DIVE ME, new dive boat being built for Mad Fish Dive Centre
Originally uploaded by Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort.
A blog by Richard, Joe, Stuart, Simon and Lou of Mad Fish Dive Centre at Matava about the great scuba diving around the Fiji Islands. Some of the highlights of living and working in Fiji is the diving on the soft coral reefs with sharks, mantas and teeming life on the reefs.
European Shark Week, 10-18 October, is a unique opportunity for European Union citizens and shark advocates around the world to demonstrate their support for shark conservation and effect change.
Project AWARE Director, Suzanne Pleydell and Shark Alliance members present signatures in London |
This year, Project AWARE Foundation and Shark Alliance Partners are going back to governments for follow-up action under the EU Shark Plan, most importantly, improvements to the finning ban and quotas of zero for especially threatened shark species.
Why Sign Your Support?
Europe houses some of the world’s largest shark fishing fleets. Strong plans of action here effect global species conservation.
Your voice counts. The European Shark Week 2008 saw the collection of more than 100,000 signatures on a Shark Plan petition for EU Fisheries Ministers. The Ministers have since issued a strong response that highlights the plight of sharks and calls for prompt strengthening of the EU finning ban. Indeed, the Ministers’ words reflect the concerns of a growing number of EU citizens expressed through European Shark Week.
Predator turned prey - Turning the Tide for Sharks
Most European shark populations are declining from overfishing. One-third are threatened with extinction. The EU ban on “finning”, slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea, is among the world's weakest.
Hope lies with the new Shark Plan, adopted by the European Commission thanks in large part to support from many of you. The Plan sets the stage for vast improvements in EU shark policies, including the finning ban. Its success depends on collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission. These fishery managers need encouragement from the European public to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.