By Greg Stone

Huffington Post.com

Nestled to the northwest of the Island of New Guinea, within Indonesia’s West Papua Province, there is a 46,000 square kilometer stretch of ocean spotted with a stunning chain of small islands named Raja Ampat (the Four Kings). Sitting at the center of the Coral Triangle, Raja Ampat is famous for its unparalleled marine biodiversity-there are more marine species recorded there than any other place on Earth of that size.

Recognizing Raja Ampat’s natural beauty and the value its intact ecosystems provide for local communities in the form of food, coastal protection, and tourism revenue, the communities and government of Raja Ampat have established a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) throughout its borders and further designated the entire area a shark sanctuary. These efforts are starting to pay off, with fish — especially higher predators like sharks — starting to rebound inside the MPAs.

Unfortunately, these increases make the area a target for illegal activity. In an incident last week, that was reported on by the Washington Post and Jakarta Post, 33 poachers were caught red-handed within the borders of the Kawe MPA, one of the MPAs within Raja Ampat, an area which is under local, regional, and national protection and over 97 percent of which is entirely closed to fishing. Tragically, they had already caused substantial damage by killing large quantities of sharks and other marine life.

What makes this story unique is not what the poachers took out of the water — an estimated market value of $160,000 USD of shark fins, shark and ray carcasses and sea cucumbers. No, the exceptional part of this story is that these fishermen were intercepted and stopped by a local community patrol led by the rightful custodians of this area, the Kawe tribe.

Up through the beginning of this century, the region had been notorious for illegal fishing activities like blast fishing and shark finning, mostly conducted by outside fishermen who had come to Raja Ampat after depleting their own waters. In 2006 however, the Kawe people, whose lives depend on the natural resources of the sea decided to take action. They declared a 383,000 acre MPA, eventually recognized by the regional and national governments, and took back control and protection of their own resources.

Managed and patrolled by the local villagers for six years, the Kawe MPA began to see results as reefs damaged by explosive fishing started to grow new coral and the shark population began to rise. In this part of the world, that rebound in the shark population can bring a lot of value. Marine tourism is one of the most important and fastest growing industries in Raja Ampat and is already bringing significant revenue and livelihood opportunities to the local communities and government. The revenues generated from tourist fees alone contribute an additional $380,000 per year for social programs and conservation actions that directly benefit the local communities, on top of the jobs and revenues created through tourism businesses.

Unfortunately a resurging shark population is also a strong motivator for fishermen to risk entering protected areas like the Kawe MPA.

The Kawe tribe protects the area for the benefit of their children, so they guard it bravely and passionately. When reports came in, late on a Sunday evening, that seven fishing vessels were in their no-take waters, they rushed into action — quickly getting support from the regency government of Raja Ampat and the Indonesian Navy for a mission to intercept the poachers the following day.

Thankfully for all involved, the tense situation when the patrol boat stopped the seven fishing vessels and the patrol members boarded the ships did not erupt into violence. They seized all of the poacher’s catch, their documentation, and all of their illegal long-line fishing gear (used to catch sharks) and compressors (used to harvest sea cucumbers).

Unfortunately the patrol was unable to bring the poachers into custody due to the difficulty of controlling a large number of now angry poachers on seven different boats with only a small patrol team. The boats fled and unfortunately still remain at large. Action must now be taken to bring them to justice; the chase is on to recapture them.

When their territory was under attack, the rightful custodians of this natural wonder, the Kawe tribe, took action to fight for the resources that they depend upon for survival — with support from government, the navy, and conservation organizations.

While the people of Raja Ampat still have many challenges ahead, their story is proof that communities can be empowered to protect their own resources, and an inspiration to the thousands of community groups and governments around the world who are working to protect their marine ecosystems from similar threats. The ocean and the life within it are too valuable to give up without a fight.

Photo Copyright Bryce Groark – Living Ocean Productions

By Underwatertimes.com News Service

Underwatertimes.com

NEW YORK, New York — Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Exeter (UK), and the Government of Mexico have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: the manta ray.

