Sharks and their worth in the news !

[Wantonmien]

Sharks worth far more alive than dead, researchers say -

MILLION-DOLLAR BABIES:The sharks that inhabit prime diving spots are worth US$179,000 a year to the tourism industry or US$1.9 million each over their lives

Sharks worth far more alive than dead, researchers say - Taipei Times

Makes a change to see thoughts of saving sharks appearing in Taiwan national newspapers, and hopefully it will lead to a more awareness of the need to stop shark finning, and get the soup off the menus in Taiwan !

 

[LoveOceanicGears]

Project AWARE is collecting 100,000 petition signatures for protection of sharks. It would be great to see signatures from Taiwan.

Here is the link for English petition:

Project AWARE Foundation: Petition

And here is the link for Traditional Chinese PDF translation:

http://www.projectaware.org/assets/412_citespetitionpdfonlinetc.pdf

 

[Wantonmien]

LoveOceanicGears,

Correct Link is Project AWARE

My name is one that one, and for sure so are a few of my Taiwan dive contacts - but I'll circulate it again on FB just incase there's a few other signatures we can get on it.

You might also like the news link I posted elsewhere -- Group launches 'love shark' campaign in Taiwan - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

PS: Just a couple of weeks ago on a dive in Taiwan, no more than 3 metres away from me a beautiful and very fat (I suspect heavily pregnant) and large (2m+) white tip casually cruised past me and slowed down for a look ... that's the first white tip I've seen around Taiwan shores, and hopefully a good sign.

Cheers

 

[LoveOceanicGears]

Thanks for the correction, Wantonmien. It looks like Project Aware changed its website recently.

It is good to see there are movements in Taiwan to protect sharks. I even saw cars with bumper sticker that says "I refuse to eat shark fin" on several occasions when I was in Taiwan. And yes, I refused to eat shark fin soup when my father's friends asked me if I want it in restaurant.

I understand Taiwan is an island and fish is part of diet, but while I was in Kending, my daughter and I were still kind of shock to see parrot fish and green moray eel for sale on fish market. In Caribbean, we treasure every moment of encountering them under water. And see flying fish flying on surface of sea is much more joyful than seeing them fried on Kending night market.

 

[Wantonmien]

LoveOceanicGears -- and others.

Along with new campaign mentioned above to increase 'awareness' of the need to stop shark finning - another active group in Taiwan are also petitioning the Taiwan government to increase the amount of protected 'marine parks/reserves' around Taiwan coasts.

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It's in chinese language, but opening with google chrome or similar will translate, and signatures on there highly appreciated.

Please do send the links around your friends, more protected areas of coastline would be excellent ... and the more signatures the better.

As for the fish on display - I know the exact restaurants you mean, and yes particularly considering it is a national park area (though as far as I know not a fully protected marine park) - it is plain craziness to be hauling out and frying up anythng that moves. I'd like to think it was my photo below (from March 2010) that I mailed in all directions that at least got someone in Kenting to stop displaying even more worrying 'catches' for the menu.

If in Kenting and fancying seafood, have a grouper - as they are all from fish farms, and avoid the obviously wild fish !

 

[LoveOceanicGears]

My signature is on petition. It has been a while for me to use Chinese name as signature and it looks kind of strange to me..... And even though my Chinese name is exactly the same as that Taiwan's most wanted fugitive who got caught in China last December, I am not him.

A fish on dinner plate can only generate money once. If that same fish remains in ocean, it can generate money again and again.