Thresher shark season in Bali. The slaughter begins again !

[DIVE TULAMBEN]

Wisnu,
In answer to your points.

1)What shall be stopped is shark finning of any sharks, not just thresher shark.

Yes we would like to stop all shark fishing.
We are asking for Bali to be a shark sanctuary with no fishing of sharks. Also no trading or trafficking of shark products through Bali or shark fin soup for sale.

It just happens that these sharks are 90% pregnant Thresher sharks and catching them is already forbidden. Obvious killing all the females and the next generation is even more harmful than normal shark fishing.


2)I will sign the petition immediately.....
I support your effor if you put any picture of shark fins traders or anyshops selling sharkfins

The photos with the sharks being finned are from the wholesale warehouse in Kusamba.

3)Indeed, there's no statement barbarian, no brain or not educated in the website

Thanks. Nice you do not falsely acuse anymore !

4)the fishermen is just small poor people, not educated well, nobody support them

Hang on, you originally accuse the website of saying the fisherman are uneducated, which it does not. Then you do it yourself in your 2nd post ! How rude !!!!


5)you ask for donation in yourweb to support your activity ... how many % go to them[/QUOTE]

So far we are spending our own money on this. Some dive centers have sponsored boats, tanks ect.
Working with the well respected NGO sharksavers.org we have produced fliers in Bahasa Indonesian and also fliers in English to highlight the distructive shark fishery and the lost chance to earn big tourist $ from protecting the sharks.

6)I will sign the petition immediately if you list the restaurant that offer shark fin in their menu

The shark fins are exported and not eaten much on Bali. You can see plenty of info online about that if you are interested.

As an example of what can be done I draw your attention to Bali tutles. Until very recently around 25,000 sea turtles were killed every year in Bali for ceremonies. See this link

http://www.sos-seaturtles.ch/Bali_Kampagne_alt_PDF/Bali Kampagne alt .pdf

This has been almost completly stopped by a campaign against it.
Are the people now poorer or hungrier ? No-now people use chickens and ducks and eat pig instead.
25,000 turtles a year were saved just on Bali ! Why? Because a campaign drew attension to the issue.

As you are a vocal diving Indonesian I would be very interested in what you have done to protect the seas for the next generation to live from and enjoy ? Or do you specialise in critisizing other peoples efforts and doing nothing yourself?

 

[Bali Diver]

Wisnu,


As you are a vocal diving Indonesian I would be very interested in what you have done to protect the seas for the next generation to live from and enjoy ? Or do you specialise in critisizing other peoples efforts and doing nothing yourself?

Totally agree with you with this comment and don't think you needed in anyway to answer any of those points in your last post.

Wisnu have you been drimking as i can't believe your comments on this thread and if you don't have anything positive to say in this latest Indonesian sad example of the underwater life being destroyrd,then please don't post and if you feel a need to reply to my comment then PM me

For those of us who do care about how the underwater world is being destroyed and someone who loves Indonesian so much and totally sickened when this was brought to my attention on here going back to late last year,more so as i commented back then how sickened i was due to the fact that this is happening in the most diving tourist area of Indonesin and worse that this has been happening for some years.

I have recently just come back from Indonesia and again to cut a long story short i think why don't more Indonesian divers do not do anything about how much of their wonderful underwater world is being destroyed.

Indonesian number 1 exporter of shark fins and worse and it's all legal and worse with this topic DIVE TULAMBEN states its forbidden to kill pregnant Threshers,this now sickens me more.

Laugh at me if you want but in future generations they will look back and think how barbaric mankind was and also laugh how so many wondered about other worlds and on their own planet they had one,a glorious underwater world and one they totally destroyed and that mankind was the most dangerous,selfish species on the planet.


As divers we are more aware,so as divers we should care more and the example of the slaughted pregnent Threshers must stop

 

[Wisnu]

You don't read my post properly.
I'm insist, you website give the impression and will not help the fishermen neither the fliers that you printed
Stress the problem to shark finning and trading rather than pointing the problem or giving the "impression" that the fishermen is the root cause - that's the one I do not support.
I support the petition in other place to remove the sharkfin menu, or to stop sharkfin trading and simiar other petition
Protecting sharks is good, earn lot $$$ from big tourist is excelent - but what the contribution to the fishermen?