The research team has produced the first published study on the use of satellite telemetry to track the open-ocean journeys of the world’s largest ray, which can grow up to 25 feet in width. Researchers say the manta ray—listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)—has become increasingly threatened by fishing and accidental capture and now needs more protection.

The study was published today in the online journal PLoS One. The authors include: Rachel T. Graham of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of Exeter; Matthew J. Witt of the University of Exeter; Dan W. Castellanos of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Francisco Remolina of the National Commission of Protected Areas, Cancun, Mexico; Sara Maxwell of the Marine Conservation Institute and the University of California-Santa Cruz; Brenden J. Godley of the University of Exeter; and Lucy A. Hawkes of Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom.

“Almost nothing is known about the movements and ecological needs of the manta ray, one of the ocean’s largest and least-known species,” said Dr. Rachel Graham, lead author on the study and director of WCS’s Gulf and Caribbean Sharks and Rays Program. “Our real-time data illuminate the previously unseen world of this mythic fish and will help to shape management and conservation strategies for this species.”

The research team attached satellite transmitters to manta rays off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula over a 13-day period. The tracking devices were attached to the backs of six individuals —four females, one male, and one juvenile.

“The satellite tag data revealed that some of the rays traveled more than 1,100 kilometers during the study period,” said Dr. Matthew Witt of the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute. “The rays spent most of their time traversing coastal areas plentiful in zooplankton and fish eggs from spawning events.”

Like baleen whales and whale sharks, manta rays are filter feeders that swim through clouds of plankton with mouths agape.

The research team also found that the manta rays spent nearly all their time within Mexico’s territorial waters (within 200 miles of the coastline), but only 11.5 percent of the locations gathered from the tagged rays occurred within marine protected areas. And the majority of ray locations were recorded in major shipping routes in the region; manta rays could be vulnerable to ship strikes.

“Studies such as this one are critical in developing effective management of manta rays, which appear to be declining worldwide,” said Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, Director of WCS’s Ocean Giant Program.

In spite of its malevolent, bat-like appearance, the manta ray—sometimes referred to as the “devilfish”—is harmless to humans and lacks the stinger of the better-known stingray. The manta ray possesses the highest brain to body ratio of all sharks and rays and gives birth to live young, usually one or two “pups” every one or two years. Manta rays are apparently declining in the Caribbean and in other tropical regions of the world’s oceans, in part because they are captured for shark bait and a demand for gill rakers (small, finger-like structures that filter out the ray’s minute zooplankton prey) in the traditional Chinese medicinal trade.

Photo Copyright PangeaSeed 2012

Scidev.net

By: Ruci Mafi Botei

[SOLOMON ISLANDS] Shark diving is providing a significant source of revenue for Fiji, making it a good model for non-extractive uses of reef resources, according to a report on the socio-economic value of the island’s shark-diving industry.

The report, released earlier this month (17 April), found that shark diving driven by the tourism sector earned the Fijian economy more than US$42 million in 2010, of which US$4 million went to local communities in the form of salaries and local levies.

More importantly, the report noted, community levies from shark diving have significantly promoted the conservation of the island nation’s coral reefs through traditional ownership.

Traditional stakeholders like fisherfolk, artisanal fishermen, and other community members benefit directly from income generated, encouraging them to participate in efforts to make these resources sustainable.

The research was conducted by the Pew Environment Group, Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Western Australian and the Coral Reef Initiatives.

Shark diving has recently grown in popularity. In 2010, an estimated 49,000 divers were engaged in the activity in Fiji, representing 78 per cent of the total 63,000 divers who visited the country.

“Our survey found that sharks are one of the most significant creatures tourists wish to see when scuba diving,” Mark Meekan, a researcher at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and co-author of the study, said in a press release.

“These animals are also an indicator of healthy coral reef ecosystems.”

Jill Hepp, manager of global shark conservation at the Pew Environment Group, which released the report, told SciDev.Net that “[sharks] are crucial to protecting the marine ecosystem and are known to eat invaders”.

