European Shark Week

European Shark Week takes place each year and provides a week of activities for shark enthusiasts to find out more about shark conservation and get involved with campaigns that will help to secure the future of shark populations in Europe. This year it takes place from 15th-23rd October. So what can you do to get involved?

Have you signed the Shark Alliance's petition to protect Europe's sharks? At the time of writing this blog, 24,142 people have already signed the petition, which targets national fisheries ministers in EU member states to ensure that loopholes in the current EU finning ban are closed. You can also check their events calendar to see if there are any Shark Week events happening near you.

You can find out more about European Shark Week on the Shark Trust website - and why not 'like' their facebook page? The Shark Alliance, Support Our Sharks, Support Our Sharks Europe and The Global Shark Conservation Initiative are also great sources of information about sharks on facebook (and don't forget Respect Our Seas is on facebook too!).

Project AWARE are also running a Big Shark Shout Out week and have their own petition you can sign. So far, 79,567 people have signed this petition. You can also email messages of support for the Shark Shout Out Wall, make your own Shark Shout Out wall, display a Big Shout Out or Not Too Loud poster or sticker, organise or join a Big Shark Shout Out event, download the Shark Petition app, display the Shark Petition Widget on your website, or even display your own "I Shouted for Sharks" PicBadge on your facebook and Twitter profile pictures!

Whatever you do for European Shark Week, do leave us a comment and let us know!

Blogs of Interest

If you're reading the Respect Our Seas blog, then chances are you have an interest in the marine environment and conservation. There are many different blogs out there that cover these topics and we thought you may be interested in reading a few of them. Here are our pick of the most interesting blogs around... Enjoy!

EcoSma
"Be the change... Peering through the eyes of a marine biologist."
Samantha Craven is a marine biologist working in Singapore and Malaysia. Her passion for the ocean started at a very early age, and her job has cultivated her interest in conservation in both marine and terrestrial environments. She is a keen photographer and strongly believes in the written word as a medium for sharing information about conservation issues.

It Starts With Me
"It's simple...everything we do (or don't do) has an impact on the world we live in. It starts with me and ripples to you..."
Cigarette butts are the #1 littered item worldwide... Danielle's local beach - Wrightsville Beach, NC - is no exception. With inspiration from her friend Sara who writes The Daily Ocean blog, she's started her own daily ocean. She's heads out to WB at varying beach accesses and picks up litter for 20 minutes. Her focus? Cigarette butts. Her mission? To help create a smoke-free beach and have proper cigarette butt disposal receptacles installed on WB.

The Daily Ocean
"365 non-consecutive days of collecting, weighing and documenting beach trash."
One day, Sara Bayles asked herself this question - "How many pounds of trash could I collect from the beach in one year?" She is now in the process of finding out. This blog documents her 365 day experiment. Sara aims to raise awareness of how much trash is out there on our beaches and getting into the ocean, that the solutions start with us right here on land, and that everyday we can make choices in what we consume and buy that can add up to make a difference.

The Plastic Ocean Project
This blog covers four ocean voyages sampling for plastic and the daily findings of Bonnie Monteleone and Jennifer O'Keefe. In 2009, they sampled the N. Atlantic Gyre. Bonnie went on to sample the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. 2010, they traveled back to Bermuda to resample the Atlantic. And as of late, Bonnie participated in the 1st transect sampling for plastic across the S. Atlantic. They share their findings and comradery with those they meet along the way.

BBC Earth's Life Is
This is the BBC Earth Life Is blog. Within the blog they will be sharing some of Nature's most amazing stories, images and videos. Not all of these are marine or conservation oriented, but it's a fantastic blog and well worth a look. We often feature their marine-related posts in our weekly Marine News Roundups.

Take Nothing But Photos
"Interesting stuff about conservation and the environment."
Not all marine-related but certainly an interesting read. Written by Angela, a marine biologist with several years experience volunteering and working with conservation organisations. Angela is about to embark on a new adventure in the Middle East so I'm sure she'll have lots more to share soon!

