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Hong Kong's ghostly seas warn of looming global tragedy
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by Simples | November 3, 2009 at 07:02 pm
164 views | 23 Recommendations | 11 comments
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Death in Hong Kong: Polluted seas warn of looming tragedy
HONG KONG — The live fish facing death in the glass tanks in Hong Kong's famous seafood restaurants tell a strange and haunting tale of a looming global tragedy.
Shark fins for sale. Hong Kong is a microcosm of a marine disaster in which wild fish are being eaten out of existence worldwide.
WF says that "Hong Kong waters were incredibly rich just decades ago with manta rays, hammerhead sharks, giant grouper and croakers taller than a man. In less than a lifetime Hong Kong has lost them all."
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The future of the world's fisheries is grim but recovery is possible if governments act swiftly to manage commercial fishing, a major scientific study found recently. "Across all regions, we are still seeing a troubling trend of increasing stock collapse," said Boris Worm of Canada's Dalhousie University, lead author of the study published in the journal Science in July.
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Having told their tale, the fish in the tanks in the Hong Kong restaurants pose a question for ecologically aware diners: Is it no longer acceptable to eat fish?
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Hong Kong's ghostly seas warn of looming global tragedy
Official action a last gasp chance for fish: scientists
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (11)
at 05:53 on November 4th, 2009
Humans kill 100 million sharks a year ...and for what?
Sharks are in Danger
Shark Finning seashepherd.org
Hooked sharks are hauled onto boats; their fins are sliced off while they are still alive.
These helpless animals are then tossed back into the ocean where, unable to swim without their fins, they sink towards the bottom and die an agonizing death.
With 90% of the world's large shark populations already wiped out, sharks are being depleted faster than they can reproduce.
This threatens the stability of marine ecosystems around the world.
Sharks are vitally important apex predators.
They have shaped marine life in the oceans for over 400 million years and are essential to the health of the planet, and ultimately to the survival of mankind.
Sea Shepherd patrols marine protected areas, exposing the corruption that drives this multi-billion dollar industry and directly intervening to stop the brutal slaughter of sharks.
at 08:10 on November 4th, 2009
A dreadful situation, of course it can be reversed, but it is the lack of discipline and the drive of financial gain that make most of the efforts nil and void.
at 13:05 on November 4th, 2009
You do need to learn how to use our highlight tool if you are going to post material from outside souces. We ask all our members to use it, we can help you learn, but you need to let us know if you don't know how to use it
at 15:43 on November 4th, 2009
Hi amyjudd,
I do not know how to use the tool. Help me!
at 16:50 on November 4th, 2009
Ok, have you downloaded the tool from here? Have a look at that page as I'm not sure if you use FireFox or not. If you do use FireFox, go ahead and download the tool.
Send me a private message when you've had a look there and then I can help you further.
at 05:00 on November 5th, 2009
China's growing middle class provides the biggest market for shark fin soup, with millions more newly rich Chinese being able to afford the luxury dish with each passing year. China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand are the biggest consumers of the tasteless dish, which sells for about ninety dollars a bowl. (Shark fins are worth about 300 dollars per pound).
But this methodical massacre is not the only way that sharks are being killed. The enormous scale of commercial long-line fishing and by-catch, habitat loss and destruction, particularly of their nursery areas in shallow waters near shores, pollution, and a variety of smaller operations which have great impact taken together, are drastically compounding the problem.
Sharks, around whom oceanic life has evolved for several hundreds of millions of years, are nearly gone, like the buffalo of the American west, but on a planetary scale. Life came from the oceans, and flowers on the earth because the oceans continue to moderate the planetary life support systems. But the destruction of the ocean's complex life will kill them. And how will we live, then?
at 02:21 on November 6th, 2009
Palau pioneers 'shark sanctuary'
Dear President Toribiong,
We congratulate and offer our deep gratitude to you and to the people of Palau for your courageous and intelligent creation of the National Shark Sanctuary in Palau.
We agree with your statement, Mr. President, that "the strength and beauty of sharks are a natural barometer for the health of our oceans".
We realize this is just a beginning and we support Palau in its desire to diligently enforce, as well as seek international assistance to enforce, these new shark protections.
We also want to acknowledge the efforts of the Palaun organizations whose efforts helped to create the National Shark Sanctuary. The Belau Tourism Association, Palau Visitors Authority, and Palau Chamber of Commerce faciliated the efforts of Shark Savers and other NGOs and individuals as we sought to defeat Palau Senate Bill 8-44, which threatened to re-open commercial shark fishing. The Palau Shark Sanctuary is an NGO that has worked for years to establish the National Shark Sanctuary in Palau.