Vilimone Kurabui, a local fisherman on an island off Vanua Levu whose left leg was torn off by a shark during a fishing trip in the early 1980s, is part of a community that has imposed marine protected areas on their traditional fishing grounds.

“If shark diving can bring us income, that will be good for our families and our communities as we need alternative livelihood schemes or projects that will help sustain us, especially after we imposed no-take zones on our fisheries,” he said.

Kurabui is hopeful the report will be used to encourage tourism in coastal communities that have yet to experience the social and economic benefits of shark diving.

Meekan said the shark diving initiative provides a global model for the sustainable use of marine ecosystems.

The model proposes the setting up of shark sanctuaries and conservation parks that open to tourism activities like shark-diving that generate income for locals. The model supports biodiversity conservation while promoting alternative sources of living such as reef conservation through systems of traditional ownership.

Photo copyright Rob Stewart 2012

By PangeaSeed Correspondent - Jessica Rodgers

We know earth, sea, air, and fire and as a SCUBA diver, I know sea. Breathing counts as knowing air, certainly and anyone who has ridden a roller coaster or flown knows air. Gardening puts me in pretty good contact with the earth, I dig in the dirt for 9 months out of the year. Unfortunately, I’ve known fire.  Our house was struck by lightning a few years ago and the roof burned for a few minutes where the lightning exited and gave us a sunroof. There might be some disco lyrics in there somewhere. Though, this was not something I’d experienced before and I felt like a fish out of water must feel.

I was at a Benthic Ecological meeting and not only was I there among hundreds of college students, graduate students, doctoral students and professors and experts in their field and everything ocean-related, but I was there as a volunteer representative for a non-profit organization: this one, PangeaSeed. It was my first “gig” and I was so ridiculously excited that I was terribly nervous and clumsily tripping all over myself. This meeting was hosting a film festival: Beneath the Waves, a festival started by a student who I found out later is doing ultrasounds on Tiger Sharks – Wow. There were films being premiered showing the state of our oceans, some made by students, and some made by professional photographers, and some made by this very organization. So not only was I among these well-versed students and professors, there were also award-winning filmmakers there judging the films. To add to the nervousness, I was asked to video record as much as possible while there, so armed with an ancient Sony camcorder borrowed from a family member that I had never used, I set out with husband in tow.

My mission? I wasn’t really sure, but I was prepared to talk about it and had visions of a shark-saving Pied Piper marching across downtown Norfolk, VA with a band of hard-core shark-saving enthusiasts behind me. It didn’t exactly go down that way. This theater major, star salesperson, nature nerd and frequent guest speaker for a local nature center had major stage fright!  It started when we got to the entrance and I saw several people with tickets, name tags, and folders and we didn’t have any of those things. As late registrants, we weren’t staying at the hotel where the meetings were being held and we came just for the film festival. Now panic-stricken that this would all be for naught, I approached a kind-looking professor from New Hampshire (he was wearing a name tag) and asked him for the score. He told me he thought there wouldn’t be an issue. I prayed he was right. What was I going to do with the big box of PangeaSeed postcards printed with vegetable ink on recycled paper I had just schelpped five blocks?  Was I going to be able to show off my rockin’ PangeaSeed t-shirt? Would I be able to meet the famed Austin Gallagher, shark researcher and organizer of this film festival?  Was I going to let down my fearless PS leaders?  My stomach growled since I hadn’t had lunch or dinner. My husband was surely going to be over this in ten minutes.  And when did everyone get so young or I got so old and most importantly, I bought a pair of leopard Tom’s for the occasion and put so much thought into my outfit!

