When Shark Tourism Fails

From the Diveshoppe Blog a sad but true first hand, on the ground, account of when shark tourism fails to act as a bridge solution to sustainable shark management:

Two days ago, I received a forwarded email message about Sharks Fin Soup & Squalene. Read on and find out what the fishermen in Donsol, Sorsogon do to earn a living when the whale shark sighting is off-season.

Hey Guys

Sorry to depress you with these photos.. they were taken in Donsol, Sorsogon (whale shark habitat), just two weeks ago by my friend Omar. The finned sharks are thresher, hunted by the hundreds..The pink stuff in the bucket are little pieces of shark liver (from dog sharks) for squalene. Pictured here are the liver from some 1,000 + dog sharks that were caught..they live at least 2 fathoms deep..This is the way the fishermen earn in the off season..they sell it to middle men who bring it to Taiwan and Hong Kong. Ive seen firsthand the hunting of dog shark and finning in Sorsogon and even Siargao but I am certain in happens everywhere.

What we can DO is raise awareness..Thought you might like to shock some of your friends into ABSTAINING from Shark Fin Soup and Squalene products and better yet..to boycott establishments that sell them.Please forward if you wish"

Thanks,Denise (Celdran)

After reading her message I immediately emailed Denise Celdran to find out more. She said that she knows the community personally because she is a volunteer of the Bantay Kalikasan in Donsol. She added that the fishermen and the boatmen conserve the “butanding” or whale shark. But during the off season, their livelihood is “shark finning” which is just another form of fishing for them. The fishermen don’t even earn much and it is the middle men and the retailer who makes the”killing”.

She is appealing to whoever reads this not to blame the fishermen. She said that laws must be made to make shark finning as well as manta ray hunting illegal. Manta ray hunting is being actively practiced in Pilar - a town next to Donsol.

Denise is working with the Donsol community to find alternative livelihood for the fishermen. They are currently understaffed and have lots of issues in Donsol to contend with. She is also encouraging all our dear readers to help them find an intelligent solution to the problem.

I am relaying this story in order to bring more awareness to the issue. Hopefully, you know someone in the government preferably in the Congress and Senate who can help pass a law making shark finning and manta ray hunting illegal in our country.

To date, there’s still no International law banning shark finning and manta ray hunting. There are a few places where shark finning is illegal like the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico where shark finning is banned since 1993 and state of Hawaii in 2000. Costa Rica has recently passed a law but it just bans removal of shark fins while at sea.

Lets help conserve the sharks by spreading the word.

Chum Slick-Homerun-Stephan Baldwin Makes a Bad Movie Worse

You gotta love the Chum Slick Blog. The mysterious writer (said to be an "actual shark") has a deep and abiding sense of the strange and bizarre and often travels into the dark lost underground cities of the shark world to bring back Internet shark treasures. Like some sort of Sharky Indiana Jones. We like that. He/she also hates Stephan Baldwin as much as we do.

Yes, "hates da Balwin" live with it:

The flip Side of the Coin-Da Sharks Take

One of the reasons we love the Blog from Fiji. They make sense of things and cause you to scratch your head at least once or twice a week. That's a good thing people:

Under the title "Saving Sharks at the expense of Fishermen", here comes a real interesting article exploring the flip side of Shark Conservation, i.e. the fate of Shark fishermen who are being pushed out of business by new rules from the National Fisheries Management Services, a division of the US' NOAA.

The Atlantic Ocean Shark population overall has dropped 89 percent, with Tigers dropping by 97%, and Hammerheads, Duskies and Bulls 98%. That has prompted the Authorities to step in with some draconian fishing quotas.

Once they are fully implemented, the new rules could lead to the likely recovery of the population of Sandbar Sharks by 2070, of Porbeagles (like the one pictured above caught for "Science"; the water tube sticking out of his mouth is meant to ventilate it whilst it's being "worked on") ), within the next 100 years and of Dusky Sharks, within the next 100 to 400 years.

Yes you have read it correctly: up to 400 years! This is an indication of the present damage to stocks, but it is also due to the fact that Sharks are extremely slow breeders.

Obviously, the Shark fishing community cannot afford the luxury of waiting for so long and is now faced with immediate disaster, as the new quotas are too low to operate a vessel.

"But hey, wait a minute", I hear you say, "aren't these the very same people that have exterminated the stocks in the first place?"

