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| Shark Finning Brouhaha by tomakint on 18 December 2004 @ 01:12 PM Recent studies show the shark population has declined roughly 90% since the 1950s, with exploitation worsening in recent years. But the oceans cannot thrive without predator species -- indeed, sharks play a critical role in maintaining the health of our marine ecosystems. Shark Fin Soup a popular delicacy across ASIA is fast taking its toll on Shark population now. Fishermen are said to catch a shark, slice off its fins, and then, cast it back into the water to bleed a slow, painful death. The joy of it all is that all hope is not lost as just last month, the 63 nations that comprise the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) approved a binding U.S. proposal to ban shark finning in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. This is a big step forward, as it’s the first time there has been a coordinated, multilateral effort to ban this cruel practice on the open seas. We must not lose focus let's urge U.S. officials to pursue a global ban on shark finning and an end to this barbaric practice, which continues at alarming and unsustainable rates in the Pacific Ocean and other international waters. You may send this letter to the emails of any concerned bodies in your respective countries; Dear Dr. Hogarth:(this name applies to US applicants change when you are sending it outside the US) We commend you for your leadership in advocating a ban on the destructive and wasteful practice of shark finning in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea through the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Shark finning is a cruel and inhumane practice that wastes more than 95% of the animal and makes proper species management and conservation extremely difficult. Moreover, given the migratory nature of sharks, anything less than a global ban on shark finning leaves this species, whose numbers have been seriously depleted in recent decades by over-fishing, vulnerable to unsustainable exploitation in the Pacific Ocean and other international waters. We urge you to lead the call for a global ban on shark finning. We believe all countries should prepare and implement plans for the conservation and management of sharks as recommended by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization; and we call on all countries to end the wasteful and destructive practice of shark finning in local and international waters. Sincerely yours, (your name) |
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