PADI, diving and Instructor Development (IDC)

Camille's Samui Info blog: Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 21st April, 2011 [del.icio.us]
PADI, diving and Instructor Development (IDC) around Thailand: Join AWARE Divers Worldwide Demanding Better Shark Protection [del.icio.us]
Join AWARE Divers Worldwide Demanding Better Shark Protection

Camille's Samui Info blog: Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 21st April, 2011 [del.icio.us]

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:34 PM PDT

Daily weather update for tropical island destination Koh Samui in Thailand by long term resident Camille Lemmens

PADI, diving and Instructor Development (IDC) around Thailand: Join AWARE Divers Worldwide Demanding Better Shark Protection [del.icio.us]

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:56 AM PDT

Join AWARE Divers Worldwide Demanding Better Shark Protection
Shark populations are devastated by overexploitation, including targeted ﬁ shing, bycatch and ﬁ nning. Join thousands of AWARE divers and shark advocates who are serious about shark protection. Support the goal to reach 100,000 petition signatures from around the world by June 8th, World Ocean Day. Sign the petition and urge your friends and colleagues to do the same. Together, we're gaining the attention of policymakers worldwide. We're closing loopholes in existing global shark management policies and insisting on full protections for Endangered and Critically Endangered sharks.

Join AWARE Divers Worldwide Demanding Better Shark Protection

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:52 AM PDT

Join AWARE Divers Worldwide Demanding Better Shark Protection

Please sign the petition for better shark protection;

Shark populations are devastated by overexploitation, including targeted ﬁshing, bycatch and ﬁnning. Join thousands of AWARE divers and shark advocates who are serious about shark protection. Support the goal to reach 100,000 petition signatures from around the world by June 8th, World Ocean Day. Sign the petition and urge your friends and colleagues to do the same. Together, we're gaining the attention of policymakers worldwide. We're closing loopholes in existing global shark management policies and insisting on full protections for Endangered and Critically Endangered sharks.

Sign the Petition:

Yes, I'm appalled at the failure of the world's environment leaders at CITES 2010 in Qatar

to approve trade protections for some of the Earth's most vulnerable and heavily traded

shark species.

Each year, tens of millions of sharks are killed by Earth's most dangerous predators – humans. Too many of them fall victim to the cruel and wasteful practice of shark ﬁnning – the act of removing shark ﬁns and discarding the often still alive shark overboard. As Asian demand for ﬁns remains strong, markets for shark meat are growing, helping to push shark species to

the brink.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) analyses, all shark species proposed at the meeting met the criteria for listing under CITES Appendix II. Such listing requires that trade is controlled in order to avoid use that threatens the species' survival. Despite the depletion of sharks worldwide, restrictions on international trade are in place for

only three shark species – whale shark, great white shark and basking shark.

I join with Project AWARE, divers and activists worldwide, calling on CITES Parties, between now and the next CITES Conference, to:

• Heed all available scientiﬁc advice for limiting shark catches;

• Fully protect shark species listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN;

• Set precautionary shark ﬁshing limits [where no advice exists];

• Ensure all sharks are landed with their ﬁns naturally attached;

• Work with other countries to prepare and promote shark listing proposals for the next CITES Conference; and

• Improve shark trade data collection by taking national action to list all species proposed at CITES 2010 on Appendix III before the next CITES meeting in 2013.

We call on governments around the world to heed scientiﬁc advice to provide better protection for all sharks and their ocean ecosystem.

Thanks for your time and I hope that you will sign the petition in case you haven't done this yet.

Camille