SHARKS

A PETITION FROM THE CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE SINGAPORE AIRLINES TO STOP SHIPPING SHARK FINS

https://www.causes.com/v2actions/1761591-a-petition-to-singapore-airlines

A petition to Urge Singapore Airlines to STOP shipping shark fins.
Singapore Air is one of the top airlines in the world - the airlines service many Asian cities including Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Jakarta and several major cities in China - these are the major shark fins consumption centers; we need to curb supply to these cities. 

Hong Kong Government data indicates that over 1,162 tonnes of shark fin were imported into Hong Kong in 2012, of which 14.1% was by air cargo. Of that percentage a substantial amount would have been flown into Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines' flights. According to a July 2013 report by the global wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, "Singapore was the fourth biggest exporter of shark fins between 2000 and 
2009".  

As Singapore Airlines, is the world's most awarded airline; with commitment of diligent service to customers and a company that firmly believes in supporting programs that benefit the communities as an essential part of being a good corporate citizen, we hope that Singapore Airlines will help protect and preserve the well-being of sharks in our ocean. Sharks are sentinel species and they are barometers for a healthy ocean environment.

We urgently call upon Singapore Airlines' to cease the transportation of shark fins and shark-related products on all Singapore Airlines' flights as soon as possible. This is essential to cut the supply chain of the shark fin trade.

Please sign and share this petition. If you are a Kris Flyer member and wish to include your name, Kris Flyer status in our letter that will be hand delivered to Singapore Airline, please send your name and Kris Flyer status to info@OGSociety.org
Your view and business is important to Singapore Airlines.

Signed,

Ocean Geographic Society


Below is not essential to signing the petition, it is updates about the petition and the comments that the petition author received. It is just included it here, as I find the comments to be interesting. :)


Progress
31,973 signed, 6,028 more needed

2 UPDATES 

1.Signed, Sealed & Delivered

Signed, Sealed and Delivered...now please help get the message through - send yr own email to: 'SAA_Feedback@singaporeair.com.sg'; write your own message or simply copy and paste the following: 

Attention: Mr Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines

Dear Mr Goh

As the world's most awarded airline with a commitment towards diligent service to its customers, and a company that supports conservation programmes as an essential part of being a good corporate citizen, we hope that Singapore Airlines will help protect the well-being of sharks in our ocean. Sharks are sentinel species and they are barometers for a healthy ocean environment.  

Please cease transportation of shark fins and related products on all flights.  This is imperative for Singapore Airlines' commitment to environmental sustainability. Tonnes of shark fins are currently being transported on Singapore Airlines, directly contributing to the decimation sharks in the wild. The Hong Kong Government data indicates that over 1,162 tonnes of shark fins were imported into Hong Kong in 2012, of which 14.1% was by air cargo. Of that percentage, a substantial amount would have been flown into Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines' flights. According to a July 2013 report by the global wildlife trade monitoring network, Traffic, “Singapore was the fourth biggest exporter of shark fins between 2000 and 2009”.

To date, numerous environmentally responsible airlines have publicly declared their support for this initiative by ceasing the freight of shark fins and shark-related products. They are: Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Korean Airlines, Asiana, Korean Airlines, Lan Chile, Eva Air, AeroMexico, Dragon Air and Fiji Air. 

I am sure you are aware that on 14 March 2013, at the meeting of the UN Conference of the Parties to CITES in Bangkok, (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), three sharks and two ray species are granted trade protection into Appendix II – this attests to the fact that many sharks species are now closer to extinction due to the demand of the trade. Please  help by cutting the supply chain of the shark fin trade into Asian cities. Please  cease the transportation of shark fins and shark-related products on all Singapore Airlines' flights as soon as possible. Thank you

Update #2 · 3 days ago

Delivery of Petition to Singapore Airlines on 11 Oct 2013

Thank you so much for your support, I wanted 5001 signatures -as of now, we have more than 20,000! this a picture of shark fins in a warehouse in Hong Kong - we need to cut the supply chain - please share the CAUSE - now, I hope to deliver with 25,000

Comments 15 Like 0
Update #1 · 4 days ago

As Singapore Airlines, is the world's most awarded airline; with commitment of diligent service to customers and a company that firmly believes in supporting programs that benefit the communities as an essential part of being a good corporate citizen, we hope that Singapore Airlines will help protect and preserve the well-being of sharks in our ocean. Sharks are sentinel species and they are barometers for a healthy ocean environment.