The Flotsam Diaries
"A chronicle of human debris. Washed up, blown in, left behind."
Every father reaches that moment, when he knows he has to change the world for his little girl. One day, in March 2010, Harry visited Ocean Park in Maine. He found rope, a glove, a broken plastic spoon, fishing line, a torn beer can, its sharp edges poking up through the soft sand. And lobster traps, ripped from the deeps and dragged for miles, to be half-buried on the beach. The more he looked, the more he saw. Part of a red plastic cup, more nylon rope, bright rubber bands. It was everywhere. The next day, he went back to the beach, trash bag in hand. Two blocks, a leisurely half-hour stroll, and the bag was full. He didn't know what he wanted to do with it. He didn't know if there was anything he could do with it. But he knew he was at the beginning of something, and that this wasn't a bag just to be thrown in the dumpster and forgotten. Because this wasn't just his beach. This was his daughter's. And so he resolved to change the world. Somehow.

Team Marine

Team Marine is a group of Santa Monica students who are determined to help end climate change, slow and stop ocean acidification, and ban single-use plastics. They reach out to others through community events, student-led research, social networking, and social media.

Marine Debris

When you think about being on the beach, you probably picture a beautiful sunny day, golden sands, shimmering seas, buckets and spades… But what about litter? Marine debris is prevalent on our beaches and includes any human-made waste that deliberately or accidentally ends up on our beaches and in our seas, such as plastic bottles, food packaging and clothing, as well as things like cotton bud sticks, balloons, fishing line, nets, crab pots and even sewage.

So where does all this litter come from? There are many sources, but the top four, consistently, are shipping, sewage, fishing and the public. Most of it is preventable, yet levels of debris are increasing every year. Results of Marine Conservation Society surveys indicate that there are, on average, nearly 2,000 items of litter per kilometre on Britain’s beaches. Beach litter is at its highest levels since records began – it has almost doubled in the last 15 years and rose by 6% between 2009 and 2010.

Litter can cause huge problems in the marine environment. Not only is it an eyesore, it can harm marine wildlife and beach visitors too. Beachgoers can be injured by items of marine debris and can become ill from swimming in seawater contaminated with sewage. Shellfish grown in sewage-contaminated water can cause food poisoning to consumers due to a build-up of toxins in their tissues. Marine debris costs local authorities thousands of pounds every year in lost tourism revenue and cleanup costs, and the fishing industry also loses out when their gear becomes fouled by debris and catches are contaminated.

Marine litter kills more than one million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals every year through ingestion and entanglement. Discarded fishing nets cause problems through ‘ghost fishing’, whereby marine life continues to be caught by nets left behind in the sea. The animals cannot escape and suffer slow deaths whilst trapped. The nets also pose a threat to divers, who can become entangled and trapped in them. A recent story from Honolulu has highlighted the dangers of debris after nine Hawaiian monk seals were rescued from fishing nets and other marine debris, which they had become entangled in. One of the seals was a female pup caught up in an 800lb mess of buoys, fishing nets and clothes baskets.

Marine animals often mistake litter, such a plastic bags and balloons, for food. A recent study has shown that plastic is rapidly becoming a significant "food" item for fishes living in the northern Pacific Ocean. Turtles are particularly susceptible to ingesting plastic, as they frequently mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish, their main food source. The plastic bags block their stomachs, frequently leading to death through starvation. Seabirds also ingest floating plastic litter, mistaking it for food – over 90% of fulmars found dead around the North Sea have plastic in their stomachs. A study by Scottish scientists has also found that 83% of Langoustines, also known as Scampi or Norway lobster, have indigestible plastic fibres in their stomachs, usually in the form of clogging balls.

