Sign Shark Fin Bans

Shark fins drying on a boat

Sign the petition to pledge to not eat shark fin products, especially soup.

Even if you're like me and have never touched shark fin soup -- the Chinese concoction that seems to tie social prestige with killing millions of the oceans important apex predators -- and obviously would not touch the stuff knowing what you know, putting your name on the petition adds to the momentum. And it's painless and free. Thanks Shark Savers.

If you're from California, with the largest Chinatown in the US, likely the largest outside of Asia, you are in an enviable position to make even more of an impact. Sign the petition to support California bill AB 376 to make shark fin products illegal in the Golden State.

Fish Fiesta

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

A success story emerges out of the abyss.

Ok, that's a tad dramatic but it is refreshing to see that Cabo Pulmo National Park, a marine park near Mexico's Baja Peninsula, rebounded from an overfished and depleted swath of sea to a place full of healthy marine life since commercial fishing was outlawed.

The key to success though was not simply outlawing fishing but "a combination of social (strong community leadership, social cohesion, effective enforcement) and ecological factors," according to a group of scientists' report on Plos One. 

This means that the no-take rules were actually enforced and that fishermen adopted ecotourism, which is more lucrative anyway, according to National Geographic.

In usual blow-your-mind colors and images, National Geographic's cameras caught the healthy diversity as shown here and here. 

Not Yet Too Late

Choice words with a sliver of hope from Michael Conathan, the Director of Ocean Policy at American Progress.

"...marine advocates have to make a concerted effort to convince and continually remind Americans that despite what they see on vacation, the oceans are not OK.
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To put it in terms Washington can understand today, healthy oceans mean healthy economies. And if we ignore the warnings the ocean is trying to send, we risk losing more than just our vacation spots.

Whether you’re a scientist, a fisherman, an amateur wave rider, or a sunbaked builder of drip castles, or even if you've never laid eyes on the ocean, we are all invested in the survival of the mysterious, churning frontier that feeds the world, generates the very oxygen we breathe, and carries the commerce that sustains our own species.

These are the stakes, and while it's not yet too late, the time to act is running out."

Environmental Triage

Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have created a map showing where coral systems are most likely to survive the future.

The idea is to zero in on the ones that are most biodiverse and focus on saving them because they are also the most resilient. It's too bad the mindset is not to save all the reefs, but sometimes it's like fingers in a dike. Environmental triage, really.

"The study provides us with hope and a map to identify conservation and management priorities where it is possible to buy some time for these important ecosystems until the carbon emissions problems have been solved," said Tim McClanahan, the lead WCS scientist trying to stem the hemorrhaging.

Damn, give me the morphine now.

Excess Carbon Will Damage Shellfish and Corals

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute confirms that ocean acidification due to excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will damage mollusks and corals in as little as ten to fifty years.

We are not only talking about the importance of shellfish and corals to many other marine animals, but also the importance of shellfish and corals to people as food for us, and food and shelter for other foods (fish) for us.

Let's not forget that fish supply the greatest percentage of the world's protein consumed by humans.

This is why we need to build and transition to a clean energy economy as soon as possible.

A Free and Clearly Deep Ocean Champion

Ocean conservation has a siren and her name is Hanli Prinsloo. She's the world champion free diver. She plans to go to 70 meters (210 plus feet) deep this September. That's on one breath, by the way.

She also created an ocean conservation trust called I Am Water. 

Check out her brief video and see her love for the oceans shine through. Basically, she rocks.

Uh, and did anyone notice how much her free-diving fin makes her look like a mermaid? 

Florida Shark Rules

Progress, little by little, but progress. Florida re-thinks the killing of sharks by recreational fishermen, according to the Sarasota Patch.

The pros and cons line up:

"A majority of charter boat captains and recreational anglers reportedly were against each proposal."  

“There’s no reason to kill sharks...usually people who kill sharks do that so they have a nice wall mount,”
 said Don Anthony of Florida Animal Rights.

At least it's on the radar. Hey, how about catch and release?