We urgently call upon Singapore Airlines' to cease the transportation of shark fins and shark-related products on all Singapore Airlines' flights as soon as possible. This is essential to cut the supply chain of the shark fin trade.

Please sign and share this petition. If you are a Kris Flyer member and wish to include your name, Kris Flyer status in our letter that will be hand delivered to Singapore Airline, please send your name and Kris Flyer status to info@OGSociety.org
Your view and business is important to Singapore Airlines.

Signed,

Ocean Geographic Society





Zul Ng
The government need to put to stop first


Like  Reply Oct 6
Evonne Ong
We do not need the government to put a stop to it first. If we all wait for governments to make the first move, nothing will happen. Oftentimes, its the people who step-up, raise awareness about certain issues and get things going first before the governments will step in. This is more about being an environmentally-responsible corporation.

Like 4 Reply Oct 7
Arthur Vella
need to put to stop dead end

Like 1 Reply Oct 7

Vt Kumaraswamy Swamy
WE ARE HUMANS NOT CANIBALS OF THE CAVE AGE. LET US LEAVE A BIT OF NATURE FOR THE CHIDREN OF THE FUTURE TOO !

Like 6 Reply Oct 7

Ellen Thayer
Sighned

Like Reply Oct 7

Thomas Kaarup
As long as stupid people thinks it gives them big dicks, longer life and a bunch of other superstitious bullshit the animals of this world is in grave danger.

Like 4 Reply Oct 7

Wolcott Henry
Signed....

HONG KONG BANS SHARK FIN SOUP AND BLUEFIN TUNA

Posted on September 23, 2013 
by Tafline Laylin 

Sharks hauled from the Arabian/Persian Gulf provide fodder for shark fin soup in Hong Kong, and the endangered bluefin tuna is popular there too. But now the government has instituted a new ban that could reduce consumption of both.

Not only is it illegal to serve shark fin soup or bluefin tuna at government events in Hong Kong, but government officials are prohibited from accepting either at non-government banquets as well, according to Nature World News.

Dubai fishermen have scored devastating catches of Hammerhead and other sharks in order to supply fins to Hong Kong – a  processing hub – despite numerous fishing bans and international condemnation of finning.

And scores of Mediterranean fishermen rely on the bluefin tuna trade for their livelihood, another fixture on the menu in this Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Now both have lost at least one major customer for both delicacies, which should send a strong message to other businesses, organizations and every day Chinese citizens.

“WWF-Hong Kong congratulates the HKSAR government for issuing a shark fin and bluefin tuna ban for their official dining,” the group announced in a press release.

“This is a bold and encouraging step taken by the government on the conservation of sharks and bluefin tuna.”

Other groups have boycotted shark fin soup as well – so much so that one man who has made a fortune from the delicacy during the 1980s has folded the business, but it is not yet certain how much of an impact Hong Kong’s ban will have on the overall trade.

Ng Goon Lau, who first set up his own trading company to sell shark’s fins in 1984, told the Wall Street Journal that he regularly traded one and a half tons of shark fins a year during the 1980s, but by last year he was selling one-fifth of a ton.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) states that of the 468 shark species, 74 are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered; the blue fin tuna is also listed as endangered on the list.

http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/09/hong-kong-shark-fin-soup-bluefin-tuna/

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KENYA'S WHALE SHARKS 

- BORN FREE AND STAYING FREE !

September 2013. 
Plans to create an artificial marine enclosure off the southern coast of Kenya and stock it with wild-caught specimens of the world's largest fish - the whale shark - as a tourism attraction have been comprehensively rejected by the government of Kenya.

The judgement delivered by the National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya cited in their determination that the proposed project:

Denied whale sharks their right to exist in their natural habitat .
Did not adequately engage with local communities. 
Did not recognize that whale shark tourism can be promoted in the wild without capturing these animals. 
Would have been in contravention of Kenya's 1962 Animal Cruelty Act.


