Shark News

SUCCESS!!!!!!!! After more than 11,000 WaveMakers took the time to contact Congress on the important issue of passing a true shark finning ban. I am so happy to tell you all that we were all successful. The House of Representatives passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2008, which makes it illegal for U.S. fishermen to slice off sharks' fins at sea. Thanks to all of you who helped out!

Shark Squalane-

There is a new development in the fight to save sharks. Cosmetic companies are selling a cosmetic product known as "squalane"obtained from shark liver oil. There is a website, by Dr. Lark that is enthusiastically promoting this product, it is time to tell her to stop.

Dr. Lark touts squalane for its ability to help skin "maintain its moisture and elasticity." She goes on to say that "the very best source comes from deep-sea Centrophorus sharks that live in the clean, non-polluted waters of Tasmania."
If Dr. Lark is such a fan of squalane - she can find it in a much more abundant source: olives. I'm willing to bet that her customers would prefer using moisturizers from olives instead of sharks.

Dr. Lark will tell you this product is okay because these sharks are caught incidentally in fisheries trying to catch other species but what she fails to note is that sale of this product supports the economic viability of very damaging, deep sea trawl fisheries and that these deep-sea sharks are some of the most vulnerable sharks in the world. They typically grow slowly, mature late in life and have only a few young during their long lives. As a result, deep sea shark populations are at extreme risk from exploitation and recover very slowly. Tell Dr. Lark she ought to leave deep-sea sharks alone. (Source Elizabeth Griffin Marine Wildlife Scientist, Oceana)

Stop the Proposal of Shark Fin Fishery on The Great Barrier Reef

"An alarming new proposal by the Queensland Government will establish a dedicated shark fin fishery in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and other marine parks in Queensland.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (and anyone who cares for our oceans) is astonished by this proposal, in which Queensland's fisheries department (DPI&F) plans to legitimize one of the most unsustainable forms of fishing on the planet - shark fin fishing. With over 90% of the world's sharks and other big fish gone from our oceans, this project is unsustainable, unethical and will be flatly rejected by the Australian public." 
Source: Website

Please, lets all take some action against this! I signed the petition "Stop the Proposal of Shark Fin Fishery on The Great Barrier Reef". I'm asking you to sign this petition to help us reach our goal of 5,000 signatures. I care deeply about this cause, and I hope you will support our efforts. Click Here to sign the petition

Also recent U.S. regulations have been issued that make it illegal for fishermen to crudely slice off sharks' fins at sea. But here's the "catch": these requirements only apply to federally permitted shark fisheries the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Now we need your help to make these rules consistent in ALL U.S. waters. Click Here to Sign the Petition

And one more thing, if you have not seen the movie "SharkWater" yet, it is time to get on the ball with this... I saw it and it was a turning point for me. We can't let this go on any longer. Join me in the fight to save Sharks!

You can finally rent Shark Water on DVD. Netflicks has it, but I am not sure about other rental places. If you find it at other places email me and I will pass the info along. Also check out my blog about Why You Should Help Save Sharks

Thanks everyone!

OffShore Oil Drilling

Right now there is so much going on and changing with the offshore oil drilling news, that it is hard to keep up, however I defiantly need to say something about it. It all started back on June 18, 2008 when there was a calls for Congress to lift its long-standing ban on offshore oil and gas drilling. Since then there is a clear line between supporter and non-supporters. Many experts say that the lifting of the ban will not effect our gas prices, due to the fact that it will be 5+ years before we see any benefits of the drilling. It seems backwards to me, personally, that the government is going to spend money working on keeping us a slave to fossil fuels instead of dedicating that money to breaking the ties that bind us to the oil companies. Not to mention the enviromental impact that this will have. Then Barack announced some interesting new facets of his energy plan such as tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and allowing a "limited amount" of offshore drilling. Here are a few links for you to check out so that you can decide your position on this topic.

SurfRider's Position
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Information

Space Coast Reef Project News

The Preliminary Location of the Space Coast Reef Project has been released... check out the latest news about the Space Coast Reef Project.