Sign the 'thank you' to Palau
at 02:27 on November 6th, 2009
Palau pioneers 'shark sanctuary'
Stopping Demand for Shark Fin Soup in China Shark Savers joins forces with WildAid to persuade people in China to not eat shark fin soup... http://www.sharksavers.org/
Stopping Demand for Shark Fin Soup in ChinaStopping Demand for Shark Fin Soup in China
Shark populations have been driven towards extinction in the past 20 years, with numbers down over 90% in many areas. The primary reason is increased demand for shark fin soup in China. Demand outstrips supply as fishermen around the world, motivated by the high value of the fins, hunt down the last vestiges of once robust shark populations.
Fins of up to 73 million sharks each year pass through the Hong Kong shark fin markets into China and beyond. The number rises above 100 million sharks killed annually when commercial and recreational fishing and unintended by-catch are added. Sharks mature and reproduce slowly and cannot recover from this rate of catch.
But the truth is just the opposite. Sharks are potent concentrators of toxins that enter the oceans from industrial pollution, including methylmercury. Toxins accumulate as they move up the food chain from prey to predator. Sharks are at the top of the chain and retain the most toxins. The toxins then enter and remain in the people who eat sharks.
The removal of sharks from the oceans may be even more dangerous. For over 450 million years, sharks have been the guardians of the balance of the ocean ecosystem. Their demise has been shown to upset the entire food chain, with some species becoming too plentiful and causing the disappearance of other species important to man’s food supply. The elimination of sharks may yet bring an end to shark fin soup, but at too high a price for the sharks, the oceans, and mankind.
Fortunately, there is evidence the high demand for shark fin soup can be reduced. Research conducted in China indicates that when confronted with the truth, consumers will change their impression of the soup. Indeed, 82% of those who recently saw WildAid advertising claim they will stop eating the soup.
Since 1996, WildAid’s Active Conservation Awareness Program (ACAP) has effectively curbed the demand for illegal wildlife products. During 2007-08, WildAid developed and expanded its work to reduce demand for shark products, primarily in China. This campaign included television and billboard campaigns featuring leading Olympic stars pledged not to eat shark fin soup. The advertising featured the main stars of the Olympics Opening Ceremony, Yao Ming, who carried the Chinese flag for the Chinese team, Li Ning, who lit the giant torch and musician Liu Huan, who sang the official theme song of the 2008 Olympics.
Both organizations have complimentary missions, are pooling their resources, skills, and energy to make sure this campaign is most effective before we reach the point of no return for shark conservation. WildAid's primary efforts in this campaign will be the development and airing of television, print, and outdoor advertising, and to leverage its network of influential Chinese. Shark Savers' focus will be on creating Internet and social networking messaging, a film and other materials, designed to empower people to become advocates for the cause in their families and communities. There will be additional elements of the campaign, as well.
We, at Shark Savers, are very excited to be working with WildAid on this campaign. No where in the world can we affect as big a change in shark consumption habits than in China. We think that, together, we have the right skills, message, and elements to 'close the sale' with the Chinese public. It is an urgent time as shark populations continue to dwindle, but we think that there are signs of real hope. With the athletic and cultural heroes and prominent businessmen that are coming together for this cause, and the already-proven message, we think we may be at a tipping point in China on the issue of shark fin soup.
Current status:
We have raised enough funds to produce the first phase of the campaign and to launch it. Production is in progress at the time of this writing. We urgently need additional funds to keep the campaign going.
at 03:01 on November 6th, 2009
Stopping Demand for Shark Fin Soup in China
In 2009, WildAid and Shark Savers have come together to amplify the impact of this awareness and education campaign in China to reduce consumption of shark fin soup. This campaign will utilize cultural, athletic, and business heroes of China, including basketball legend Yao Ming, to deliver a message proven to make shark fin soup socially unacceptable.
at 04:35 on November 8th, 2009
click here to save sharks Make a Difference: See SHARKWATER!
Help save sharks by spreading the word.
In the true-life documentary Sharkwater, director and biologist Rob Stewart sets out on a journey through 15 countries over five years, documenting the plight of our oceans through the eyes of one of the world's most misunderstood creatures, the shark.
As species of sharks are becoming extinct due to poaching, you can do your part by telling your friends to see Sharkwater and pass on the message that sharks are not man-eating monster and need our help!
Save the sharks, save the world.
Forward this email on to ten of you friends, or better still ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS and let them know they can help by seeing Sharkwater and spreading the word.