The proposal to capture and keep whale sharks off Kenya has been rejected. 
© Simon Pierce Marine Megafauna Foundation

The Born Free Foundation and others presented their concerns at a Public Hearing held in Kenya in February 2013 and called for the proposal by Volker Bassen of Seaquarium Ltd to be rejected. Their sentiments were echoed by many people who wrote from all over the world to key Kenyan decision-makers expressing their dismay.

Aaron Nicholas, the Foundation's Conservation Manager stated: "Born Free, working with regional marine scientists, local marine charities and other campaigners, mounted a high profile lobby against the proposed ‘Seaquarium' scheme, particularly on the grounds that it is unethical to incarcerate these magnificent creatures and that the venture undermined Kenya's rich legacy of conserving and promoting wildlife conservation and tourism in the wild."

Migratory species
The Foundation further asserted that whale sharks are an internationally-important migratory species (recognised by the UN Convention on Migratory Species - CMS) and play a key role in the marine ecosystem; that capture from the wild plays no role in enhancing the conservation of the species; and that greater protection of free-living whale sharks was the best way of ensuring their long-term future.

Congratulating NEMA on this decision and applauding the input of the many groups, experts and individuals that had opposed the captive whale shark project, Will Travers, CEO of the Born Free Foundation, said:

"We are determined to support actions that protect whale sharks throughout their fragile marine ecosystem while ensuring that benefits are shared with local communities. To that end, we plan to fund the training of boat skippers and crew off Mafia Island, Tanzania, later this year, to ensure that they understand and adhere to regulations concerning whale shark tourist viewing. We hope that we can extend this important initiative to Kenyan waters as part of a regional approach to whale shark conservation."

READ THE COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ARTICLE AND LEAVE YOUR OWN COMMENT

Excellent news!
This is really encouraging to read. Perhaps countries such as Madagascar could follow this example, as there has, of late, been massive slaughter of marine wildlife in Malagasy waters (starting with turtles, then manta rays and devil rays, and according to well placed sources, whale sharks are next)....As far as can be discerned the turtles etc are taken en mass to China....

Posted by: Derek Schuurman | 13 Sep 2013 17:56:59

Photo credit:
Tagging Along With Whale Sharks | Smithsonian Ocean Portal

ocean.si.edu -

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/kenya-whale-shark13.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1750482#cr

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SUPPORTOURSHARKS.COM

WHY PROTECT SHARKS ?

Sharks play a vital role in the oceans in a way that the average fish does not. Most sharks serve as top predators at the pinnacle of the marine food pyramid, and so play a critical role in ocean ecosystems. Directly or indirectly they regulate the natural balance of these ecosystems, at all levels, and so are an integral part of them. As they usually hunt old, weak or sick prey, they help to keep the prey population in good condition, healthy and strong, enabling these more naturally fit animals to reproduce and pass on their genes.  The effects of removing sharks from ocean ecosystems, although complex and rather unpredictable, are very likely to be ecologically and economically damaging. 

TOP REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T KILL AND CONSUME SHARKS

SHARKS ARE BEING FISHED AT A RATE FASTER THAN THEY CAN RECOVER

Due to overexploitation and lack of proper management, many shark species are under considerable risk of unrecoverable decline with some species having declined to near extinction in recent years.  According to reports, sharks are being killed at an alarming rate of up to 273 million worldwide per year. Some experts predict that if the killing continues at the current rate many species will be lost forever with potentially devastating implications for our ocean ecosystems.

KILLING SHARKS EFFECTS 

ENTIRE ECOSTYSTEMS

In a study off the east coast of the United States, 11 species of sharks were virtually eliminated from their range. Of the 14 species of marine life that those sharks used to eat, the populations of 12 exploded and caused great damage to the ecosystem. For example, the cow nose ray population was no longer kept under control by sharks and so grew out of control. As a result, the rays destroyed the population of bay scallops, their favoured food. The scallop fishery, which had been thriving, sustainably, for over 100 years, was virtually wiped out, with scallop catch dropping to only 13% of its high point. In addition, the removal of the scallops likely had an effect on water quality as they were no longer there to perform their function of filtering and cleaning the water.