NO, NO, I'm not vocal diving Indonesian and do not pretend to, and will not try to .. that's not my expertise
I'm just one of Indonesian, who a bit fortunate having better life compared with hundred millions Indonesian people who suffering from bad government. corruption, as well as opportunist who take for granted
I'm not doing anything other than spending small $$$ in Indonesia either just to satisfy myself as divers or tourist, or very small contribution to kid educations including direct supporting of dozens kids for their basic educations, similar with many other people; or helping few young indonesian to get better education and better life in Indonesia or abroad incl. more than a thousand workers mobilized by wife for the project in Brunei. It's nothing, It's just a bussines but we make sure added value to their life.
Since we are not living in Indonesia - not much that I can do, other than helping few TKI (non-skilled Indonesia labour) when they have problems, or as the interface to communicate with Indonesian embassy or part of the team to promote Indonesia through small events such Indonesian night, Indonesian day ect.
Too small, practically nothing, nothing specials and not relevant at all to be put into website


No, I don't like to critisize people effort other than relate to my expertize as engineer (yes, I'm paid for that) ,
Check how many post I have posted in this forum and other similar forum, and check the content .. nothing special, just trying to give other people with small information of Indonesia that I have
Infact, this is the only post I do critisize

Yes, most of fishermen and another million people in Indonesia (as well as in other third countries) not well educated, they are not fortunate to receive sufficient education. It is not same as uneducated. O
n some certain aspect, they are better than many of us at leat the do the best for their family

NO, I don't protect sharks although I love to see them and taking nice picture of shark
If I can, I love to protect our kids, so they can have better education, better life and then they can also enjoy the beauty of Indonesia, topsite and underwater.

---------- Post added ----------

TWIME
Sorry, you only look the skin
next time you visit Indonesia please spend sometime with these people, not just staying in your resort and asking more bintang

 

[Bali Diver]

WOW ! SHAME ON YOU ! IF only you knew all the things i have done in indonesia a country and people i love so much and at times at my expense and that many Indonesians i know would be very angry with your insulting comment.you have really made yourself very stupid with that comment, shame on you,and you are also killing this important topic

 

[Wisnu]

 

[FrancescoIT]

In my (humble) opinion you guys of the shark project should find the way to have a permanent (local) observer in Penida to understand exactly how many shark are fished all-year round. Going by yourself could be useful but unfortunately science (even conservation science) is based on numbers and repetitive observations, means, "statistically different" and so on. Of course photography are very good to emotional campaigns, but having numbers is the only (scientific) way to have a real and complete view on the problem.

Just interviewing fishermen, you know, it's not the solution. Of course they lie, especially if you ar a "bule" with a camera in your hands. Some years ago I was dealing with this kind of problems with fishermen fishing in the North Atlantic, with the minimum size request. Since controls were just in the harbor, nothing more easy than charge all the small size fish in another boat before arriving.

Here the fact is: sharks are declining in population. Can we only blame local fishermen? Maybe. Or maybe not. Are they fishing more than 50 years ago? Or are there other factors involved?

I'm (personally) not an advocate of "poor fishermen". They have destroyed many regions worldwide (including Europe and America, of course), killing the future of many other poor people. Just to remain in Indonesia, many beautiful Islands (Talaud, Sangihe, Halmahera just to name few) have not longer reef so people living there has no hopes of touristic income. It's true they don't have a formal education and cannot see the damage they're doing, so it's also a duty of scientist and ngos and politics (?) to tell them and stop them if necessary, maybe indicating an alternative way to earn the money necessary for them and their family. They could even change their job. They will anyway if there will be no fish left.

It's a difficult task, for sure, and every effort should be appreciated. So keep doing the good job!

 

[DIVE TULAMBEN]

Hi Francesco,

Great to have some thoughtful positive feed back !

Yes it would be a good idea to have a fishery monitor or several on Nusa Penida (and all over Indonesia).
The thought has occured to us.
The main draw back is that it would cost quite a bit of money.