In fact, plastics account for more than half of all litter items found on UK beaches and the number of plastic items found annually has increased by 135% since 1994. They are a particular problem because they persist in the marine environment for hundreds if not thousands of years. Every single piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Eventually, plastic breaks down into microscopic particles or ‘snow’, which may be consumed by filter feeding animals such as barnacles. Pollutants can also be attracted to the surface of plastics, posing a previously unrecognised threat to marine animals once ingested. These pollutants may be passed up through the food chain by bioaccumulation to fish, and ultimately to human consumers. The toxic substances released by plastics as they break down can also effect the growth and development of marine animals.

Plastics can accumulate in the marine environment across large areas and there are known trash vortexes in each of the five major ocean gyres. The North Atlantic Garbage patch was originally documented in 1972 and is estimated to be hundreds of kilometers wide, with a density of more than 200,000 items of debris per square kilometer. The existence of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was predicted by researchers in 1988 and it was subsequently discovered in 1997. It is frequently referred to as an exceptional example of marine pollution but mostly consists of tiny plastic particles that are invisible to the naked eye; more like a "plastic soup". It is consequently difficult to estimate the size of the patch, but it is believed to range somewhere between 700,000 to 15,000,000 square kilometers in size. Researchers say that it is, “growing exponentially and threatening to become one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time”. It is estimated that 80% of the debris originates from land-based sources, and the remaining 20% from shipping. The Indian Ocean Garbage Patch, discovered in 2010, does not appear as one continuous field of debris. Researchers from the 5 Gyres Project are currently investigating this garbage patch, along with those in the South Atlantic and South Pacific.

So what can we do about all this debris in our oceans and on our beaches? At a local level, you can make sure you don’t leave litter behind on the beach and don’t drop it in the street, don’t flush litter down the loo, and don’t take part in events such as balloon releases. You can reduce the amount of waste you produce, reuse items and recycle as much as you can. You could even create your own art installation! You can support charities that work towards acheiving cleaner seas, such as the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), through membership or fundraising. You can get involved with local beach cleans – the MCS uses data from beach cleans around the UK to target litter at source, at local, national and international levels. Their Beachwatch Big Weekend takes place over the third weekend in September each year and coincides with Project AWARE’s ‘International Cleanup Day’. If you dive, you can take part in the Project AWARE ‘Dive Against Debris’ campaign. To tackle the issue of marine debris on a larger scale, the MCS wants:

• Government to formulate coherent marine litter action plans.
• Industry to improve water treatment storage capacity and combined sewer overflows to reduce the discharge of untreated sewage and sewage related litter to rivers and the sea during heavy rainfall.
• The public to reduce their use of plastic packaging, and reuse and recycle wherever possible. First steps can be as simple as avoiding plastic shopping bags, bottled drinking water and over packaged goods.

So next time you’re at the beach, take a good look around you. If you want to preserve that idyllic seaside experience for future generations and ensure our seas stay fit and healthy, make sure you don’t add to the already huge problem of marine debris in our environment. On a national level, more effective legislation and enforcement of litter laws is needed. But every piece of litter has an owner – every single person can make a difference and has a responsibility not to drop litter or flush it down the toilet. Remember: bag it and bin it; don't flush it!

Useful Links

Beach litter categories
5 Gyres Project
Project AWARE
Marine Conservation Society

Shark Finning

Thanks to films like 'Jaws' and sensationalist reporting by the media, many people have come to fear sharks. In truth, on average only 12 people are killed by sharks each year. More people are killed each year by falling coconuts, or by donkeys, or by being struck by lightening whilst playing golf, than by sharks. But did you know that humans are killing millions of sharks each year? Most sharks deaths are through 'finning', a topic which we will explore in this blog post. This post has also been featured on The Global Shark Conservation Initiative's website as a guest blog.

Shark finning is a process that involves the removal and retention of fins from a shark. Shark finning takes place at sea and, as shark meat is considered to be of low value (around US$650 per ton), most fishermen do not consider it worthwhile to transport the bodies. The sharks are hauled on board and the fins are removed, usually whilst the shark is still alive, with the finless body of the shark then being thrown back overboard into the sea. The shark, unable to swim, then sinks towards the bottom and dies through suffocation, blood loss, starvation, or through predation by other species.