For more information, please visit www.sharkwater.com
at 17:43 on November 15th, 2009
PHOTOS
LUSH and Sea Shepherd
Learn more about Sea Shepherd's partnership with LUSH through these news postings:
Wednesday, September 03, 2008 LUSH and Sea Shepherd Launch Global Anti-Shark-Finning Campaign: Alice Newstead Hung by Actual Shark Hooks in Protest of the Slaughter Shoppers on Regents Street in central London likely got more than they bargained for this afternoon. In a dramatic illustration of how sharks are caught and killed for their fins, Alice Newstead, performance artist and former employee of LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, voluntarily had her skin pierced with actual de-barbed shark hooks and hung suspended from the ceiling in the window of one of LUSH's busiest shops for all to see.
As a crowd gathered to watch in horror, Newstead said, "I am doing this because the demand for shark fin soup and other shark products is wiping out the shark population." Unlike the 100 million sharks who are brutally slaughtered each year for their fins, Newstead commented, "I will be left with scars, but the wounds will heal."
"Sea Shepherd is deeply impressed by LUSH's commitment to shark conservation and its willingness to use its 500+ storefronts as a global platform for educating the public on such a critically important issue," said Kim McCoy, International Executive Director of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. "We applaud Alice for her courageousness in using her body as a tool to help educate consumers about the urgent need to protect sharks. She is an inspiration to us all."
"Sea Shepherd will be presenting Alice Newstead with an award for courage for her incredible achievement in focusing public attention on the worldwide slaughter of sharks," said Captain Paul Watson, Founder and President of Sea Shepherd. "What she and LUSH have contributed to this conservation effort is enormous. The cruelty of the shark finning industry was brought intimately into focus with the piercing of Alice's flesh and the dripping of her blood down her back. LUSH, Sea Shepherd, and Alice are very much aware that if we drive sharks to extinction, we will destroy our oceans, and if we do that, civilization will collapse and humanity will disappear. What Alice did was not just for the saving of sharks, but for the salvation of humankind. Our admiration for her sacrifice is profound, and the scars that she will bear represent a rare courage demonstrating that we all must do what we can with the talents we possess to save our oceans."
Today's dramatic enactment of the gruesome manner in which sharks are caught kicks off the beginning of a global campaign between LUSH and Sea Shepherd. Each of LUSH's storefronts across the UK now hosts window displays featuring Sea Shepherd's jolly roger flag, LCD screens playing a continuous loop of Shark Angels footage, and other educational materials.
LUSH's staff are dressing as pirates and handing out Sea Shepherd shark brochures (PDF) in an attempt to educate consumers about the desperate plight of sharks. Among other things, LUSH is urging consumers to boycott restaurants that serve shark fin soup and health food stores that sell shark cartilage supplements. LUSH has also delivered letters to local restaurants and health food stores asking them to "wash their hands" of this barbaric industry and stop selling shark products.
To assist these businesses in "cleaning up their act," LUSH has created a new and cruelty-free product especially for this campaign, called Shark Fin Soap. The UK stores plan to sell a limited batch of 11,416 bars, with 100% of the proceeds going to Sea Shepherd. Why 11,416 bars? In recognition of the fact that a staggering 11,416 sharks are killed every hour, and that populations are being wiped out faster than they can reproduce.
To learn more, watch the video, or purchase Shark Fin Soap, visit: www.lush.co.uk.
To read LUSH's press release, click here (PDF).
Thursday, August 21, 2008 LUSH and Sea Shepherd Launch Partnership Campaign to Protect Sharks
On August 12th, Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd and Andrew Butler, the Global Campaigns Director for LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics launched a campaign to protect the sharks of the ocean.
From the Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, Captain Watson and Andrew Butler explained to the Australian media in attendance that the campaign was being launched in Australia for the purpose of urging the government of the state of Queensland to not proceed with a proposal to open a dedicated shark fin fishery in the waters around and in the Great Barrier Reef, a world heritage site.
The decision by Queensland is expected in mid-September 2008.
"If we can't convince a nation like Australia of the importance of protecting sharks from this destructive fishery, we will have little hope of convincing poorer nations to refrain from slaughtering the world's sharks for the Chinese shark fin market," said Captain Paul Watson.
"Sharks have shaped evolution in our oceans for 450 million years," continued Captain Watson, "and their diminishment has already been the cause of severe damage to global oceanic eco-systems. Shark species extinctions will cause irreparable damage. If we can't save the sharks, we will fail to save our oceans, and if our oceans die, civilization and humanity will die. LUSH and Sea Shepherd recognize that we need to save the sharks if we are to save ourselves, and we are working together to make this happen."
The Queensland government has been attempting to keep the shark proposal as quiet as possible, so quiet in fact that they informed the media that there was no plans and no proposal to open a dedicated shark fishery despite the fact that the proposal has been on the government web site for months.