 

[dirtydave]

Sad to see people looking for excuses to continue unsustainable activities like shark fishing/finning. It is truly tragic to see such short sighted activities condoned. These fishermen need to understand that they are slitting their own throats by ruining their own livelihoods. education and presenting alternatives as the Bali Shark Project is proposing would ultimately improve the lives of these fishermen and their communities. For those of us who live/work/play in Bali it is nice to see groups of people like Shark project workers actually improving the viability of Indonesia rather than the quick rape of the environment that ultimately hurts everyone. The fishermen of Bali have realized that the profit from ferrying around divers and tourists to see the resources that they know and are privy to. You can take wealth (by their standards) visitors out to see the sharks, Molas, Mantas etc every day, forever and never deplete the resource. just as Bali has discovered, more money can be made saving turtles than killing them.

The turtles and sharks are slow reproducing species that can be decimated by just a short term over exploitation. As we have seen around the world it is much harder to reestablish a local species population than it is to protect. The increase in tourism alone is more than enough to compensate for the short term loss in fishing income. The sea can provide a living in many ways, mining the sea is much less economically wise than farming it. Why Wisnu reacts so negatively makes me think he may have motives that are also negative or is just not thinking this through. Why denigrate others who are unselfishly giving their time, money and expertize to help others and the environment? Just a troll perhaps? This is a fascinating conversation and a great plan if it is not dragged down by nay-Sayers. i personally hope that this project changes attitudes throughout Asia.

 

[Bali Diver]

@DIVE TULAMBEN i am very happy to hear that you have managed to start the Bali Shark Project and to create a no Shark taking zone around Bali would be great.

The Threshers being killed each season and more so being pregnant females is shocking and with more graphic pictures will help the project greatly and hope this year something can be done.

As i have mentioned before with this happening in the most tourist diving area in Indonesia makes it worse and i hope that you get a lot of support from all the other diving operations in the area and support from divers and you have my total support.

It is sad that and not acceptable that dive operations in Lembongan ( Zivva excluded ) ,Lombok and Bali just ignore what going on around them and especially Lembongan and Lombok being marine parks and hope now they will act and support you and there is enough dive operations in the area who can contribute to the project and support the project.Maybe a list can be made of which Op's are members of the project and then divers can dive with those who are supportive to the project.

Most of us know these practises must stop and all the problems surrounding them and we must be supportive towards those who are leading the way in these project and as dirtydave say's Why denigrate others who are unselfishly giving their time, money and expertize to help others and the environment.

Exactly where does Threshers catches take place and where near Tulamben,or has that stopped now.

As for petition i still have problem doing it,as you can see below.

Hola! Sus detalles han sido enviados y guardados.


Una vez más, un resumen de todos los datos transferidos

 

[Wisnu]

My motive is simple, I would like to be on the side of most of Indonesian people (orang kecil in bahasa) who have received unfair and imbalance – in all aspects
I monitored this e-mail, and wait for quite sometime before I carefully write my comment. If you read how many post I wrote, you will notice who I am.

I do fully support shark conservation – I have signed lot of petition for anti shark fins.
I donate few to this organization as most of my donation will go for the kids and orphanage and poor people education supporting effort in Indonesia.

What I am trying to achieve here, with my comment, is not simply discredit the fishermen for shark fishing / and shark fining.
There’s always the case where this grass root people (not only fishermen, but there’s another million people like this in Indonesia) has received unfair treatment from stronger, smarter people – simply because they are the easiest part to be pushed, and pushed.

It is true, and can not be denied that they are the first hand who catch and slaughter fishes including sharks – probably for hundreds or thousand years. Their hand is dirty with blood.
But look,
why they have to catch something that traditionally is not in their normal menu?
Or why they use the tool which so damaging the environment?
It is the normal tool they always use?
I can tell you, by providing unbalance information which give the impression that they are main culprit will lead them to more difficult life to them and their family.
It is true that tourism has brought lot of $$$$ to the country – but how much go to them if any? How much they loose their income?
I believe this is not only happen in Bali – many part of Indonesia and probably south east asia – where people easily spending hundreds dollar a day and lot of people who live in the area struggle to get 1 or 2 bucks a day.
The Indonesia GNP may not too bad but does not reflect the actual condition of grass root people.
Talk and live with them, you will understand … probably you will also understand why in the national scale, May 1998 is one of the blackest page of Indonesian history book; and in much smaller scales you will see how small things will create a bloody riot or fight between people – there’s lot of theory behind all those cases, but there’s one similarity “angry”.
My message – do not look just on the skin, do not look just what visually seen – go further deeper to find the root cause of the problem (unfortunately is always the most difficult and not visible).
It is not just shark and turtles!