So they opened the doors and we filed in and I had absolutely NO IDEA what I was doing, what to film, what to say, who to talk to or where to begin. It was March and 84 degrees outside and the Nauticus museum had apparently turned off the A/C for the event, but then I realized it was me. The hives had started and I could feel them on my chest, hot and spreading. I told hubby I needed to grab some food and started looking for a short line at a buffet table. It was dark and people were wondering what was on the table in front of us. Everyone seemed to know everyone and so, to break the ice, I made a little joke, “Where are the oysters on the half shell and steamed shrimp?” It was just like when they turn off the music at a dance club and you’re yelling something about what just happened in the bathroom. It felt like all the air was sucked from the cavernous room from the collective gasp of 200 conservation-minded, over-studied, broke students. “Ah, kidding, ha ha, that was just a joke, uh, yeah…”. And nobody had my back.  They just stared and shook their heads. Or at least I felt like they did.  Well, this was off to a stellar start, I thought.  Hives creeped up my neck and the heat burned, so I grabbed my marinated mushrooms, crostini and some cheese and scurried off to find hubby. At that point, some beverage tickets would have been really appreciated, but I was here to work, so I persevered.

With sufficiently garlic-tainted breath, I moved toward the the theater entrance as they announced it was beginning and was greeted at the door by a charming young man I later found out was the organizer’s son. He said they’d been expecting me and the hives creeped steadily up onto my face. Oh no, did I miss something?  He told us Austin was on the other side of the theater and would want to meet me. So we headed over and I introduced myself. He was happy to see me and ready to get the showings started. We grabbed seats and somehow I ended up talking to some students behind us and told them about our cause and handed out my trusty postcards. They were so excited and I felt better. Ok, now we’re making a difference!  The films started and I was overwhelmed. Seeing the reality of the ocean’s situation is always difficult for me.

There were some great films, including a stop motion film made with construction paper about the imbalance of a species of crab in New England. There was a film about plastic being found in the stomachs of Albatross in the Midway islands, one of the most isolated places on Earth and a film about the reality of the frequency of deaths by shark, called “Meet Wilson”.  Then there was the film by Shawn Heinrichs and Paul Hilton, called “Manta Ray of Hope” about the slaughter of mantas for their gills around the globe. This hit especially close to home because every year we go to Palau and swim with the gentle and beautiful mantas. I’ve been so touched by them literally and figuratively and I sat there fighting the tears, but I couldn’t.  When you see something like that, you realize how out of touch the majority of the world is with what is going on in our oceans. We are so insignificant, but treat the animals around us as if they are the insignificant ones. We think we are the superior species, but sometimes we are the cruelest, most barbaric creatures with no empathy for life.

The festival showings in the main theater ended with the Tankbangers “Our Blue” underwater music video to lighten the mood a little. Of course, they do talk about shark finning and show some gruesome photos in the video, but by that point, I was so far gone with emotion, thinking about the difference we could all make if we just tried a little bit. In fact, I was so emotional that as we were filing out of the theater and the organizer, Austin saw me and was saying, “Hey, so…” I hugged him!  He must have thought I was the biggest weirdo. “I, I, thought it was great, awesome!  Incredible,” I stammered. He was very gracious, told me he was glad I enjoyed it and to check out the other theater and had to get ready for the second showing but we should talk sharks and they’d all be getting together for beers later. We exchanged contact information and I shuffled out. My hubby asked me later what I was thinking when I hugged him, not in a jealous way, but in an incredulous, I’m kind of embarrassed for you way and I told him I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the spirit of the occasion, or the idea that great, young minds were collaborating on projects to expose the trouble with our environment. Maybe it was the shocking images of sharks being slaughtered or the depressive thought that plastic is in every living thing now and touches us in ways we wish it wouldn’t. Or maybe, maybe it was the idea that this little three hour trip was the start of something bigger than myself and the beginning of making a difference for something really important that affects us all and not just the thing we love: the ocean.

Seeing all of those young, spirited people spending hours on boats, in labs, and in the middle of nowhere made me feel hopeful and inspired and I realized that it’s never too late to make a difference and you’re never too old to start something new that could have a positive effect on the world. So please forgive my terrible videography and the editing in the program I JUST learned how to use for this project and my general dorkiness and check out my video coverage from the film festival.  Who knows, my dorkiness might just inspire you to get involved. Even if you have a laugh over it and share it with your friends, the message is there: If I can make the leap into an unknown venture, so can you.

Photos copyright Jessica Rodgers 2012

By Ericka Calvert – PangeaSeed Assistant Director

PangeaSeed Kicks Off Shark Saving Art Tour in the United States

International shark and ocean conservation group continues to broadcast its message on a global scale through fund-raising exhibitions and network expansion along the United States’ west coast.