Yes, they are, and if left to themselves, they would undoubtedly continue to reap and pillage until the very last stocks would be wiped out, along with the industry living off them. That's what fishermen seem to do time after time after time again.From that point of view, they should be left to go under, with nobody to blame but themselves for what appears to be their stupid and reckless greed.

But having said this, what about the guys who supposedly have the "brains"?
What was NOAA doing whilst the stocks were falling by 30, and then 40 and then 50 and then 60 and then 70 and then 80 and then 90 percent?

You guessed it: likely nada de nada! Or better: as the stocks were falling, they may have started to collect data in order to properly document the threat in view of some future decision.
That's what Fisheries Biology has become all too often: collecting data in order to diligently document the decline, and all to often, the demise of a species. Caught between the interests of environmentalists who say they're not doing enough and the fishing lobby who fear for their livelihood, the Agencies all to often keep procrastinating until the situation has progressed well beyond its tipping point and everyone is faced with a catastrophe.

As an example, the new rules have taken years to document and one and a half years to "equitably" draft by consulting with all of the stakeholders - way too long for the stocks and the fishing industry alike.

Was that smart?

Will anybody learn from this unholy and repetitive pattern? Maybe issue some pre-emptive injunction and only then go out and document it with the required data?

I wish!

But hope, as they say, springs eternal.

Isla Guadalupe Update-No Chumming

This morning the NEX arrived on site to discover a MX Navy frigate sitting in the North Bay with members of the MX government agency PROFEPA on board. This is the same frigate that boarded the Solmar V yesterday.

The NEX has been informed-by the navy-the 2008 no chumming ban is in full effect. The chum ban stems from a series of EIS (environmental impact studies) submitted by each vessel and now not recognised by the MX Navy.

As we have been reporting this situation is fluid and the NEX is the only vessel on station at this time.

There is some confusion between operations right now as to what the implications are for ongoing operations this year. That is to be expected. We are choosing to bring you updates as they come in from as many sources as we can so you can make informed decisions, and be aware.

The overall implications are very grim. If the MX Navy is successful in essentially banning chumming at this site, the eco tour vessels that act as "shark sentries" here will be gone-opening this robust population up to illegal fishermen who will come to this island for both it's proximity to the mainland of Mexico and ease of animal acquisitions. It is too much to hope that Mexico will leave a navy frigate on site for each season to protect these animals.

Right now hard decisions are being made by the various eco tour operators along with full court conversations within the various governing agencies inside Mexico. This is the latest news. It may change and we will keep you updated.

Free Tickets to Sea Fare-A.Q Pacific

Shark Diver is one of the proud primary sponsors of the Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Sea Fare event.

Sea Fare is an evening of culinary delights prepared by top local chefs accompanied by wines and incredible brews by local providers at the aquarium.

This fun filled evening also includes a silent and live auction and our popular “Go Fish” opportunity game, live music, dancing, and an open bar.

To view several of our hot auction items, click here. You can purchase tickets at our special 10th Anniversary price of $100 each by calling (562) 437-FISH(3474) (offer ends September 19).

Special Note: Shark Diver has been given 10 Sea Fare admission tickets to give out to our sharky friends. The event is in Long Beach, Ca October.18.2008. If you would like to go please email us for a free ticket to this exceptional black tie event.

Update from Nantucket Shark Diving

A while back we introduced you to Nantucket Shark Diving and owner Bryce Rohrer for those of you on the East coast with the shark diving itch.

Here's the latest site update from him. Summer's still here and the waters fine:

Hi Patric,

Been about a month and wanted to give you a report from the North
East. We've been capturing some great footage of mako sharks this
season. We have been averaging 2-5 makos a day and 1-3 blues.
Usually its the reverse, more blues than makos. With the water temps
falling a bit and fall right here the blues are coming back. We had a
large 300lb fish stick around the boat for about 3 hours last saturday
acting just like a big shark. Slow methodical passes once every 10-15
mintues, knowing exactly where to go.

Most of our makos have been in the 80 - 200 lb. range and have had a few buzz me pretty good while shooting, the fish out here are used to eating swords and tuna bigger than them so they can get pretty sporty. I am still on the hunt for Great Whites and will start making trips east of the island in the coming month to try and chum one up...Hope all is good on your end...Will keep you updated on a hopefull Sept. and Oct. with some big fall sharks.