  

SHARK MEAT CONTAINS 

TOXIC MERCURY

Heavy metals and other environmental toxins accumulate in plant and animal tissues through the well-documented process of bioaccumulation. Sharks are prone to bioaccumulation through diet (biomagnification) as they incorporate metals very efficiently and eliminate them slowly. Eating shark meat exposes you to these potentially dangerous toxins, in particular, high levels of the methyl mercury. While a certain amount of mercury in the environment is natural, growing worldwide pollution of our oceans is increasing the risk of high mercury levels in the fish we eat, particularly fish at the top of the food chain like sharks. Consuming sharks will increase the level of mercury you ingest which will in turn increase your risk of neurological disorders, autism, infertility, Coronary heart disease or even death.

SHARKS PREVENT PREY FROM OVER - GRAZING VITAL HABITATS

  

Sharks regulate the behaviour of prey species, and prevent them from over-grazing vital habitats.  Some shark researchers believe that the intimidation factor caused by sharks may actually have more of an impact on the ecosystem than what sharks actually eat.  For example, scientists in Hawaii found that tiger sharks had a positive impact on the health of sea grass beds.  Turtles, which are the tiger sharks’ prey, graze on sea grass.  In the absence of tiger sharks, the turtles spent all of their time grazing on the best quality, most nutritious sea grass, and these habitats were soon destroyed.  When tiger sharks are in the area, however, turtles graze over a broader area and do not over-graze one region.

SHARKS ARE WORTH MORE ALIVE 

THAN DEAD

While a huge demand for shark fins in Asia results in the slaughter of tens of millions of sharks annually, a study found that sharks are worth far more alive than dead. In Palau, where more than half of tourists are drawn by diving excursions, each reef shark brings in about $179,000 in tourism revenue annually, or about $1.9 million during its lifetime. By comparison, a single shark’s fin, sold for shark fin soup, fetches only about $108.

SHARKS ARE GOOD INDICATORS OF ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

The loss of sharks from certain areas may be an indicator of an ecosystem out of balance and in trouble. Provided that sharks have not been fished out of certain areas it is reasonable to assume that their disappearance would be a result of the destruction of a suitable habitat. The fact that shark species are so diverse and inhabit every ocean on the planet makes them key players essential to the ocean environment. Yet despite their importance in the marine food-chain they remain a low conservation priority. For all their evolutionary success and apparent menace, sharks are incredibly fragile, unable to withstand the increased pressures forced on them by the voracious world fishing industries. This is partly due to the fact that sharks are slow growing animals that mature late, live long, and have a low reproduction rate.

SHARKS KEEP OUR OCEANS HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE

Sharks have evolved in a tight inter-dependency with their ecosystem. They tend to eat very efficiently, going after the old, sick, or slower fish in a population, keeping that population healthy. Sharks groom many populations of marine life to the right size so that those prey species don’t cause harm to the ecosystem by becoming too populous.  The ocean ecosystem is made up of very intricate food webs.  For the most part, sharks are at the top of these webs and are considered by scientists to be “keystone” species, meaning that removing them may cause the whole structure to collapse.  For this reason, the prospect of a food chain minus its apex predators may mean the end of the line for many more species. Scientific studies demonstrate that depletion of sharks results in the loss of commercially important fish and shellfish species down the food chain, including key fisheries such as tuna and other important fish species that maintain the health of coral reefs.
http://www.supportoursharks.com/en/Conservation/Why_protect_sharks.htm
  


- See more at: 
http://www.supportoursharks.com/en/Conservation/Why_protect_sharks.htm#sthash.UIFYyfo3.dpuf

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GREAT WHITE SHARKS OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA ARE IN BIG TROUBLE

Baby great white sharks can die in indiscriminate fishing nets

Tell California officials to protect sharks

http://act.oceana.org/sign/scaredforsharks2013/?akid=2869.961105.xVyX3S&rd=1&t=4

Photo credit: thelovelyseas(dot)tumblr(dot)com

Great white sharks off the coast of California are in big trouble.
The number of adult geat whites swimming off our Pacific Coast is alarming low, and they are losing their pups to deadly gillnets. If something doesn't change, they could disappear forever.
We shouldn't be scared of sharks, we should be scared for them.
Great whites help keep the ocean food web healthy and stable as they hunt their prey. Our oceans need sharks. We're petitioning the state of California to protect great whites as an endangered species. Please help us protect these iconic sharks — before it's too late.




