Because you can’t keep pulling out the same stale old facts at your Shark Week parties, we’re going to hook you up with some fresh new shark facts to astound and amaze your friends and family! When we told a few of these shark facts to the basking shark in the photo below, his jaw […]
Tag: shark fin soup
California’s Shark Fin Ban Officially in Effect! The Catch Is…
Let’s start with the good news: As of yesterday, July 1, California’s shark fin ban (passed in 2011) officially came into effect! California grocers that stocked shark fins and restaurants that offered shark fin soup on the menu had 18 months to move their product. During the 18 month interim, the Los Angeles Times reports […]
“Snuffy the Seal”: Offensive or Effective?
Whether this was your first or fiftieth time watching the Discovery Channel’s viral Shark Week ad, “Snuffy the Seal,” the video is sure to have caught your attention. The ad has been called “polarizing,” “controversial,” and even “horrifying.” Loved or hated, there’s no doubt that the video is effective – mere minutes after the promo […]
Brunei Becomes First Asian Country to Ban Shark Finning!
We have some big news for you –Brunei has become the first Asian country to adopt a nationwide shark fin ban! With his June 7 announcement, Sultan Hossanal Bolkiah’s decree officially banned the catch and landing of all shark species from the waters of Brunei Darussalam, as well as shark fin sales in the domestic […]
Sawfish Designated as Endangered Species
Sawfish have a reason to breathe a little easier today: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has completed comprehensive status reviews under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and has determined that five foreign species of sawfish meet the definition of “endangered” under the Act. Of course, this “victory” is bittersweet: no one is celebrating the […]
Shark tourism expected to double as fishing value declines
Sharks swimming free in the oceans may soon become more valuable as tourist attractions than when caught, sliced up and served in soup, according to a global study published on Friday. The study urged better protection for the fish, from Australia to the Caribbean, to reduce catches of an estimated 38ma year to meet demand […]
Delaware House Takes Action for Sharks
Yesterday, the Delaware House of Representatives took a huge step forward for shark conservation efforts worldwide when they passed a bill that would prohibit the trade of shark fins within their state borders. House Bill 41 bans the sale, possession, and distribution of shark fins, which are commonly used in the Asian delicacy shark fin […]
Has shark fin consumption peaked at 100 million dead sharks per year?
While a new study warns that up to 100 million sharks are killed annually, there are signs out of China that demand for shark fin may be on the decline. A study published last week in the journal Marine Policy estimated shark deaths at 100 million in 2000 and 97 million in 2010, suggesting a […]