This practice is widespread with more than 100 countries involved in the trade of shark fins, and is largely unmonitored and unmanaged. Most countries act as exporters, with the main consumer nations being mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The United States and the European Union also import significant quantities for use in their local Chinese communities. Where figures exist, they suggest that shark fin trading by Hong Kong accounts for an estimated 50% of all shark fin trading.

Shark finning is a multi-billion dollar industry and chiefly takes place due to the high demand for shark fin soup and traditional cures. Shark fin soup is considered to be an Asian delicacy and can cost as much as US$100 per bowl, with one pound of dried shark fin retailing for US$300 or more. Due to their high value, shark fins are highly prized by fishermen. Consequently, much of the shark fin trade is illegal and often involves organised crime. The trading of shark fins has even been used as a way to launder drug money. The only thing in the world more lucrative than the shark fin industry is the illegal drugs trade.

The increasing demand for fins for shark fin soup, coupled with improved fishing methods and improved market economics, has led to an increase in the number of sharks killed each year. Studies of shark fin markets in Hong Kong have shown that the number of sharks represented is three to four times greater than shark catch figures reported to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). This suggests that much of the shark fin trade is “off the books” of the world’s legal fisheries. Upper estimates suggest that as many as 73 million sharks are caught and finned each year. That’s three sharks every second!

In addition to its rather barbaric nature, shark finning presents several problems. It is a hugely wasteful practice, with the wet fins accounting for less than 5% of the total of a shark’s body weight. The discarded carcasses could provide a valuable protein source, particularly in developing countries. Shark fishing is also an unsustainable fishery. Shark populations decline rapidly when targeted by fisheries as sharks grow slowly, mature late and give birth to few large pups after a long gestation period. Populations recover slowly, if at all, when fished. Shark finning is indiscriminate as any sharks are taken, regardless of species, size or age. Sharks are often caught on longlines, which are the most significant cause of loss to shark populations worldwide. As a result, sharks are now at threat from over-fishing and this is pushing many shark species to the brink of extinction. Since the 1970s, the populations of several species have been decimated by over 95%. Experts estimate that most species of shark will be lost within a decade because of longlining. Sharks are apex predators and scavengers and maintain balance within the marine ecosystem. They play an important role in eliminating diseased and genetically-defective animals and help to stabilise fish populations. The loss of sharks threatens the stability of the marine environment, and also threatens the socio-economically important recreational fisheries.

Shark finning is illegal in several countries and is contrary to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s International Plan for the Management of Sharks. Many areas try to regulate fishing fleets by a fin-to-carcass weight ratio, with several stipulating that fins must arrive in a 5% weight ratio of the shark carcasses on board. Only a few countries demand that sharks arrive in port with fins attached. However, weak legislation and ineffective enforcement often undermines these regulations and fishing fleets routinely ignore them. International seas are largely un-policed and the enforcement of shark finning regulations is sorely lacking worldwide. The high value of shark fins further encourages the exploitation of regulatory loopholes.

Some organisations have called for a complete ban on shark finning on the grounds that it is an inhumane practice, fins provide no flavour or nutrition to shark fin soup (which is commonly flavoured with pork or chicken) and have been shown to contain dangerously high levels of mercury poison, and shark fishing is decimating shark populations with unknown consequences for the marine environment. Government bodies are starting to listen, with California currently awaiting the result of the AB376 Shark Fin Ban Bill. This Bill would ban the possession, trade and sale of shark fins in the State of California. There has been opposition to a complete ban though, with some arguing that it would unfairly target certain cultures. A complete ban would also be difficult to regulate and enforce, with most shark fishing taking place on the high seas. Even if fishermen land the entire shark in compliance with shark finning laws (rather than removing the fins and discarding the bodies at sea), the shark meat is not always marketable and is often sold as fertiliser or for animal feed.