Colombo, Sri Lanka (May 2012) – In the spirit of ocean conservation the international non-profit organization, PangeaSeed, is ramping up its 2012 summer activities in the United States with a west coast art exhibition tour. Tailored to address one the biggest threats facing the health of world’s oceans today, the rapid mass depletion of sharks, PangeaSeed aims to expand the public’s knowledge of the inhumane practice of shark finning and its deep impact on the health of our oceans.

In the cruel process of shark finning, primarily practiced in Asia but also in other parts of the world, sharks are killed solely for their fins to satisfy an unsustainable appetite for shark fin soup. The shark is hooked and brought aboard the boat where its fins are then cut off and the still alive but limbless animal is tossed back into the sea to drown.

With each minute that passes close to 200 sharks are killed, adding up to an astonishing 73 million deaths each year.  Scientists estimate that global fish stocks will be in full collapse by 2048 if current consumption and destructive fishing practices continue. But even more shocking is the concern that the majority of the ocean’s shark species could be extinct within the next 10-20 years.

PangeaSeed, with an inclusive approach to spreading its message by engaging audiences through the mediums of art, photography, film, music and discussion, will embark on a series of art exhibitions held at a variety of forward-looking, socially-conscious galleries  located along the United States’ west coast.  The pioneering tour kicks off in mid-July in Seattle, Washington, and will then continue onto Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Costa Mesa, California, and culminate in San Diego, California, in mid-August.

“We are very excited to showcase a robust fund-raising art collection featuring works contributed by more than 70 internationally renowned artists, graphic designers, filmmakers and photographers.  Our exhibition will include major personalities including Dave Kinsey, Jen Lobo, Mario Wagner, Flick Ford and Kelly Allen.  Furthermore, many of our globally-based artist friends will be premiering their works for the first time ever in the United States” said Tre’ L. Packard, managing director of PangeaSeed.  A percentage of the proceeds from the summer exhibitions will also help in aiding the startup of PangeaSeed’s inaugural west coast chapter whose mission and efforts will help further fundraising to keep sharks afloat on the west coast and around the world.

In addition to these art exhibitions and the expansion of its network of local chapters, PangeaSeed is collaborating with the acclaimed Beneath the Waves Film Festival to screen a series of award-winning short films on specially selected evenings at each stop of the tour.  These films highlight some of the world’s most pressing marine-related issues ranging from the devastation caused by overfishing to the negative impact of plastics on our oceans and the effects of pollution throughout the world.

“Along the way we will be speaking and holding workshops at schools, universi­ties, and with conservation organiza­tions.  We also plan to take the opportunity to interview local politicians, conservationists, artists, children, chefs and those who work in the fishing industry so that we may raise awareness in a variety of mission-critical circles,” said Packard.  “The aim is to not only to raise awareness on the issue through these activities, but to document how the U.S. west coast is dealing with the recently passed bills that ban the sale, possession and trade of shark fins. These interactions will be filmed and produced as documentary providing much needed research, evidence and inspiration for other communities moving towards legitimate protection of shark species.”

“We strongly believe the tour has the potential to greatly impact the local community in each city in a variety of areas including environmental education, sustainability, and cross-cultural communication, and we’re thrilled with the opportunities we’ve been given to bring our message to the public.  Via our summer events PangeaSeed aims to open the eyes, minds and hearts of our neighbors and bring to the forefront the ecological and environmental problems that continue to be overlooked both domestically and around the globe.  Furthermore, we are confident that such an event will help expand and educate our international network of supporters so that we may continue our quest to protect our fragile blue planet.”

Artwork by PangeaSeed Creative Director – Aaron Glasson – Rah Akaishi

About PangeaSeed: PangeaSeed (pangeaseed.org) is an international grassroots organization founded in Tokyo, Japan dedicated to educating and raising international awareness on the plight of sharks and the destruction of their habitat.  Through volunteer activism, research, and the various mediums of art, music, film, and photography, PangeaSeed aims to create an open dialog with the global community to develop an understanding of the need to preserve and protect sharks and the oceans.  PangeaSeed is the first organization in Japan to raise public awareness regarding shark conservation and preservation.  We rely on the generosity of our supporters.

