Discovery Channel: Shark Conservation

Progress in the Battle to End Shark Finning

No shark conservation blog is complete without a discussion of what's being done to stop shark "finning" -- the wasteful and indefensible practice of slicing off a shark's fins and discarding the body back to the sea.  Shark fins are in high demand for "shark fin soup," which is considered a status symbol in Asia.  Shark finning has been banned by many (still not most) fishing nations and by most international fisheries bodies, but the means used to enforce the bans vary widely.   Ocean Conservancy has been working with groups like the Pew Environment Group (www.pewtrusts.org) and the Humane Society (www.hsus.org) to strengthen U.S rules on shark finning. 

Most shark scientists and conservationists agree that the best way to ensure an end to finning is to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea.  This "fins-attached" strategy takes the guesswork out of enforcement and can help in identification of species caught.  Costa Rica has been a champion of this method, thanks in large part to the conservation group Pretoma (www.tortugamarina.org).  Most finning bans, however, are still enforced through a complicated fin to body weight ratio. 

The "fins-attached" strategy is now at last gaining momentum.  It was encouraged by the United Nations last fall and will take effect for U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico fisheries on July 24.   Over the last few months, thanks to Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, the U.S. House of Representatives developed and adopted a bill to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea, close other loopholes in the national finning law, and encourage shark conservation in other countries.  For the bill to become law, the Senate needs to take similar action.  You can help by contacting your senator and expressing your support for a stronger U.S. finning ban.  With improved national legislation, the U.S. will be well positioned to press for stronger finning bans and shark conservation programs around the world.

PHOTO: Fisherman holding knife and dorsal fin from hammerhead shark. (Photo by Jeff Rotman/ Getty Images )

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.

The Mediterranean: the most dangerous place for sharks

Welcome to Discovery Channel's Shark Week Conservation Blog!  I'm Sonja Fordham, director of the Shark Conservation Program for Ocean Conservancy (www.oceanconservancy.org), and for the next two weeks, I'll be posting updates and information on shark conservation and related science.  I hope you'll join in by posting your questions and opinions on shark conservation.

I thought it was fitting to start this blog series during my visit to the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea.  The Mediterranean has recently been dubbed "the most dangerous place in the world ... if you're a shark."  Hope lies in encouraging Malta, already a leader in regional shark conservation, to seize opportunities to promote greater protection for the region's sharks. 

Quick Stats:

• Last year, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) reported that 42 percent of the sharks and rays in the Mediterranean are threatened with extinction (www.iucn.org).  This percentage is higher than those for all other regions assessed around the world. 

• Last month, the Lenfest Ocean Program (www.lenfestocean.org) released scientists’ findings that several Mediterranean sharks (makos, hammerheads, porbeagles, threshers and blue sharks) have declined by 97 to 99 percent.  There are no catch limits in the Mediterranean for these commercially valuable sharks. 

• In fact, Malta is the only EU country on the Mediterranean to provide any protection for Mediterranean sharks (great white and basking sharks), thanks in large part to efforts of the “Sharkman of Malta” (www.sharkmans-world.com). 

The situation for Mediterranean sharks is clearly awful, but there has never been greater opportunity for change.  Mediterranean countries, particularly members of the European Union, have tools to improve the situation.   For starters, the EU is now developing a Plan of Action for Sharks that can set the stage for widespread improvements in EU shark policies.  There are also a variety of regional agreements that can spark conservation actions for sharks, if prompted by countries like Malta.   Check out www.sharkalliance.org to learn more about how you can help save Mediterranean sharks, and tune in again over the next two weeks for news on shark conservation in other regions of the world.

Also, feel free to post questions and comments about shark conservation. I will try to respond to one or two each day.

PHOTO: Blue shark in waters off San Clemente Island, California. (Photo by (c) Joshua Singer/ Getty Images)

Post your questions for Sonja in the Comments section below.  She will be checking in to give you answers.