The core issue is that sharks are being fished at an unsustainable rate. Work is being done by many organisations to change public opinion towards shark fishing and therefore reduce demand for shark fins and meat. For example, Sea Shepherd Singapore is running a campaign aimed at decreasing the number of couples offering shark fin soup at their weddings. A successful petition has recently seen the Food Network stop promoting shark meat on its website and network. The AB376 Bill is still being discussed by the Senate Committee in California. Not enough is known about marine ecology to understand what impact the loss of so many sharks will bring about, but there will be consequences. It has become overwhelmingly clear that we must act, and act quickly, to prevent the loss of entire shark species from our oceans.

There are many campaigns worldwide that you can get involved with, if you too are concerned about the future of sharks. If you would like to know more about sharks, shark finning and what you can do to help, why not check out the links below for further information.

http://www.sharksavers.org/
http://www.sharktrust.org/
http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/
http://sharkalliancepetition.org/
Petition to ban the use, sale and import of shark fin products in the UK
Information on the successful petition to the Food Network
Update on the AB376 Bill

Focus on: Seal Scotland

Seal Scotland is a Stakeholder Group made up of a number of organisations and individuals committed to end the Scottish Seal Cull. It was created on 15th March following on from a Facebook group set up for 'International Day for Seals', in response to the Scottish Government giving permission for more than 1,000 seals to be shot this year. They aim to protect Scotland's seals and help tourism and business in Scotland.

We first came to notice Seal Scotland through their active Twitter account. They also have an active Facebook page in addition to their website, so there are many ways you can read about them and show your support.

Their website states,

"Seals are seen as scapegoats, they have even been blamed for the decline within our fisheries and fish, they are seen as a menace to salmon anglers and a curse to fin fish aquaculture; the term, “The only good seal, is a dead seal” has been quoted on numerous occasions.

As with mythology, stories grow and change over time, what are the facts and are seals culprits in need of being shot, or convenient excuses for our own miss-management of our seas?

The Facts:
• Most of our Global commercial fisheries are in decline, overfishing is a known cause.
• There has been a dramatic decline in common seals in the UK.
• There has been a marked change in the reproduction rates of grey seals, so much so that the modelling techniques used to count greys has had to be changed to take into account the stable or slowly increasing rate of reproduction.
• Seals are shot regularly by; Salmon farmers, fishermen, salmon netsmen, & salmon anglers.

...The Future
Currently the future for British seals looks bleak, unless the current situation changes. The wildlife tourist industry has the potential to suffer; seals pictured in glossy tourist brochures might say, “What we used to see” or they could even be placed into history books, over the top comment, possibly; but local extinctions are a very real possibility.

...People power works; a massive success in the Canadian seal hunts took place in Europe recently, when the EC banned the imports of seal products. The UK governments may tell you that there is not a “seal cull” going on in this country; but with the licensing of nearly 1400 seals to be shot in Scotland and repeated calls from fishermen for a cull… What do you think?"

Please do take a look at Seal Scotland and show your support for these beautiful marine animals. Seal Scotland have links to several iPetitions you can sign, as well as a list of other seal sites you can check out. Don't forget to stop by the gallery and YouTube channel to see some gorgeous seal images and remind yourself what you're helping to protect!

Do your bit to protect sharks

Sharks are often portrayed as dangerous marine animals who prey on humans. In fact, more people are killed by coconuts each year than by sharks! Sharks are apex predators and maintain balance in the marine ecosystem. The sea provides 70% of the world’s oxygen, essential for life.

However, three sharks are killed every second – that’s 73 million sharks each year. They have inhabited the world’s oceans for 400 million years but humans are now driving them to extinction. Much of this is due to the vast international demand for shark fins for soup. The only thing in the world more lucrative than the shark fin industry is the illegal drugs trade.

The disappearance of sharks could have devastating consequences for the marine environment – not to mention the whole planet. So what can you do to help?

Project AWARE are "a global force for divers" and are currently running an online campaign asking divers to sign their Shark Petition. Sport Diver are also supporting this campaign - and so are we! You can sign the petition by filling in the simple form, below. Please spread news of this campaign to your friends, family - anyone who will listen! You do need to be aged 18 years or older to sign the petition but by doing so, you can help give sharks a fighting chance.

