The International Whaling Commission has just unveiled a proposal to legalize commercial whale hunting for the first time in 24 years.

Now, countries are deciding whether to support it — or push back. Already, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister has described some provisions as “unacceptable,” “inflammatory,” and “offensive.”

A massive global outcry is needed now, as other key countries choose how to react. Avaaz will deliver this petition to the Commission delegates each time it adds another 100,000 signatures – sign below and spread the word!

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Something Very Rotten in Denmark

Commentary by Captain Paul Watson
“What a piece of work is a man, how ignoble in reason, how finite in faculties, in form and moving how crude and contemptible, in action how like a destroying demon, in apprehension how like a cruel god! the scourge of the world, he most monstrous of all animals— and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Mankinds foul butchery delights not me, nor the living things of the Earth, or woman neither, though by their cynical smiling, he Danes seem to say so.“

- Shakespeare revised for modern times.
- Torn from Hamlet and butchered by the author to illustrate a point.

Please click here to read more about this horrible atrocity going on in the Faroe Islands.   You can write and e-mail your protests of this practice to:

DENMARK CONTACTS:

Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
The Prime Minister’s Office
Christiansborg
Prins Jørgens Gård 11
1218 Copenhagen K
E-mail stm@stm.dk
Telephone +45 33 92 33 00
Fax +45 33 11 16 65

The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries The Department
Slotsholmsgade 12
DK-1260 Copenhagen V
Denmark
Tel +45 33 92 33 01
Fax +45 33 14 50 42
Press service: +45 20 91 59 01
E-mail: fvm@fvm.dk
www.fvm.dk

FAROE ISLANDS:

Kaj Leo Johannesen
Prime Minister’s Office
Løgmansskrivstovan
Tinganes
P.O.Box 64
FO- 110 Tórshavn
Tel: +298 306000
Fax: +298 306015
E-mail: info@tinganes.fo

Fiskimálaráðið
Ministry of Fisheries
Heykavegur 6A
P.O. Box 347
FO-110 Tórshavn
Faroe Islands
Tel. (+298) 353030
Fax (+298) 353035
fisk@fisk.fo

Avgreiðslutíðir:
Mánadag - Hósdag 8 – 16
Fríggjadag 8 - 15

Friday, April 23rd @ 7:00pm
Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe
19 Exchange Street
Glens Falls, NY 12801

Jessica

The Pangaea Shark Project is a Satellite project to Mike Horns Pangaea Expedition

Our aim is to use our network of young adults from around the world to take an active part of repairing damage that has been done to our planet. We established the Shark Project as we see the need to act fast, as sharks are under threat.

We started to make some t-shirt designs, which are for sale online, and will get sold through sponsor websites, as well through our network in schools all around the world. 100% of the sales profit is going to be used for shark conservation projects.

Phase two will be start running campaigns to educate the youth, especially in Asian countries, so hopefully traditions can be broken and the shark consumption can be reduced to a more sustainable level, and shark finning is going to become illegal.

We are already working with governments, scientists, sponsors and ambassadors, but we hope the t-shirts with some great messages will help us spreading the word faster! Each of you can help, as your t-shirt purchase will be a donation for the sharks.

Your Pangaea Shark Project team!

photos courtesy of Stingray’s Aquarium Services

Thursday, April 15, 7 - 9 pm

Join filmmaker Rob Stewart for a special screening and exclusive discussion of his award-winning film, Sharkwater (2007, 89 minutes), winner of 34 international awards. This beautiful underwater film turns into a real life drama when Stewart uncovers the corruption and danger behind shark finning. His remarkable journey of courage and determination changes from a mission to save the world’s sharks, into a fight for his life, and that of humankind.  Click here for details.

Our champions are living proof that protecting sharks is something each and every one of us can do. To help you along, we created slide presentations in English and Chinese.

View them online, print them out and use them to help your local sellers of shark understand the problem.
Want proof that amazing results can happen with less than a week’s effort? Visit here to read how Stephen stopped over 15,000 bowls of shark fin soup from being served!

Courtesy of Shark Rescue

Shark fin soup is most popular at wedding banquets. Watch out for Shark Truth’s wedding contest to reward couples who Stop the Soup.

http://www.sharktruth.com/

Thank you to Kestrel Collison who wrote us back in June 2009.  Kestrel lives in Banff, Alberta and told us about her experiences in Exumas, Bahamas with her family, surrounded by ocean, fish, and sharks. Kestrel told us about a charity established by her family in 1968. Through this charity Kestrel was given the opportunity to make a presentation to the Board supporting a cause she believed in.  Kestrel chose Sharkwater and came in third in her competition. Congratulations Kestrel! To see Kestrel’s speech:

Read the rest of this entry »

Just prior to a United Nations endangered species conference that begins this week, a government official has announced that Maldives, an island country in the Indian ocean, is banning shark fishing in its waters. “We’ve decided to go ahead with a shark fishing ban,” Ibrahim Didi, the fisheries and agriculture minister, told The New York Times. “Beginning July 1 there will be a total ban on exports.” Maldives is one of the world’s top scuba-diving destinations. Researchers from James Cook University in Australia last year estimated that a single gray reef shark was worth $3,300 a year to the Maldivian tourism industry, compared with the one-time value of $32 that a fisherman would get from the same shark. Didi said his government began planning the ban last year, but was delayed due to objections from fishermen, who were catching the sharks and killing them for their fins. Now, he says, “They understand that it isn’t a sustainable fishery.” The government is planning to provide the fishermen with financial support and retraining. The Maldivian waters are home to over 26 types of sharks, including the whale shark, tiger shark and hammerhead shark.

Thank you to Noah Doughty, Biology teacher at Mission College Preparatory who sent us the following letter and comments:

To Rob Stewart and all the others involved with the SHARKWATER film, website and related projects
I recently showed the movie Sharkwater in my biology classes and my students were greatly impressed with the movie and wanted to find out more. As a follow up assignment I asked the students to email me with their comments and questions after watching the movie. I’ve left spelling and grammar unchanged. I realize that you are busy and probably do not have time to reply to all, but we did want to send you the message that the movie was watched, awareness was raised, and many of the students want to know how they can help.
Thank you for such an amazing film,
Noah Doughty
Biology Teacher
Mission College Preparatory