3944 Animals over 20 Years? Wonky Shark Net Math

The Australian Gov just announced that, over the past 20 years, shark nets designed to keep swimmers safe off Australian beaches have entangled an additional 3944 animals from rays to whales.

3944 animals over 20 years?

Somehow this number seems a bit low. Granted these nets are up on a seasonal basis September through April, but one might assume many more animals have been caught given that some 47 nets are in place.

We're going to look into this, contacting the actual vessels involved in netting operations and the conservationists on the other side of this issue who are calling for a take down of the nets.

If there's one thing we have come to discover about government statistics, wonky math tends to rule the day one hard data gets filtered though politico's.

Let's see if there's a story behind this story.

Sen John Kerry - Sharks

Let's face it, he would have made a terrible president, but as an advocate for sharks we like him a lot.

This week Sen John Kerry introduced a bill - The Shark Conservation Act, to the senate following the houses o.k that will hopefully slow down shark takes in US waters:

Bill Number: H.R. 81/S. 850
Bill Status: Passed House
Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Legislature Status: In Session

To protect sharks from the cruel practice of shark finning (cutting off sharks' fins and throwing the sharks back in the water, often while still alive). Congress banned this practice in 2000, but enforcement is complex and there is room for cheating. This legislation closes a loophole that currently permits a vessel to transport fins obtained illegally as long as the sharks were not finned aboard that vessel.

Editors Note: The Humane Society USA has been following this issue closely.

Humane Society International-Loophole closure

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society
International issued a statement today applauding Guam Delegate
Madeleine Bordallo for introducing legislation that would close a
loophole on shark finning.

Bordallo introduced the Shark Conservation Act, H.R. 81, which
provides increased protection for vulnerable shark species from the
disgusting practices of “finning” and overfishing.
“Each year, tens of millions of sharks worldwide have their fins
cruelly cut off at sea and are then thrown back overboard to die a
lingering, painful death,” said Patricia Forkan, president of Humane
Society International. “Shark finning threatens the survival of
essential marine species, and we commend Congresswoman Bordallo for
addressing this cruel and wasteful practice.”

Although shark finning was banned in the U.S. by the Shark Finning
Prohibition Act of 2000, enforcement is complex and a major loophole
allows circumvention of the law. Last summer, the U.S. Department of
Commerce implemented regulations in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean and Gulf
of Mexico requiring that sharks be landed with fins attached to their
bodies, to prevent shark finning. However, the Pacific Ocean has no
comparable regulation, leaving these expansive waters wide open to
abuse.

Last year, the previous version of the Shark Conservation Act (H.R.
5741) passed the House in the 110th Congress, but did not advance in
the Senate before the session was adjourned. The new legislation
contains the same language closing a loophole that currently permits a
vessel to transport fins that were obtained illegally as long as the
sharks were not finned aboard that vessel. The act also requires that
all sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached to their
bodies, creating a clear enforcement mandate applicable in both
oceans.