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries told the media bluntly that there are no plans to catch and process sharks on the Great Barrier Reef.
What this means is that the government of Queensland and Premier Annie Bligh will be in a very embarrassing position if they proceed to pass this proposal next month after publicly stating that there is no proposal or plan to open a shark fishery.
We intend to hold them to this although we suspect when the time comes, they will say that the statement made was from a bureaucrat who was misinformed.
The Lush and Sea Shepherd initiative is a global campaign.
"Lush is a campaigning company, and we have already tackled issues such as animal testing and over-packaging. But with 100 million sharks being killed every year and time fast running out for the remaining 10% of the global shark population, the campaign against shark finning and longlining is perhaps our biggest challenge yet," said Andrew Butler.
"Lush have over 550 stores in more than 50 countries, and we will be campaigning on this issue in all of them, but the nature of the global campaign very much depends on the decision made by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries in Australia next month. If it goes against the sharks we will know who the target of our campaign will be," said Butler.
LUSH will have window displays including Sea Shepherd and Shark Angel videos running in their stores beginning in September. LUSH has also created a new product called Sharkfin Soap with the profits from the sale going to finance Sea Shepherd anti-shark-finning campaigns.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is the world's most active shark conservation organization. With full time anti-poaching patrols in the Galapagos National Park Marine Reserve and global efforts to confiscate and destroy illegal longlines, Sea Shepherd has saved hundreds of thousands of sharks and inflicted enormous economic damage on illegal shark finning operations including the confiscation of over 45,000 shark fins in Ecuador in 2007. Sea Shepherd also is featured in the commercially successful release of the film Sharkwater.
Sharkwater premiered in Perth, Australia on the evening of August 12th with over 550 people attending the benefit opening for Sea Shepherd sponsored by Sea Shepherd in Western Australia.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Lush and Sea Shepherd team-up for global campaign against shark fishing industry
Sydney - It's flank speed against shark fishing for Captain Paul Watson, Founder and President, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - announcing a new partnership with Lush to raise global awareness of the plight of sharks and publicly shame the Queensland Fisheries Department (DPI&F) proposal to open a dedicated finfish fishery on the Great Barrier Reef.
Lush will be running an international campaign in over 550 stores worldwide in the coming months to draw attention to the fact that over 90% of the world's sharks have already been wiped out and, with 100,000,000 sharks a year being killed for their fins, flesh, cartilage and oils, that the situation for these vitally important marine animals has become critical. Lush will have a window campaign, in-store educational materials and a new product, Shark Fin Soap the sale of which will benefit Sea Shepherd, as part of the campaign.
Australia was chosen for the launch of the campaign because the decision to approve a proposed shark fishery in Queensland is expected in September 2008. The time for public action, against the proposal is now. Sea Shepherd and Lush believe that if the Queensland Fisheries Department can't see the issue for its obvious dangers, then subjecting the proposal to global public scrutiny is the only solution.
Sea Shepherd's Captain Paul Watson said, "Sharks have shaped evolution in our oceans for 450 million years, and their diminishment has already been the cause of severe damage to global oceanic eco-systems. Shark species extinctions will cause irreparable damage."
"If we can't save the sharks, we will fail to save our oceans, and if our oceans die, civilization and humanity will die. Lush and Sea Shepherd recognize that we need to save the sharks if we are to save ourselves, and we are working together to make this happen!" he said.
Andrew Butler, Global Campaigns Director, Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics added "Lush are a campaigning company, and we have already tackled issues such as animal testing and over packaging. But with 100 million sharks being killed every year and time fast running out for the remaining 10% of the global shark population, the campaign against shark finning and longlining is perhaps our biggest challenge yet."
"Lush have over 550 stores in more than 50 countries, and we will be campaigning on this issue in all of them, but the nature of the global campaign very much depends on the decision made by the DPI&F in Australia next month; if it goes against the sharks we know who the target of our campaign will be," he said.
Renowned Shark Biologist Richard Fitzpatrick adds, "The proposed inshore fin fishery for sharks is completely illogical - we know nothing about the basic biology of these animals - their growth rates, reproductive cycles and movement patterns. It is the equivalent of pulling a person off the street and making them fly a plane without a manual - it's a guaranteed disaster."
Notes
Today Lush sent a letter to Environment Minster Peter Garrett and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin asking them to take action to stop the proposed shark fishery in Queensland. The letter follows.
Lush Cosmetics
Campaigns Manager
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Founder and President
Read about the Sea Shepherd and LUSH Seal Campaign
P.O. Box 2616, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(USA) Tel: 360-370-5650 Fax: 360-370-5651
All contents copyright ©2009 Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
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