<<It is hypocritical for divers to criticize the finning of sharks just because they enjoy seeing them underwater. Bluefin tuna are almost fished into extinction, but no divers care because nobody ever sees them while diving, so they just remain as another species that disappears out of sight and out of mind.>>
WHAT the heck are you talking about?! That attitude of there is no harm because you aren't educated to see it is the reason why there are these problems. First, the impact from divers is much bigger than whether you are just swimming around in one spot. First there is the big boat you came on and are living on for a week in that area. Second, is that there is way more life on those "barren rocks" than you think. Not everything is a coral garden or immediately apparent to your eyes. Next, your perception of finning criticism is way wrong. We certainly do care about more than just sharks. Divers and others care about the finning because first, they are an apex predator which is essential part of the ecosystem and everything in nature is a balance. You can't just whack a part out with no effect. Without sharks, there a huge effect worldwide. You need to have something that culls the herd and cleans up the ocean. Obvious as the nose on your face. Second, we don't like shark finning because IT IS A HUGE WASTE. They whack the fin off and dump the rest. Total waste. They then do that on an industrial scale, as well as killing many other creatures with their long line fishing with lines miles long, which they also JUST TOSS OVER THE SIDE. Then they go all over the world because they have fished out their own spots. All because some idiot in Asia thinks it will make their pecker start working, which just so we are clear, NO ANIMAL PRODUCT LIKE THIS WILL EVER DO. And lastly, the shark fin tastes like NOTHING! IT's the friggin' broth that makes the taste, so why not put it on something else?! And we certainly do care that tuna are being destroyed as well, as well as other global fish stocks. I think the same thing every time I read about the record price paid in Japan for slicing up another tuna. Sheesh....rant off.
Whether they are doing it right in the Galapagos, I don't know enough about the whole picture to know, but I applaud their efforts to try, because while I would love to be able to dive like in the old days, that can't be sustained. I'd much rather get 3 dives in to see what you see now rather than five dives to see 10 sharks, and then 7, and then 3, and then...
Very educational DiveTheGalapagos, thanks.
<<Prodded to dive>> I'd be waiting for the crew, not vice versa.