RGRDS,
Bryce

Guadalupe Trip Report-Divers Perspective

Shark Diver Sean Kendrick and 14 other wide eyed adventure seekers joined us us this season at Isla Guadalupe for our first expedition aboard the MV Horizon last week. Here's his report and images:

August 17, 2008

I got off the airplane in San Diego and for the first time in my life I stepped foot onto California soil. I was quickly greeted by the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and a mild ocean breeze. California was not my destination, but merely a stepping stone to a place I have dreamed about. A place that boasts of crystal clear water with 100 foot visibility, a place where great white sharks are known to congregate in the Fall. A place known as Isla Guadalupe (click link for full report)

Shark Tourism-Rock and a Hard Place

Some horrific news today from South Africa as owner operators of several well known dive shops were confronted with the sight of tons of dead sharks this week.

South Africa's shark tourism is on the front lines in the ongoing issue of sustainable shark tourism vs shark meat and raw product use:

Eco-tourists who dive with sharks off Miller's Point are up in arms after being confronted by the sight of fishermen offloading tons of dead sharks from boats awash with blood.

Many of the divers are international tourists who travel to South Africa specially to see sharks, which have been wiped out in other parts of the world.

But Tony Trimmel of the Kalk Bay Boat Owners' Association said commercial fishermen targeted sharks only when lucrative species like yellowtail and snoek were unavailable.

"They don't target sharks on a daily basis-but they have to make a living."

Editors Note: Worldwide this is an ongoing problem with use groups who both have the right to either fish or interact with sharks. In other areas of South Africa the demands for shark fins and meat is so high that fishermen are taking sharks from Marine Protected Areas.

Like we said many months ago "It's a race between the raw product use of sharks and sustainable tourism". That's the Rock and the Hard place.

Taiwan National Palace Museum: RTSea Blog Coverage

When it comes to shark conservation, one of the concepts that I have always stressed is the need for an international, combined strategy that addresses both government/business (the suppliers) and demand (the consumer). Much of the demand for shark products, particularly fins, comes from Asian countries and so, while many western countries support anti-finning regulations, attention must be paid to alter the cultural mindset of the largest shark product market.

The Humane Society International is doing just that, developing relationships with other organizations that can have an impact on Asian society. A great step forward was accomplished recently with their efforts to get Taiwan's National Palace Museum to stop serving shark fin soup. (Read press release.)

Congratulations to the Humane Society and their affiliate, the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) for their ongoing efforts to enlighten Asian peoples and cultural institutions to the tragic effects of commercial shark fishing/finning.

Since shark aqua farming is most likely a very remote prospect, then attention must be turned towards altering the basic demand for shark products. Working with the decision-makers is one important strategy, but you also have to get right to the source and eliminate demand.

Joel & Suzie almost eaten by Tiger Shark?

You can watch this video three or four times and come to different conclusions about what you are seeing.This is a growing trend with Tigers within the industry. Until recently no one would have considered Tiger encounters like these.

The main question on the table...is it sustainable?

Whale Shark Tourism-Spinning up the latest data

When you are as deeply embedded into the shark conservation world as we are you get the inside scoop on some interesting shark facts and the latest tracking data.

More often than not you get told to "hold on to that". Today we get to spill the beans, or rather had them spilled for us by the media. Turns out-to few peoples surprise-just 40 to 100 miles into the northern Gulf of Mexico, off the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana, are huge aggregations of Whale Sharks.

Long considered "instant shark tourism" these magnificent animals quickly develop tourism interest and diver followings in areas where they congregate. Management solutions for these critters has always been haphazard. Recently set regulations and tourism management plans have been put into place in areas like Holbox, Mexico. How dive shops along the Gulf Coast react will be interesting to watch:

Scientists have become increasingly convinced that huge gatherings of giant whale sharks occur with clockwork regularity in the northern Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana.

Scientist Eric Hoffmayer, who is trying to unravel the mysterious “aggregations,” said that as many as 100 of the bus-sized sharks have been spotted feeding in clusters at three separate areas about 40 to 100 miles offshore.

Goblin Sharks on Video

Lock the kids in the house, turn off the water to the pool, and grab your speargun-have we got a video for you. One of THE coolest sharks in today's oceans is with out a doubt the Goblin Shark. Normally caught at crushing depths and then taken to local labs-this one was filmed, live, doing what it does best-being feaky:



Editors Note: All joking aside these critters are certainly unique.

Isla Guadalupe, Mexico-Meet the Locals

For those of you who will be joining us this year at Isla Guadalupe we thought we would introduce you to some of the "locals" that you'll be meeting this season.

