| Signers of Petition to Protect South Africa's Sharks |
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178 Dave Timmons, Canada Stop killing sharks for their fins!! We need sharks and they are worth more alive to us than dead! Shark fin soup is ridiculous...sharks aren't disease free gods that live forever and eating that soup won't make YOU live any longer yet I guarantee you that if you kill off sharks and kill the ecosystem in the ocean then we will lose the oxygen that we breathe and no amount of your precious soup will save you then!!!175 Paul Costa, New York, NY, USA 174 Virginia Shy, USA 173 Not publicly disclosed 172 Lynne Bamber, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Please consider these proposals to save the ocean’s most important predator. Without this predator - the ocean's whole ecosystem will be in jeopardy.171 Not publicly disclosed A live shark is worth more to South Africa than a dead one.170 Nemo A Hoffman, Brooklyn, NY, USA 169 Curtis S. Kates, Los Angeles, CA, USA In 2001, I came to South Africa as a shark tourist. I spent many thousands of dollars to see Great White Sharks off Gansbaai, Ragged-Tooth sharks off Aliwal Shoals, and Bull Sharks off Protea Banks - it was worth every dollar. In 2007, when I expressed interest in coming to South Africa again, this time for your amazing and unique Sardine Run (where sharks are key players), I was told not to come by dive experts because shark populations off South Africa have been decimated by overfishing. Please understand that your increased shark protection efforts will directly translate into increased tourism revenue - there are a lot of people such as myself who will pay top dollar to see your country's sharks up close. If they are fished out, we will not come. Please also understand how important sharks are to the health of your waters; they keep the oceans healthy by taking the diseased and unhealthy. Sharks need your protection and without your help, the world will likely lose one of its oldest and most needed animals. Thank you.168 Fabien Meunier, France 167 Kimberly Moore, West Warwick, RI, USA 166 Not publicly disclosed 165 Sanaa Benjelloun, New York, NY, USA 164 Norma M. Ramirez, Orlando, FL, USA Stop Insanity. 163 Dana Rubin, USA We must protect our ocean's top predators!! Their loss would have more effect on humankind than most people could ever dream of! 156 Not publicly disclosed Please stop killing the sharks. You are upsetting the ecosystem. We need the sharks to keep the ocean from overpopulation of other animals. 144 Frederick Lawrence, Venice, CA, USA143 Cathy Ive,y USA 142 Doug Michelsen, USA 141 Brendal Alice Davis, Delray Beach, FL, USA 140 Tammi Bachecki, USA These beautiful and majestic creatures must be protected. Keep up the good work!139 Jonatan Nyberg, Finland 138 Tiffany Rahn, Norco, CA, USA 137 Debbie Lee, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 136 Aimee Teaby, USA 135 Not publicly disclosed 134 Tobias Parikh, Rostock, MV, Germany 133 Not publicly disclosed 132 Nadine Johnson, USA 131 Not publicly disclosed 130 Scott Blain, Aqua Luminous Productions, USA129 Charity C. Assell, Gilberts, IL, USA Please legislate protection for these majestic animals. Ignorance and fear has given humans the "bloodlust" to eradicate them and it will be to the detriment of all species (including humans) by altering our ecosystem. There is so much we can learn from sharks and they are so rare in number already. Please do your best to protect them!! Thank you! Charity128 Trisha Stone, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA 127 Melanie June Brown, Saskatoon, SK, Canada 126 Terry Osborne, Brevard County Schools, Satellite Beach, FL, USA Please join us in helping these magnificent animals!125 Ulla Sommer, Stockholm, Sweden It's a catastrophe that the top of the food chain is vanishing from our oceans! The more we can study and learn about the shark, the better we can spread information and call attention to this threatening imbalance...124 Not publicly disclosed 123 Vicki Davitt, Ireland 122 Nathan Andrew, Meadows, Republic, MO, USA 121 Bryce Groark, Living Ocean Productions, Keauhou, HI , USA Please protect these animals!120 Paul Lewis, USA 119 Kevin Andrew, Oeler, McLean, VA, USA118 Dwayne Franks, SeaStars Productions, Valencia, CA, USA Lets all do what we can to help the sharks. I work in the Motion Picture Industry and if you would like to do a project together