About Beneath the Waves: The Beneath the Waves Film Festival aims to encourage, inspire, and educate scientists, advocates, and the general public to produce and promote open-access, engaging marine-issue documentaries. Our goal is to facilitate widespread science communication by bringing together marine films from around the world for open discussion, while also providing hands-on educational opportunities for researchers interested in film and media outreach.

About Gallery Sponsors –

Seattle – July 13 – 15: Roq la Rue (http://roqlarue.com/) Since opening in 1998, Roq la Rue has been an integral part of the Pop Surrealism/Underground Contemporary art movement. They continue to exhibit established artists in the genre as well as fostering emerging artists, many of whom go on to great acclaim in the Pop Surrealism and Contemporary art scene. Their emphasis is on art that embodies technical craftsmanship blended with fantastical imagery and visually dynamic narratives featuring monthly exhibitions, and offer better works on the secondary market.

Portland – July 20 – 22: Grass Hut Co. (http://grasshutcorp.com) is a gallery/shop/studio located in Portland, Oregon, but all the artists involved have turned it more into a colorful wildfire of creativity that has spread throughout the tubes of the Internet connecting artists from around the world.  It’s about the spirit of stoking each other’s creative fires and making art that reminds everyone to have fun.  Grass Hut is also home to the finest indie-published zines, crafts, goofy toys, limited edition prints.

San Francisco – July 27 – 28: Spoke Art (http://spoke-art.com) is San Francisco’s newest art gallery and publishing house.  Located in San Francisco’s dynamic Lower Nob Hill neighborhood, Spoke Art specializes in emerging new contemporary artists with a firm emphasis on figurative and illustrative works.

Los Angeles – August 2 – 4: LeBasse Projects (http://www.lebasseprojects.com) is focused on the development of a carefully selected roster of international emerging artists. Since opening its doors in the Culver City Art District in 2009, LeBasse Projects has presented a program that fosters the growth of its artists by allowing them the freedom to create across a range of mediums.

Costa Mesa – August 10 – 12: Surf City Art Co./The ARTery (http://thelab.com/shops/the-artery) is a series of steel shipping containers transformed into a walkthrough community art exhibition space. The ARTery is dedicated to supporting emerging artists through their exhibitions and installations.

Surf City Art Co. (http://www.surfcityfineart.com) is a fine art dealer supporting water/action sports artists and advocacy for sustainability of the ocean, freshwater resources and marine biodiversity.

San Diego – August 17 – 19: Space 4 Art (http://www.sdspace4art.org) aims to establish permanent, affordable working, living and support facilities for artists in San Diego with maximum community involvement.  With goals to grow their idea through the eventual acquisition and building of a permanent facility.  As well as to dramatically increase the number of work/live units available, thereby attracting more emerging artists to San Diego.

Tour made possible with the kind support of our sponsors:

Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine

Hi*Fructose New Contemporary Art Magazine

Streetvirus

Arbor Collective

Carhartt Work In Progress

Montana Colors

BLK/MRKT

The Washington Post.com

By Juliet Eilperin

Pacific reef shark populations have plummeted by 90 percent or more over the past several decades, according a new study by a team of American and Canadian researchers, and much of this decline stems from human fishing pressure.

Quantifying the decline for the first time, the analysis published online Friday in the journal Conservation Biology demonstrates that shark populations fare worse the closer they are to people — even if the nearest population is an atoll with fewer than 100 residents.

By Tamera Jones

Planet Earth Online.com

The latest study suggests we may still be able to eat as much fish as we do today 40 years from now. But for that to happen, we’ll have to change our ways, say scientists.

Marine fisheries will have to be managed sustainably, and fish farms will need to become less reliant on wild fish to feed their stocks. Otherwise there’s a risk that many wild fish stocks could collapse, and fish as we know it will no longer feature in our diets.