This 13 foot fellow is called "Chompers". For reasons that are obvious, he's also one of the luckiest white sharks on site.

Two years ago Chompers had a violent run in with Shreddder and came close to loosing his eye in the fight. Early season divers often see male on male violence and posturing. We're still trying to figure out why this is.

Not all animals at this pristine and unique site are the same and many have "distinct personalities" that become evident once you spend enough time with them. It's a strange way to look at Great Whites, purported to be the "ultimate killing machines". One week with this little gal will change the way you look at them, trust us!

Thanks to Christie Fisher for the shot.

Wolfgang Leander-Quotable

We ran across the following blog post the other day from the shark world's Wolfgang Leander. Always in the thick of controversy and never willing to pull a punch, we have come to admire old Wolf's "man against the machine" take on everything from shark fining to filmmakers who do bad things with sharks. That's not to say we always agree with him, but he's on target this week.

Being nice to a tiger shark...

(Photo: Felix Leander / 2008)

I recorded all the Discovery Shark week episodes this week, and unfortunately I found myself fast forwarding through most of them. How absurd was Myth Busters and Surviving Sharks. It is really unfortunate - watching the show almost had a reverse effect on me; I began to doubt if I should dive with Tigers again...that is just crazy talk! Of course I will, actually this coming November.

On the flip side, a friend of mine also watched the show and has become very interested in sharks; he actually came diving with me in the hopes of seeing one - each to their own I guess.

Around the same time that Shark Week aired, Richard Theiss sent me a copy of his film Island of the Great White Shark - and how refreshing it was to watch. It reminded me of what Shark Week used to be - informative, scientific, and not in the least bit sensational.

While Richard directed, wrote, produced, and edited the film - he did not narrate it or appear in front of the camera...unlike a recent docuMEntary... :-)

So Discovery Channel - go back to the roots, take a look at Richard's film and some of your old tapes, and make a comeback in 2009.

Shark Experts-Found on The Internet

Seems our blog post from a few days ago is taking on a life of it's own or this is just a case of sharky zeitgeist.

The shark expert should really be called a shark biologist. That's the correct name for his occupation, but when he is asked to provide his opinion on shark-related matters for TV or newspapers, they just call him an expert. Maybe expert is a better word, for this shark biologist also cares about the sharks's soul.

Every day the shark expert observes and studies the sharks. He sees how they communicate, how they mate, how they define their territory, how they occupy their spare time, how they hoard their possessions, how they aspire for a better life, how they avoid the taboo subject of death, and so on.

He has known them since childhood. When one of them dies, whether naturally or grotesquely, the expert feels a bit sad. But this feeling doesn't last long as he knows that death is natural and part of living. Besides, there are lots of sharks in the sea anyway, and the tendency is for the population to increase.

The shark expert is fascinated with these animals, but no matter how much he likes them, he wouldn't want to live with them.

GEERG-You want to dive with the Greenland Shark?

Canada is fast becoming the "land of sharks" and none more sexy than the ice cold Greenland Shark. Turns out an estimated 100 million sharks live off Canada's shores...good luck seeing any of them as the waters here tend to run from pea soup to Beijing smog on a good day.

We blogged about this unlikely critter a few months ago and now would like to introduce you to the cutting edge guys who make shark diving with these cold water animals a reality:

The mission of GEERG is to study the Greenland shark and other Canadian shark species in their natural environment in order to better understand and protect them. The results of our work are made available to the scientific community and to the general public, in particular to sport divers, educational institutions, schools and museums.

Editors Note: Kudos to GEERG's webmaster. The video player is a nice touch and we're impressed with the mission statement. Overall great website, pro shark and hugely informative.

Shark Found in Australian Pool-What? You Expected a Turtle?

We blogged about this months ago and at the time (April 1. 2008) it was a big joke. This mornings news shows you that sometimes-the jokes on you:

SYDNEY (AFP) - A shark was found in a swimming pool at one of Sydney's most popular beaches Friday, apparently swept into the baths by a freak wave.

The one-metre (3.3 foot) shark turned up in a rock pool situated next to the open ocean at Cronulla beach.

Cronulla Surf Lifesaving Club spokeswoman Robyn Cole said fisheries officers netted the shark and released it back into the sea unharmed shortly after members of the public reported its presence in the pool Friday morning.

"It was quite calm, just swimming happily up and down at one end of the pool," she told AFP.

