Shark and Ray Protection in the PI's

There is presently a Draft Executive Order sitting on President Arroyos desk to ban the catching, sale, purchase, possession, transportation and exportation of all sharks and rays in the country, including possession and sale of any part thereof.

It is dated October 2008.

If the Order is signed, the the PI's will lead the World with legislation in protecting sharks and rays.

The Order recognises that the Philippines is the centre of the centre of marine biodiversity (the bullseye), and that the PI's have a critical role to protect and preserve sharks and rays.

It goes also recognises the valuable role that sharks and rays have as apex predators, and that they are valuable for ecotourism in the PI's.

If the Order is signed, then then all sharks and rays in the Philippines will be immediately listed as endangered and be protected under law.

There are also proposals to phase out the sale of sharks fin soup in the PI's.

We raised this as very few people are aware of the Draft here in the PI's, let alone overseas. The Draft EO has a mention in a Manila Times article - link:

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION >Tasteless status symbol

Besides this, we can't find too much information on it (though we have read the text).

We are not even sure if the Draft EO is in the public domain yet. Wonder if somebody here on the board can say if Draft Executive Orders in the PI's are made public? If so, we can get the text uploaded onto this thread.

We also wonder if it might be worthwhile getting some kind of petition together to support the President to sign this important document.

Your views please.

WWD

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i hope the president's friendship w/ some of the dive industry's movers-and-shakers is the reason for this - and the reason it will get signed

her daughter's an avid diver, the prez is a diver, her dive buddies ARE on sb (bttmdwllr) and torby i believe (well torby's partner in pacifica at least)

let's hope this flies - and every chinaman who will sorely miss his sharksfin soup can go bugger it up his wazzooo...

Jag

for those of you on Facebook, please join the "Stop Shark Finning" cause.

facebook is blocked in china... it'll fall on deaf ears...

Jag

Facebook's not blocked. You have to start small and generate ground swell to achieve critical mass...

plus when girls see the link in your profile they'll all know that you're down with mother nature and stuff. :fro:

(and China isn't the only country that sharks fin is exported too)

chip104:

plus when girls see the link in your profile they'll all know that you're down with mother nature and stuff. :fro:

(and China isn't the only country that sharks fin is exported too)

Click to expand...

yeah they're exported to other countries with large chinese populations...

there was even a resto here in blue wave that had a couple small reef sharks in a tank... thank god it shut down

Jag

I think this Order is great and sounds like it might get signed...fingers and toes are crossed.

I want to post the text of the EO here - but need to know if Draft EO's are in the public domain?

Can someone advise please.

Tnx

WWD

Go for it.