WASHINGTON (USA)— The US National Marine Fisheries Service this week protected the oceanic whitetip shark as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The decision recognized threats from overfishing and bycatch in pelagic longline fishing gear as major reasons for drastic population declines. The listing responds to a petition from Defenders of Wildlife, with supportContinue Reading
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (ECUADOR)- In the waters surrounding the remote archipelago of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuadorian scientists has discovered a hammerhead shark nursery where they have been born and sheltered for nearly a million years. The Galapagos Islands lie in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 kilometers off SouthContinue Reading
WASHINGTON (USA)- Not only does she play the lead role in one of our favorite vampire series, she’s also committed to saving sharks. Oceana announced Nina Dobrev, actress and ocean advocate, as its newest Oceana Ambassador. Oceana is currently advocating for legislation that would ban the sale and trade of sharkContinue Reading
SHIF ISLAND (IRAN)- Another proof of the horror that comes with the fin trade. This week Iranian officials found hundreds of dead sharks with their fins sawed off on Shif Islan, in the Persian Gulf. Butchered and dropped finless but alive back into the sea. According to Hossein Delshab, an environmental official at theContinue Reading
BALLINA (Australia)- The tide is turning in Australia. More and more Australians are against lethal measures to keep sharks away from their shores such as shark culls, shark nets and drumlines. Website The Conversation did a public survey showing how the public is fed up with killing sharks to preventContinue Reading
HOBART (TASMANIA)- Authorities of the Australian island state Tasmania are alarmed at reports and evidence of illegal activity in the state’s shark refuge areas. More and more fishers are posting photos of their catch while bragging on social media. In the past two years marine police have issued 27 shark-related finesContinue Reading
MARRAKECH (Morocco)- Bad news for the shortfin mako shark. Fishing nations gathered for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have failed to adopt recommended limits to protect shortfin mako sharks from overfishing or strengthen the regional ban on shark finning. The onlyContinue Reading