"It's funny, though, because we have swimmers who come here at 6am every morning to do laps. It's still dark then and they mustn't have even noticed it was there."

Cole said the shark must have been swept into the pool overnight by a large wave.

"It's the first time we've had a shark in the pool," she said. "We've had seals sunbaking there before, and get dolphin at the beach all the time, but I've never heard of a shark getting caught in a pool before."

Sharky Commercial Aquarium Trends

We have blogged about the current trend of commercial aquariums that allow "divers" into their enclosures for face to face encounters with sharks.

Like it or not this is a trend-and a poor one at that. Commercial aquaria were never constructed and designed as underwater public encounter spaces. In 98% of them-these for profit public encounters-are an afterthought. Basically these aquaria are becoming hybrid organizations at best.

Why not build a state of the art public dive encounter site complete with sharks, safety and education? Seems like a far fetched idea? We're closer than ever.

Here's the growing list of aquarium adventure dives for your review:

Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta. A whale shark, the world's largest fish, is the prime attraction. One 30-minute dive daily. There is also a swim option, with no diving experience required ($290; www.georgiaaquarium.org).

Florida Aquarium, Tampa. Dive with the Sharks. One 30-minute dive daily ($150; www.flaquarium.org).

National Aquarium, Baltimore. Wings in the Water and Atlantic Coral Reef tanks are available for diving. One 30-minute dive in each tank, every other Saturday. ($295; www.aqua.org).

Epcot Center, Orlando. Epcot Dive Quest, sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, plus 60-plus fish species, 40-minute dive twice daily. ($150; disneyworld.disney.go.com).

Underwater Adventure at the Mall of America. Offers dives to Fisherman's Hollow and Shark Cove on Wednesday evenings and Saturday and Sunday afternoons ($195). There is a swim option for those without diving experience: snorkeling Rainbow Reef, on Friday afternoons and Saturday and Sunday mornings ($80; www.underwaterworld.com).

The futue of commercial shark diving?

Let us consider the thorny issue of commercial shark diving and Aquariums. Recent trends would suggest that the public's demand to meet sharks in almost any situation has created this new and emerging market.

This morning another Aquarium joined this growing trend:

Dive with sharks at the Florida Aquarium

Dive with the Sharks gives you the opportunity to SCUBA dive with shark species from around the world in our incredible Shark Bay exhibit. We provide the sharks and all of your gear for this experience of a lifetime. This experience will put you up close and personal with the ocean’s top predator on every dive.

PURPOSE: The Dive with the Sharks program is designed to dispel the commonly held myth that sharks are man-eaters and to convey a strong conservation message to our guests. Essentially, this is an extension of our very successful and popular dive show "Sharks! From Fear to Fascination!"

The question now is why not? Why not create entire commercial "shark parks" where divers from around the world can interact with sharks from all corners of the planet diving in man made environments filled with both ocean and freshwater critters.

The idea may seem far fetched, but we're almost there, what is missing is stunning backdrops that redefine the entire dive experience. Imagine recreating unique dive sites like Truk Lagoon filled with sharks, or sunken ruins from long ago civilizations. Imagine learning to dive in what amounts to a man made wonderland of wildlife and dive site re-creation?

What is missing is vision. As long as Aquariums continue on this path the next step is not too far down the road.

Island of The Great White Sharks-Baltimore

From Richard Theiss today:

Greetings Shark Divers,

Well, I’m back home from a screening/lecture of Island of the Great White Shark at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. A very impressive and proactive aquarium and a great group of people. They had quite an itinerary laid out for me – from interviews to tours of aquaculture facilities to a great dinner of Baltimore’s famous crab cakes!

Did an interview for Fox morning television. Was also interviewed by the Aquarium’s communication staff for inclusion in their web site, blog, and quarterly member publication.

The screening went well – great projection and sound system. It gave me an opportunity to discuss many of the issues regarding these animals and sharks in general and to stress the importance of everyone who is concerned with marine conservation to become more proactive by their own example, through the visionary leaders they support, and through their actions to influence others.

Probably, the best compliment of the evening came from the director of membership who said several people came up to her to tell her, “This is why we joined the aquarium as members, for programs like this.”

Also, at a pre-screening mixer, met the director and several board members – many of whom live and have contacts in Washington DC, so who knows where it could all lead down the road.

Island of the Great White Shark - Up Close & Personal - Celebrity bloopers here