Africa Leads...

It's not often that you read a truly inspiring newscast from an NGO. Many are laced with propagandist hype and fireside assuage, promising to "work harder next year". More promises
equals more requirement for cash. It's not a difficult equation.

However, there is a hardened example for all of us to take notice of and inspiration from in the shape of Lesley Rochat. I for one was taken aback by her calm ability to film sharks being finned
in front of her aboard a South African longliner last year, which transpired in her film
Sharks in Deep Touble. The real lesson to be learned from Lesley Rochat though is her ability to create organic energy from in integration of effort from many sources. She is the founder of the AfriOceans Conservation Alliance which draws together efforts, pooling resources to assist in the fight for true marine conservation objectives.
This is not just empty discourse. Lesley's recently published blog about her new initiative 'AfriOceans Warriors' is proof that there is not just talk emanating from the Rochat camp, there is action. Real organic, community integrated action. The crux of the idea around these new ocean warriors is that it they are the ocean guardians of tommorow, that in the inspiring words of her blog they are "fighting for their constitutional right to inherit healthy oceans". I have long been a proponent of the idea that it is our children that we should be looking to to pick up the recently thrown down gauntlet to save our oceans. I posted this video on youtube back in May 08 relating to the same issue, and I am really pleased to see that a major organisation is tackling the essential involvement of our youth in ocean conservation. I firmly believe that when you show the importance of ocean conservation to a child, the change doesn't only happen when the child grows up and gains power as an adult, it happens straight away. The child talks about it to their friends, to their family, they disseminate their new found passion in a way that is more consuming than fire. Yes they are our tommorow, but they are also our today.

Some good news and some good news.

A little late of a post to call this news but on the 15th Dec the mighty Shark Alliance sent out a press release announcing that, finally, after a huge effort from shark conservation groups, the EU Council of Fisheries Ministers has ended ALL fishing for porbeagle sharks and reduced the quotes for spurdog by NINETY PERCENT. It is the first major move to protect endangered shark species under the EU Plan of Action for Sharks that was implemented back in the spring of this year. After many false and frustrating starts at attempting to curb fishing for these species ending in paltry limit reductions due to filibuster tactics, usually by the Spanish, this is a great victory.

Also, news of an interesting interview with former environmental slash and burn bandit Jack Ma, yes the boss of THAT former shark fin online wholesaler (amongst other things) ALIBABA.COM, where he reveals his new love of all things green and environmental and states that it was all triggered by his attention being drawn to Alibaba by opponents of its online shark fin trade. I suspect there might be the slight chance that Mr Ma has timed the release of this interview to co-incide with Copenhagen, perhaps to help his heavywiehgt friends in China win crucial but massive funding as a developing nation to help them develop in a carbon neutral way. But, lets not be too cynical, the proof of the pudding is always in the eating, and I have yet to order my starter. You can read the full interview on aliaba.com's site but as it's such a huge site you might like to go directly by clicking here. The interview was bought to my attention by my friend and all round hero; inspiring person of the century Wolfgang Leander.

Forensic Help for Shark Conservation

AFP today reports that a group of scientists working in Hong Kong have been using DNA testing to try to trace the source of a batch of shark fins purchased amongst the city's notorious shark fin trading markets. The technique has been used previously to trace the origin of fish, turtles and marine mammals but this is the first time it has been used on sharks. The US scientists managed to trace 21 percent of their purchase to endangered scalloped hammerhead stock from the western Atlantic (Full article here).

This is great news for the shark conservation movement as it can indicate where to concentrate efforts or to step up action. However, some governments might be ahead of the game. The scientist's work is hoped to strengthen efforts at next year's CITES meeting in Qatar to list more shark species in appendix II, so bringing about protection via increased monitoring and licensing for international trade. However, such moves might not work so effectively in Eucador where there is already a licensing and catch monitoring system in what is arguably one of the most productive shark fishing nations in the world. Perhaps if Hong Kong trade percentages can be directly attributed to Ecuador will they be shamed into not just monitoring the catches but actually begin to restrict the high number of sharks landed on their shores.

On an inspirational note, there is a great post on a BBC site all about our wards, the Giant Manta Ray (Manta birostris). I guess following Andrea Marshall's program on her work with mantas in Mozambique, this post has links to some great manta footage and also has some interesting manta facts and some opinion on species variant.

Is this the world's first ever Shark Officer?

BBC news today reports that scotland is to create the post of Sharks Project Officer. you can read the full report here. This could be the first creation of such a post anywhere by a government agency with the sole responsibility of developing shark conservation initiatives. Great move scotland!!

ABC on the Farallon debate.

ABC news in the states is airing this newreel piece about the controversial tagging procedures in the Farallon Islands. I must say after seeing the clips that the proceedure looks exteremely stressful to the shark. A hammer to crack a nut indeed. However, you have to wonder where this guy gets his funding. That is one expensive ship! I'm also moderately disappointed in National Geographic who gave this airtime. Shouldn't one of the world's most respected wildlife publication organisations be promoting non invasive research?

Exitus acta probat?

There has been an amount of controversy brewing this week about a certain new tagging program happening in the Farallon Islands. The incoming researchers are using a type of invasive methodology with which to tag Great White sharks to try to find out where they go. You can read the write up on the resarch funded by Guy Harvey here, or the open criticism of the technique with subsequent links here.

The thing that I notice first and foremost here is a worrying occurence in the science community of research projects designed not for the benefit of the subject matter, but for the benefit of the scientist or funding body carrying out or funding the work. It is well known that there is already a long established tagging program in operation in the Farallon Islands, using a much less invasive method. There is a wealth of bad feeling from other scientists and shark world commentators over this new project, including the criticism that such research can seriously injure and kill sharks or their unborn offspring. Exitus acta probat (the outcome justifies the deed) might have been have been true back in medieval days when surgery was more akin to butchery. Even advancements in society did not equal advancement in medicine; the Victorians believed that anaesthetic turned women into harlots (source). However we would like to think that we had moved away from barbaric practices, particularly when endangered species are the subject matter. It would be an advancement indeed if scientists trusted the working practices of already established programs, and looked at developing research where any result would be truly ground breaking, and of benifit to the species, rather than copying a project that already exists for self gratification and self promotion, or tagging the very last speciemen of the very last species at the very last field camp at the end of the Earth, only to leave a note to forthcoming generations that it was the tagging process that killed the last remaining one.

Wild Wonders for Nuno Sa

I'm feeling proud today, I just heard that my friend Nuno Sa has posted his report about our Basking Shark expedition to the Inner Hebrides on the Wild Wonders of Europe site. You can see the link here http://www.wild-wonders.com/blog/?p=5763

Wild Wonder of Europe is probably the biggest and most ambitious wildlife project ever to take place here and the exhibitions set to travel Europes cities will be quite something.

You may have read on my previous blogs about the expedition, and these beautiful images by Nuno are a true testament to the beauty of these animals, and of course to the ability of Nuno as a photographer and freediver.

I can't wait until next June!