With the world’s population predicted to soar to over nine billion by 2050, pressure on the world’s overexploited or depleted fisheries will be greater than ever.

But how many wild fish we can catch from the oceans is limited by both how quickly their stocks recover and how well fisheries are managed. This means the only other way to increase yield is through fish farms.

Yet many species of farmed fish – especially in industrialised countries – are fed on so-called fishmeal, which is made of wild-caught fish like sardines and anchovies.

And in many cases these fish themselves are also over-exploited. A rare exception is the anchovy fishery off the coast of Peru, which is well-managed and sustainable.

Of all the wild fish caught, two-thirds finds its way straight to our dinner plates. But the rest is processed into fishmeal and fish oil. And in some cases, the process isn’t particularly efficient. To produce 1kg of healthy, farmed salmon takes around 4kg of wild fish.

‘You could be forgiven for thinking that farmed fish is a greener option than severely-depleted fish like cod or bluefin tuna, but it really depends on the type of farmed fish you eat,’ says Dr Gorka Merino from Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK, who led the study, published in Global Environmental Change.

‘Fish farms have a significant environmental impact. If sustainable food production is to be maximised, fish farms will need to reduce their dependency on wild fish in the food they feed their stocks,’ he adds.

The Chinese are already very good at this; they’ve traditionally farmed fish like tilapia and carp, which need very little or no fishmeal. This means they’ve significantly increased the amount of fish they produce.

‘They produce a lot more fish with a lot less marine fish. But then their focus has been on generating fish and not profits. Looking for profits may entice producers to focus on expensive fish like salmon instead of producing more food. If market drivers lead fisheries dynamics, world fish stocks will become endangered along with our chances to feed an expanding population by 2050,’ says Merino.

He and a team of scientists from the UK, Malaysia, Canada and France set out to find out whether or not we’ll still be able to eat as much fish 40 years from now as we do today.

They included predictions about changes in the climate, estimates about fisheries production, global population estimates, assessments of fishmeal prices, and likely changes in fishmeal technology in their analysis.

They concluded that whether or not we will be able to provide enough fish for our ever-growing population will depend on a whole host of issues.

These include the effects of climate change on ocean productivity, how well fisheries are managed, and whether or not the fish farm industry can grow at the same time as cutting its environmental footprint.

Other researchers have suggested that instead of relying on whole wild fish, we could use discards from cod, haddock and tuna fisheries or un-fished species could be turned into fishmeal. Not only that, but we can help stocks of larger fish recover by eating smaller fish like sardines and anchovies directly, rather than using them as fish food. Another alternative would be to feed farmed fish on algae.

‘Encouragingly, the fish farms industry is making efforts to use different types of fishmeal to reduce their environmental footprint. Aquaculture is already adapting,’ says Merino.

Photo Copyright PangeaSeed 2012

By Muguntan Vanar

Asia One.com

Shark conservationists have thrown a challenge to hotels to whip up an alternative to shark fin soup and the chefs are rolling up their sleeves!

At least 10 chefs from major hotels in the city are expected to take part in the “Imperial Gourmet Soup Challenge” organised by the Tanjung Aru Junior Chamber International (JCI) on May 6.

JCI Tanjung Aru chairman Aderick Chong said the aim of the challenge at Surya Sabah Mall here was to create more gourmet soups for banquets.

“We hope shark fin soup will eventually be forgotten,” said Chong, whose JCI is among several NGOs working with the state government to put an end to shark hunting and finning in Sabah.

Chong said sharks’ fins were tasteless and contained methyl-mercury.

“At the moment, we have fish maw soup and chicken in wintermelon as the common replacements for shark fin soup. We hope more soup choices will be created and are just as prestigious,” he added.

The guidelines for the contest state that the soups must be shark and shark fin free and the chefs must use environmentally sustainable ingredients.

“Participants will be encouraged to refer to the Malaysia Sustainable Seafood Guide provided by WWF and Malaysian Nature Society.

“Our judges will only have the name of the soup and its ingredients for judging. The chefs will remain anonymous,” he said, adding that the identities of the chefs and their hotels would be revealed after winners were selected.

