumor protruding from the mouth of a great white shark, as well as another mass on the head of a bronze whaler shark. The great white's tumor measured 1 foot (30 centimeters) long and 1 foot wide, according to a study describing the tumors published online in November in the Journal of Fish Diseases.

So this is both good news, hopefully fewer sharks are being killed for the cartilage, the bad news, ... sharks can get cancer. I hope that the good news in this case outweighs the bad, since I've only seen a few sharks with cancerous growths.

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO Shark Diver


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com.

Good shark news out of China?

Hopefully this sight will soon disappear!

It seems like the tide is slowly, slowly turning. According to "Chinadaily.com.cn" About 6 percent of luxury hotels in three major Chinese cities have stopped serving shark fin.

The article further states that In Beijing, 132 hotels completed the phone questionnaire between Nov 20 and Dec 12. Only 12 hotels, 9 percent, said they do not serve shark fin. A similar survey of 131 Beijing hotels conducted a year ago found only one hotel that did not serve shark fin, Wang Xue, chief coordinator of the survey, said on Saturday.

Granted, it's a very small step, but especially viewed together with the recent announcement by the Chinese government that they will stop serving shark fin soup at state dinners, it's a sign that the Chinese are becoming aware of the international view on shark finning and are starting to respond.

You can read the whole story here.

We at Shark Diver hope that by sharing this article and acknowledging the positive steps they take, we also send a signal to China that we don't just criticize them, but also give credit when they do something right.


Cheers,

Martin Graf
Managing Director
Shark Diver


 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at sharkcrew@gmail.com.

International partnership expands shark research in Palau

An international team of researchers, conservationists, commercial dive operators, and government agencies has joined together to deploy and operate an array of acoustic devices to monitor the movement of sharks in the waters of Palau. This array, the first of its kind in the waters of Micronesia, supports Palau’s world-leading effort to conserve and protect sharks within the whole of their Exclusive Economic Zone.

Initially established by the Micronesian Shark Foundation, the Save Our Seas Foundation, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the 14-station array has recently undergone an expansion with funding from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS). PacIOOS is a program led by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.

The PacIOOS investment is targeted at increasing the density and geographic range of stations—providing a more precise and complete picture of shark movement in the Palauan archipelago.

“Sharks are a sentinel species in the global ocean and are important for ensuring the health of all ocean species in the future,” said PacIOOS Director Chris E. Ostrander. “Shark populations worldwide are threatened by increasing illegal fin fishing and a shifting climate. The Government of Palau’s dedication to conserving shark populations in their waters is an extraordinary step to helping shark populations recover and we are pleased to be able to assist, with our partners, in providing necessary information on shark movement, migration, and mating.”

PacIOOS is the Pacific Islands regional component of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and is charged with providing timely, reliable, and accurate information on the coastal and open ocean waters of the Pacific Islands to residents and visitors alike.

For more information about this topic, please contact Chris Ostrander at (808) 956-5902 or chriso@hawaii.edu.

SSACN announce Sharkatag 2010

Volunteer anglers from all over the UK will be descending upon south west Scotland once again in an attempt to tag as many inshore sharks as possible from boats, kayaks and the shore over the three-day period 18th to 20th June.

Sharkatag is just one of the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network’s on going projects, aimed at highlighting the urgent need for shark, ray and skate conservation in Scottish waters and raising the public awareness of sea angling and its contribution to the economies of many coastal communities.

One of the main organizers Stuart Cresswell said. “Last years Sharkatag event was a huge success with over 200 volunteer sport fishermen catching, tagging and releasing over 200 sharks. The event received widespread publicity on prime time TV news bulletins and also benefited local businesses to a value in excess of £40,000.

"Our aim for the 2010 event is to increase participation and publicity of the event further and to clearly highlight the fact to Scotland's politicians that a live shark in the sea is actually worth over 20 times more than a dead shark on the fishmongers slab."

According to Ian Burrett, SSACN’s Projects Director the focus for this year’s Sharkatag event will be the tope shark which grows up to 100 lb. SSACN believes Luce Bay and the Solway are a breeding ground for tope, yet unlike in England and Wales, tope are not protected in Scottish waters and their numbers are dropping year by year. "We would like to be to be protected in all EU waters, but need our own Government to support that aim."

Other shark species such as rays, bull huss and smoothound will also be tagged. Scottish Shark Tagging Programme (SSTP ) tags, which carry a unique number, are carefully attached to the sharks. Details like weight, sex and length are recorded and entered on a database. When the shark is recaptured, the data can be analysed to provide evidence of species migrations, growth rates, stock populations, make-up and fluctuations.

Ocean Encounters - New Website

Ocean Encounters founders Fred Buyle and William Winram will take you places you never dreamed of diving. Both avid world-class breath-hold divers, they have taken it upon themselves to share their passion for the underwater world with the rest of us.

They will bring breath-hold diving courses to your door, take you on live-aboard freediving cruises and organize expeditions for the chance to breath-hold dive in the company of large marine animals.

In their many upcoming activities, you will find one that is tailored to suit your needs whether you are a complete beginner wanting to improve your comfort underwater, or a dedicated breath-hold athlete looking to fine-tune your technique for your next competition.

The more adventurous amongst you will participate to shark encounters for an opportunity to discover the natural behaviour of these amazing creatures in their own territory.

Ocean Encounters is no ordinary endeavour. In addition to organizing courses and expeditions for the public, Fred Buyle and William Winram regularly join expeditions for the purpose of scientific research on large marine animals. From tagging sharks in the wild on a silent breath-hold to documenting unique animal features through photography and video, they contribute to the advancement of ocean preservation.

Buyle and Winram are scheduled to arrive in French Polynesia on December 5, 2009 to complete the last of five HDTV documentaries for the project Ocean Quest, a series which will, without a doubt, change the world’s view on the true nature of the oceans and their creatures.

For more information on Ocean Encounters, visit http://www.oceanencounters.net.

Today Was a Good Day...Welcome Back America!

Just when you thought the idea of Democracy was footnote to history.

When the darkest days of America overshadowed the rest of the planet.

"We the people" elect Barack Obama.

Welcome Mr.President.