Our friends at the Sea Save Foundation are hard at work at CITES COP 19 in Panama City, Panama. Their efforts have paid off with the prospect of the trade in products from 113 marine species getting new protection. However, today and tomorrow are the plenary sessions, in which all the agreements reached over the proceeding 2 weeks are required to be ratified by the entire body.
Our friends at SeaSave have highlighted some excellent new protections for sharks that are currently going through the British legislative process. The government plans to introduce laws that will render the import or export of any detached fins illegal. The ban will extend to canned products and other shark products.
There was great news for sharks on UN World Oceans Day. Seasave reports that Hawaii Governor David Ige signed nine new laws in a ceremony to mark World Oceans Day, including a ban on intentionally or knowingly capturing, entangling or killing a shark in state marine waters. Meanwhile, in the US Senate, a bill passed that bans the transport, sale, or purchase of shark fins.
In response to questions in Maldivian People’s Majlis or parliament, the Minister of Fisheries, Zaha Waheed, has stated that the ministry was considering lifting the country’s current ban on shark fishing. The reasons stated for this are that this would allow the exploitation of sharks as an economic resource, which ignores the economic benefits that tourism provides. Please click through for ideas about individual advocacy, research, and statements of support from the global marine conservation organization for maintaining the current ban.
Egypt’s Red Sea offers a fairly unique opportunity to photograph oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus) sharks without bait. With the help of some of his amazing images, regular contributor Alex Mustard and Wetpixel Editor Adam Hanlon discuss some of the techniques that can help provide underwater photographers with memorable images of these iconic and increasingly rare animals.
The Governor of Florida has signed into law Bill SB 860 aka the Kristin Jacobs Ocean Conservation Act, which makes it illegal to import, export and sell most shark fins in Florida from October 1. There is a loophole however that allows existing holders of shark fishing permits and seafood dealers that h0ld a “valid federal Atlantic shark dealer permit” to continue to engage in the import and export of fin through into January 2025.
It is fitting that yesterday was World Shark Awareness Day and Wetpixel Live features regular contributor Alex Mustard’s Favorite Shark Images. He takes us from Cuba to Cornwall, describes his equipment and techniques, and lists the reasons for these images making it onto his shortlist.
Annie Crawley has released the second of her “Our Ocean and You” tutorial series. This episode is entitled “Great White Sharks, Hammerheads, Mantas and More” and features footage captured by Bill Fisher, Joe Romeiro, Tom Osborn, Pascal Kobeh, and Amos Nachoum. In addition, Annie will be hosting a live webinar on 9 April at 9.00 AM PST.
Hakai Magazine has published an article about research that Grace Casselberry of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been doing about the reaction of sharks to hurricanes. It seems that they sense the changes in atmospheric pressure that precede these weather events, and head for the safety of deep water.