Chong said the Shangri-la group of hotels and the Sutera Harbour resort had removed shark fin soup from their menus.

Photo Copyright PangeaSeed 2012

Today Online.com

By Tan Weizhan

SINGAPORE – A series of anti-shark’s fin campaigns by various groups are taking place islandwide over the next few months with a common goal: To make Singapore fin-free in the near term.

The advocates are arguing for a ban on trade of the popular dish and its consumption at official banquets and functions. They are also hoping to persuade Chinese restaurants here to remove the dish from their menus and corporate events.

Two communities – Chong Pang and Canberra under Nee Soon GRC – have banned the dish from being served at official functions.

When contacted, the Ministry of Law said Law Minister K Shanmugan and Member of Parliament Lim Wee Kiak have recently taken the lead in this no shark’s fin stand.

Two weeks ago, the No Sharks Fins Singapore campaign was the first to launch here, organised by avid diver Michael Aw. After garnering enthusiastic support – 80,000 responses at an online petition earlier in January – organisers decided to take it a step further.

They hope to persuade all Chinese restaurants here to remove this dish – considered a traditional Chinese delicacy – by next year and will be conducting outreach programmes at schools. Non-profit organisations like World Wildlife Fund campaign are lending their weight behind this campaign.

Another group, Shark Savers, is due to embark on four campaigns over the next few months, with the end goal of persuading the authorities to impose a trade ban as well as a ban of the dish at official functions.

Speaking to Today, Mr Jonn Lu, who is leading efforts of the international shark conservation group, said that, while no other country in this region has imposed a total trade ban, Singapore is well positioned to be the first.

“To date, no country with a significant stake in this industry, be it a fishing, trading or a consumptive one, has done anything to protect sharks. Herein lies a golden opportunity for the Singapore Government to come across as a thought and policy leader,” he said.

Last year, Singapore imported about 3,500 tonnes of shark’s fin, 40 per cent more than the previous year. Explaining that in the past the focus was on education, Mr Lu said now there is little time for these efforts to bear fruit – hence the call for a ban.

According to Mr Lu, those from within the trading industry have estimated that sharks face extinction within a decade, while scientists give estimates of about 20 years.

Worldwide estimates are that about 100 million sharks are killed for their fins each year, although scientists are not sure. Internationally, calls for bans from environmentalists have met with limited success.

To date, only five states in the United States have passed Bills banning the sale, trade and possession of shark’s fins. California – the biggest market for this trade outside Asia – became the latest to implement the ban starting in January this year.

In China, negotiations are on-going for a trade and banqueting ban, said Mr Lu. According to reports, a legislation proposal for the latter was drawn up this year.

When contacted about the possibility of a ban here, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority said that “it will continue to monitor the conservation status of sharks and restrict trade in any species, which is endangered”.

A spokesman added that Singa-pore follows the lead of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which decides every three years if an animal is threatened with extinction.

In recent months, a string of local supermarkets, such as FairPrice and Carrefour, and hotels like Shangri-La pledged to stop serving or selling the dish.

Shark Savers’ efforts to spread its cause among the community here will focus on those aged between 10 to 45 years. The campaigns here will focus on social media, short ’101′ lessons held within the community to educate people on sharks, a Shark Aid concert, as well as print and television advertisements.

As to chances of winning enough support to successfully call for a ban, Mr Lu is optimistic as people now are “more interested than they were 10 to 15 years ago”.

He warned that loss of sharks as apex predators could lead to a “cascading effect” on wild fish stocks and commercial fisheries.

“We need to save them now for selfish reasons: Being apex predators, they are absolutely critical in the maintenance of balance and harmony within food pyramids and food webs,” he added.

Photo Copyright PangeaSeed 2012

With only spines attached, shark fins come ashore

The Tico Times.net

By Karla Arias Alvarado

Foreign fishing ships are bringing in shark skeletons – the flesh shaved away – with just their fins attached to the body. Local fishermen see this as another way that fishing fleets are evading shark finning laws.