let me know.117 Not publicly disclosed 116 Not publicly disclosed 115 Jennifer Nolan, Falmouth, ME, USA There is great wisdom in realizing the gifts from Mother Earth are truly gifts. Reverence for sharks will not just help the sharks, but will have far reaching benefits for all the generations to come. What will our excuse and regret be if in years to come there are no longer sharks roaming the great seas. Let's wake up now to the reality that there is much to be learned from these great creatures and they have every right to be protected and celebrated. Thank you.114 Tim Campbell, cambridgerivertour.com, Cambridge, UK113 Robin Bronner, CA, USA Please, please, please, do whatever you can to protect the sharks!!!112 Dani Pen, USA111 Terry L. Green, Lewes, DE, USA 110 Shirley Vaughan, USA Sharks aren't as cute as seals, or as impressive as whales, but they also need our protection to survive. They are an important part of the ocean ecosystem and I have traveled to many different parts of the world to experience diving with them. Please enforce these laws!109 Not publicly disclosed Sharks are too important to the health of the oceans to take for granted. I am not in support of taking away anyone's livelihood, but rather in favor smart and responsible management of all shark species that ensure healthy populations of these important creatures for generations to come. The ideas in this petition seem to be a step in the right direction.108 Not publicly disclosed 107 Not publicly disclosed 106 Paul Smithson, UK 105 Not publicly disclosed 104 Stefan Wilhelm, Wilhelmshaven, Germany 103 Celia Treamer, USA 102 Michael Keller, Brunswick, OH, USA 101 Sheri Swanson, Kailua-Kona, HI, USA 100 Leo Mori, Hiealeah, USA 99 Kenny S, Kidd, , Sapulpa, Oklahoma, USA 98 Ashley Nickole, Fiebekorn, Longwood, FL, USA 97 Not publicly disclosed 96 Ricky Bowen Jr., Plymouth, Indiana, USA 95 Not publicly disclosed 94 Craig Roberts, Morgan, Skipton Buddy Divers, Silsden, West Yorkshire, UK I grew up and learnt to dive on the shoal, with the sharks being the main reason that I have continued diving and arranging trips from the UK to my home country for the Brits to enjoy similar experiences. Many of which beg me to arrange more trips - therefore no sharks = no tourism in my point of view.93 Kathy Hoyt, USA 92 Not publicly disclosed 91 Not publicly disclosed 90 Christopher Robert Emmett, UK, Worldwide, the ocean ecology is at risk from ignorant people who kill sharks or who support shark fishing. Shark diving is not only exciting, it is educational. Who could eat shark's fin soup or wear shark skin products after swimming with these wonderful creatures?89 Not publicly disclosed 88 Not publicly disclosed 87 Morgan White, Conroe, TX, USA 86 Randall Harwood, Rolling Hills Estates, CA, USA 85 Alfredo Barroso Ruiz, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Please, protect the sharks! They are the joy of the Sea and also a necessary animal for the health of the oceans! Don’t let those incredible animals be killed wantonly and for no reason worth killing them for! They are worth more alive than fished! Thank you! Alfredo Barroso Ruiz84 Not publicly disclosed 83 Roger Dwayne, McGuire, Nederland, TX, USA Please Join Us To Protect These Beautiful Animals. The Do Not Deserve To Be Killed At Random82 Not publicly disclosed 81 John Morgan, UK 80 Cristina Massei, UK79 Seamus Long, Maspeth, NY, USA We have much bigger and more important reasons for keeping them alive than we have for killing them. Even "accidental" killing should not be tolerated by large fishing fleets.78 Stefan Kapuz, Bavaria, Germany 77 Borut Furlan, Ljubljana, Slovenia 76 Not publicly disclosed 75 James Moskito, Shark Diving International, USA 74 Rhoda Schlamm, Woodside, NY, USA It is becoming increasingly recognized that sharks are not the universal menace that popular fiction and movies have made them out to be. We need to study and preserve them, not indiscriminately kill them, so that they do not go the way of the dodo and other extinct species.73 Alexander Safonov, Tokyo, Japan 72 Folkart Schweizer, Germany It really is awful killing sharks only for eating the fins and the meat both being so unhealthy for the mankind.71 Lisa Kreischer, Egg Harbor TWP, NJ, USA 70 Mary E. Clark, Egg Harbor TWP, NJ, USA 69 Richard S. Kreischer, Egg Harbor TWP, NJ, USA68 Anna B. Bennett, Jupiter, FL, USA Please help protect these beautiful creatures. They are