Killing sharks

[firstdive2005]

So how come so many people jump all over the Japanese for killing the dolphins and no one is making waves all that much against the fisherman at Cancun for killing the bull sharks. They just killed some more the other day.
Just how does one go about creating world noise about this atrocity. Also Chedraui and Mega are selling shark parts. What the f@#$s up with that. I will never set foot in those buildings again. I hated them when they moved in anyway.
Can someone point me in the direction to start making noise to the tourism people of the area, the government of the area. I am truly serious. thanks, kevin.

 

[DevonDiver]

I think that quite a lot of people are making quite a lot of noise about shark killing / shark finning. As a conservation issue, it is increasingly gaining public support. The barrier has been to over-come many people's natural aversion to sharks ("better off dead").

Gordon Ramsey made an excellent short film about the shark fin soup industry this year. It was nothing new... basically a re-hash of 'sharkwater', but with a publically recognisable face... but it will strike at the food industry from the top down,.. which is a very good strategy.

 

[cvchief]

Did I read that the fisherman a year ago or so got in quite a bit of trouble over killing the bulls in Playa?

 

[firstdive2005]

This is a pic of the fisherman at Puerto Morelos!

 

[DevonDiver]

Nice (kinda ) to see that the sharks have been landed with the fins still attached. Very unlike the mass killings on Taiwanese registered vessels where the fins are removed upon catch and the bodies thrown back into the sea. At least the shark meat is being utilised and the fishermen aren't catching so many as to have a devastating effect.

 

[Geckotek]

Yeah, to be honest, if they are hunting the shark to make good use of the entire animal (and if it's not endangered) I don't see a problem with it. Now stripping the fins and dumping the carcass is not acceptable.

 

[RonFrank]

I think what is objectionable is fining. Catching one shark and using the meat is not such a problem. I was expecting to see multiple bloody animals stripped of their dorsal fins and dumped back into the ocean alive. Fining is a horrible practice that should be banned and is in CA, but Asia is really the problem.

 

[GregT943]

I was on Cozumel this past week and on Thursday I went over to PDC for the bull shark dive. Not single bull shark to be found. As we were going down Phantom dive was ending their dive, and their chumming and feeding activity didnt bring in a single shark which leads me to believe they are no longer there. The dive guide we went with was very sad and concerned that they had been fished out, and seeing this post seems to confirm it. Very sad

 

[GregT943]

Yeah, to be honest, if they are hunting the shark to make good use of the entire animal (and if it's not endangered) I don't see a problem with it. Now stripping the fins and dumping the carcass is not acceptable.

Divers have been coming to PDC for a long time for the single reason of diving with these bull sharks. These divers inject money into the community, not only through the dive op, but also with restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. Taking these sharks has a negative impact on the local economy. The sharks are worth far more alive than dead. These fishermen know that these shark dives are popular, and yet decide to fish the sharks anyways. I don't have a problem with fishing, but when the actions and ignorance of a few greedy fishermen have a negative impact on the local economy, I do have a problem with that.

 

[Mossman]

Divers have been coming to PDC for a long time for the single reason of diving with these bull sharks. These divers inject money into the community, not only through the dive op, but also with restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. Taking these sharks has a negative impact on the local economy. The sharks are worth far more alive than dead. These fishermen know that these shark dives are popular, and yet decide to fish the sharks anyways. I don't have a problem with fishing, but when the actions and ignorance of a few greedy fishermen have a negative impact on the local economy, I do have a problem with that.

If by "greedy" you mean that they are legally fishing in order to support their families, that's a ridiculous position to take. If the many greedy businesses that profit off of the bull sharks want to keep the bullsharks safe, they can use their lucrative proceeds from the tourist trade to lobby the government to protect bullsharks or they can use their lucrative proceeds from the tourist trade to pay the impoverished "greedy" fishermen to leave the bulls alone. Money talks, whining walks.