Sharks need defending!

Now, I am no 'tree-hugger' and don't like to come across as preaching about this and that to all and sundry. That said, a recent item of news from Australia got me really riled, hence this particular blog entry. This entry is not directly about MV Philkade but as guests on board MV Philkade generally expect to see (and usually do see) sharks in the surrounding waters of Thailand, Burma, the Andaman Islands and Indonesia, I think it has relevance. Less sharks around the world has knock-on effects ultimately meaning less sharks here too.

The shocking news is that the Queensland government of Australia will establish a dedicated shark fishery in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area which will service the international trade in shark fin. In essence, they plan to legitimise one of the most unsustainable forms of fishing in the World - that of shark finning. To do this, they plan to hand out specific fishing licences for shark fin fishing allowing fishers to catch up to 700 tonnes of sharks each year thereby legitimising shark fishing in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and in some national marine parks.

You may be wondering why I am so angry about this proposal but when you bear in mind that sharks are undergoing global collapse and are thought to have declined by as much as 90% in the world's oceans, it is little wonder. It seems to me that there is little to be gained (if anything) from such a proposal but there is everything to lose. You can read more information on the situation and take action yourself with a simple pre-written letter to the Queensland government through the web site of the Australian Marine Conservation Society .

A strong argument for any kind of commercial fishing has always been that there will be fishermen left unemployed with no obvious transferable skills, therefore no income to feed themselves and their families. This is a fair point. That is why I was so happy to read recently that a group of Marine Animal Researchers have come up with a way round this for Indonesia's fishermen. Of course, it makes sense that these experienced fishermen possess a wealth of knowledge about the migratory habits of whale sharks travelling between Australia and South-East Asia. So why not put them to use? That's right, Indonesian fishermen that have been banned from hunting certain species in the waters off North Australia can instead work as sea rangers to monitor the vulnerable whale shark populations. Genius! The full article can be viewed on the web site of Radio Australia .

Please, please let us do what we can to save the world's shark population. I am hoping for a good sharkey season on board MV Philkade this coming season!