Marine News Roundup

Welcome to the first of our Marine News Roundups. Below you will find some hand-picked stories that we hope will be of interest to you.

Please feel free to share this blog with others!

"Behind the Speed - The Fastest Fish in the Sea"
The BBC Earth's Life Is Team has created a new blog to share some of nature's most amazing stories, images and videos. Their latest blog post concerns the Atlantic Sailfish, "one of nature's greatest speed demons". The post also features a rather amazing photograph by Hugh Miller.

Captain Morgan's Shipwreck Discovered?
A dive team near Panama City may have discovered a wreck belonging to the famous pirate Sir Henry Morgan. They have discovered the hull of a 17th Century ship, 52-foot long by 22-foot wide, and are trying to piece together the case that this, "was once part of the legendary pirate's fleet". The hull was found near the recent discovery of cannon's believed to have come from Captain Morgan's fleet (see the Our Amazing Planet post).

"Another beluga hunting area shuts down to Nunavik hunters"
Beluga whale hunters in Nunavik will have to wait until next year to land more belugas along the eastern Hudson Bay because they have already reached their total allowable take for 2011 of nine.

"Fish Masquerades as Coral to Hide in Plain Sight"
The harlequin filefish (Oxymonacanthus longirostris) has evolved polka-dot marking to match it's coral home in an ingenious move to avoid being eaten by predators.

"Arctic sea ice in free fall: new record low for July"
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) have shown that the average Arctic sea ice extent hit a new record low for July. If the melt continues at it's current rate, the sea ice extent could hit it's lowest point since record-keeping began 32 years ago.

"Balloon dangers to wildlife"
You may not realise, but balloons can be dangerous to marine wildlife. When let go, they may drift into the ocean and can cause problems through ingestion as animals, especially turtles, may mistake them for food. Balloon strings can also entangle marine life, including birds, and cause further problems. The Marine Conservation Society's "Don't Let Go" campaign is already working to encourage organisations not to hold balloon release events and aims to get every council to ban balloon releases on their land.

"Beachgoers urged to report endangered leatherback turtle sightings"
The Marine Conservation Society is asking all beachgoers to be on the lookout for endangered Leatherback turtles, which are visiting our waters to feed on huge numbers of jellyfish. You can report sightings of Leatherbacks, jellyfish and more, direct to the MCS.

Fish Fight Campaign
"Half of all fish caught in the north sea are thrown back overboard dead." Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's highly influential campaign continues and supporters can now download a free iPhone application, which contains contains MCS' easy-to-use lists of Fish to Eat and Fish to Avoid with illustrations, tips and videos. Also included is Fish2Fork's restaurant guide, making it easier for you to eat out sustainably, and fish recipes from Hugh and other chefs involved in the Selfridges Project Ocean Campaign. At the time of writing, there are currently 739,850 signatures on the Fish Fight petition - have you signed up yet?

"Offshore wind farms are good for biodiversity"
A Dutch study has found that birds avoid offshore wind turbines, whilst marine life find shelter and new habitats. Professor Han Lindeboom, from the Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies at Wageningen University and Research Centre, said that this new study has revealed little evidence of negative effects on local wildlife.

"Lost baby whale stranded on Australia beach is reunited with mother after dramatic rescue"
A 1.5 tons baby humpback whale has been reunited with it's mother after taking a wrong turn at an Australian beach. Rescuers from Sea World on Queensland's Gold Coast fought for 12 hours to save the baby whale's life after it became beached but mother and baby have now found each other again.

That's all for now - check back soon for more updates!

Welcome to Respect Our Seas

Hello! Welcome to the Respect Our Seas blog.

Respect Our Seas aims to gather together all those who are disgusted by the current state of our seas, and who want to do something about it.

We will be blogging about various marine issues and articles and would love to hear your feedback.

You can join our Facebook Group, follow us on Twitter, and, of course, follow our blog.

Check back soon for more updates!