Council resolution calls for end to cruel and unsustainable shark fin trade.

Oceana, WildAid, NRDC, Defenders of Wildlife, Shark Savers, Born Free USA, COARE, Shark Research Institute

A coalition of animal welfare, environmental and conservation organizations joined City Council Member Margaret Chin, D-Lower  Manhattan and other city and state legislators for a rally on City Hall steps to announce her resolution in support of the state legislation to end New York’s contribution to the dire collapse of shark populations worldwide.

Introducing a new book series for kids: Professor Clark the Science Shark follows the life and adventures of an extraordinary tiger shark who wants to teach others about ocean ecosystems after he discovers his family was overfished.

Shark Savers Singapore campaign event rallies support for sharks

Celebrities, artists and conservationists stood in unison to raise awareness about sharks and the negative impact of shark’s fin soup at SharkAid 2012, a free public concert held today at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard. Education and individual action lie at the heart of this concert, which aims to kindle groundswell support among Singaporeans to pledge “I’m FINished” with the consumption of shark fin.

SharkAid 2012, jointly organised by Shark Savers Singapore and ACRES, is the first in a series of free concerts to be held around the world. The concert is part of a Singapore-led grassroots campaign aimed at reversing the culture of consuming shark’s fin soup, and garnering support for a banqueting and trade ban. A full day carnival was also held, with games and screenings aimed at engaging Singaporeans to learn about shark conservation.

Shark Savers is pleased to be both a sponsor and participant in the Great Fiji Shark Count. This ‘count’ is the first major partnership of our own recently initiated citizen science database of shark sightings as part of our SharksCount Program.

For the Fiji effort, we designed and produced the shark ID sheets and posters using photos from many excellent marine photographers, consulted on data collection methodologies and diver-outreach, and we are promoting the importance of the count at many dive events and shows this year. Shark Savers will be there in force in November to film as we count sharks, yet again.

 Maryland S.B. 465 was introduced by Senator Brian Frosh, D-Montgomery and it passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 42 to 4 on March 22.

When passed into law, it will prohibit a person from possessing, selling, offering for sale, for trade, or distribution, a shark or other elasmobranch fin. There are exemptions for possessing fins under certain circumstances, but those fins may not be sold.

In the Maryland House of Delegates, similar legislation, H.B. 393, was introduced by Delegate Eric Luedtke, D-Montgomery. The Senate Bill will now move to the House, first to be considered by the House Environmental Matters Committee in a hearing on Wednesday, April 4. Then, it needs to pass the House before Maryland General Assembly adjourns on April 9.

Frank Pope is the Ocean Correspondent for the London Times. In both an article and a more complete blog story recounting his interview with Giam, Pope exposes not only Giam’s motivations, but also the devastating, industry/trade-based conflict of interest that is rendering the UN-based Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) impotent.