worth far more to you alive then dead!67 Julio A. Borras, Hammerhead, llc, North Miami Beach, FL, USA Please help save sharks.66 Guy Fisher, Gaia Foundation, London, UK 65 Brian Meredith, United Arab Emirates Stop the killing before it's too late.64 Marie Cachera, Brest, France 63 Veronica Sanna, Roma, Italia 62 Owen Bruce, Save Our Seas Foundation, Saudi Arabia 61 Not publicly disclosed 60 Rodolfo Jose Serrano, Caracas, Miranda, Venezuela Shark diving should not be banned anywhere, divers are grown adults who can decide whether or not to dive. We cannot be told what to do, it's our lives, let live, let us dive in peace. It is one of the most amazing experiences you may ever experience.59 Greg Thorpe Schubert, Law Offices Greg T Schubert, Springfield, MA, USA "Bitten By Sharks" keeps me abreast of the South Africa situation.58 Angela Tai, Boston, MA, USA Please protect the dwindling numbers of sharks. Although South Africa is a beautiful country for many reasons, one huge reason we came was to see the great whites in False Bay.57 Not publicly disclosed 56 Terri Elizabeth Melloway, Sea Shepherd, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia All sharks must be protected. Shark finning is wiping out the World's sharks because poachers will kill any species of shark for their fins to sell. Protect All Sharks Worldwide!55 Christopher Weaver, Eco-Photo Explorers, Upton, NY, USA 54 John K. Luedeman, Seneca, SC, USA 53 Mary O'Malley, USA 52 Jim A. Brucia, Pacifica, CA, USA 51 Not publicly disclosed 50 Shane Joseph Gross, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada 49 Phillip Otake, Japan 48 Don Barshay, USA 47 David Anthony, Cuoio, Giant Stride Productions, Boise, ID, USA Shark dives help to make people more aware that sharks are magnificent creatures that are a necessary and wonderful part of life on this planet. Humans currently are slaughtering them in huge numbers. Banning shark dives will only ensure a more rapid extinction of various shark species. We must be able to see them up close and personal in order to understand them. 46 Not publicly disclosed The world's sharks need our protection, our support and our respect. To deliberately destroy even just 1 of these magnificent creatures is barbaric and deplorable. 38 Robin James, Tomes, London, UK I went to South Africa in 2002, only to see the Great White shark. During my trip, me and my wife spent a lot of money, and because of the weather, we couldn't see the great white, so we want come back to your wonderful country, but not if there aren't any sharks.32 James Black, Bridgeville, PA, USA Andre Hartman, Michael Rutzen, and Walter and John from African Watersports are friends of mine. They have proved time and again that the sharks of Africa are not the killers that they are perceived to be. The sharks do what they do ...no less than the lions in Kruger. The tourism numbers and money gained to come see the sharks should be enough impetus to continue to protect the sharks...and further the facility of these people mentioned to bring the sharks' plight to the public.... and to show them to the people that want to see them. JIM BLACK 31 Not publicly disclosed30 Bonnie Jay, StarBird, Santa Monica, CA, USA 29 Not publicly disclosed 28 Rafael Alfaro, Norwalk, CT, USA 27 Jacqueline M., Shumway, Holt, MI, USA 26 Not publicly disclosed 25 Ilona, Soboleva, Minsk, Belarus 24 Yuri Sobolev, USA 23 Angela W. Tai, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA 22 Josser E.,Delgado, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA 21 Jeffery Allen Chaney, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA 20 J.B. Medina, Gilbert, AZ, USA Sharks must be protected at any cost. Long live a species that has been around for millions of years. And brought to near extinction in a couple decades.19 Not publicly disclosed Dear Mr. van Schalkwyk: Greetings. I just wanted to let you know that even though I live in America, protection of sharks in South Africa is important to me. I have been to South Africa twice to scuba dive with sharks, and I would like to return. But if the sharks are gone, I will not be coming. And my tourism dollars will not reach your beautiful country. Please do everything possible to protect sharks. Thanks for your time.18 Jean-Pierre Botha, Gansbaai, W Cape, South Africa 17 Tony Hodges, USA 16 Alec Connah, UK 15 Not publicly disclosed 14 Heidi Coluzzi, New York, USA Stop the slaughter of sharks!13 Not publicly disclosed 12 Sijmon de Waal, Subtec Offshore, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa, Mr Minister its about time you did something about protecting South Africa’s marine treasures.11 Not publicly disclosed It is vital that people wake up and acknowledge sharks' value worldwide and stop the negative media hype surrounding these majestic creatures.10 Roger Mark Horrocks, South Africa 9 Philippe Horinecki, Shark Federation, Marchin, Lige, Belgium 8 Mark Addison, Blue Wilderness, Umkomaas, KZN, South Africa, 7 Janet Kirkpatrick, Shark Savers, Bronx, NY, USA Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health of our oceans; the loss of this apex predator can have devastating consequences on the marine eco-system. It is truly a privilege to observe any shark within its natural habitat, and one which I hope future generations will also have the opportunity to appreciate. Please put more bite into your current laws so that these magnificent creatures may be better protected and survive mans callous and ignorant actions.6 Jean-Francois Avenier, Great White Shop, Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa 5 Lisa Blecker, OceanBlue Divers, Brooklyn, NY, USA 4 Wolfgang Leander, Cochabamba, Bolivia Aliwal Shoal without sharks would not attract one single diver from abroad - not one. The tiger sharks, all sharks, need to be protected, and the respective laws have to be enforced mercilessly.3 Thomas M. Sergent, Amphibious Warrior Scuba Wear, Rockford, IL, USA Ecotourism and Shark diving are vital to the conservation of apex predators such as sharks. A long-term aggressive campaign by your government to protect sharks must be adopted to insure their survival.2 Julie Andersen, Brooklyn, NY, USA To paraphrase one of my own personal role models (Rob Stewart) "People need to shift their thinking about sharks; it is the bears, tigers and pandas - the seemingly cute cuddly creatures that garner public support." Senseless acts like this are our call to action. They should not be tolerated and people need to know about them, as the awareness on this issue is still low globally. As shark advocates, all of us need to vocally and continually reinforce our mission. We need people to realize sharks are not dangerous but rather in danger. To allow people to realize what is going on and remove the barriers so they can start caring. To unite conservation efforts and continue the grassroots movement started in Sharkwater. We are losing ground quickly on the few last remaining places on earth... look at Cocos and Galapagos. We have got to act now. We must come together and fight to ensure our sharks are protected in Africa, in the Bahamas wherever our precious and disappearing sharks need our help.1 Michael Skoletsky, New York, NY, USA We strongly encourage you to protect the sharks. There are few places in the world where they still congregate and where divers can go to experience them. You have responsibility over one of the most important of these locations. We would support your efforts to strengthen the protection of sharks.
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Carol Schoelch
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Sharks are the apex predators of the ocean, designed to keep the natural order in their environment. They are slow to reproduce since they have no natural enemies, but we are destroying them at such a rate, extinction is the only outcome if we continue as we do. I have read that the sharks on the eastern seaboard of the US are "functionally extinct". This is terrifying. If we lose the sharks the impact on us as humans will be greater than any we could ever imagine. We have no right pretending to be Mother Nature and disregarding all life for the almighty dollar. Well, let me say this, when this planet is in turmoil, and life is endangered, how far is that piece of paper money going to get you??????? It's time we consider what is really important in our lives, and our children's lives, and respect the natural environment we live in, not destroy it. Please, save the sharks. Without them, the ocean is in severe peril. Thank you. Carol Schoelch |
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Shen Collazo
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| Hopefully one day we'll understand that this planet will be so boring with only us...... ..... doing what???!! | |
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