All babies need a safe place to grow up, even baby sharks. But in California, great white sharks grow up in a very dangerous nursery.

The waters where these young sharks, called pups, grow up are also used by fishermen, who lay out long gillnets that routinely entangle and kill baby sharks.

Act now to ask the California Fish and Game Commission and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect great white sharks »

Scientists estimate that there are only a few hundred adult great whites left in this part of the Pacific, and they reproduce very slowly. Every pup that dies makes their future in the Pacific a little bleaker.

Last year, we asked you to sign on in support of adding West Coast great white sharks to the Endangered Species List and over 44,000 of you responded. Sadly, despite hearing from thousands of shark-lovers like you and me, the federal government turned down the request—a very bad decision.

But all is not lost. These sharks can still be added to California’s Endangered Species List, which would help their nurseries gain protection from deadly nets. 

Sign TODAY to tell California officials to add great white sharks to California’s Endangered Species List. Let’s get another 44,000! »

This Shark Week, don’t just watch sharks on your TV. Take action to make sure that Shark Week’s stars will continue to swim in our oceans for generations to come.
Rachael Prokop
For the sharks,
Oceana

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CALIFORNIA'S GREAT WHITE SHARKS NEED OUR HELP, NOT OUR FEAR

http://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/californias-great-white-sharks-need-our-help-not-our-fear?cmpid=action-eml-2013-08-08-sharks

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BAN SHARK FIN SOUP ~

SAVE THESE ENDANGERED ANIMALS

http://www.takepart.com/photos/shark-week-2013-threatened-sharks

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TAKE ACTION : 

SHARK PROTECTIONS AT RISK

https://secure3.convio.net/pew/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1748

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KEEP SHARK FIN 
TRADE BANS IN EFFECT

http://act.oceana.org/letter/l-ban-shark-fins?source=twitter 

Photo credit: Bull sharks in Fiji 
by alastair(dot)pollock on Flickr

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PETITIONING JANEZ POTOCNIK
EU COMMISSION:
BAN THE SALE OF SHARK FIN PRODUCTS

http://www.change.org/petitions/eu-commission-ban-the-sale-of-shark-fin-products?utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition 

Photo credit: zenaholloway(dot)com

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KEEP U.S.A. SHARK FIN REGULATIONS STRONG

DO NOT WEAKEN U.S.A. SHARK FIN 

REGULATIONS

Via David McGuire ~ Facebook ~ Causes

http://www.causes.com/actions/1754787-keep-us-shark-fin-regulations-strong?recruiter_id=32555781&utm_campaign=own_timeline&utm_medium=wall&utm_source=fb

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SAVE THE CUBAN NIGHT SHARK

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/449/710/429/save-the-cuban-night-shark/

Photo credit: www(dot)cubadirect(dot)co(dot)uk 

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TELL AIR PACIFIC (SOON TO BE FIJI AIR) 
TO STOP TRANSPORTING SHARK FINS

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Air_Pacific_soon_to_be_Fiji_Air_to_stop_transporting_shark_fins/?pv=3

Photo credit: magicalnaturetour(dot)tumblr(dot)com

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PETITIONING BUBOR CHA CHA NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION: 
MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO SERVE SHARK FIN SOUP 
IN ALL RESTAURANTS

http://www.change.org/petitions/national-restaurant-association-make-it-illegal-to-serve-shark-fin-soup-in-all-restaurants?utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

Photo credit: Sam Cahir underwaterphotography(dot)com   

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HELP BAN THE SALE 
OF SHARK FINS IN AUSTRALIA

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/956/822/434/help-ban-the-sale-of-shark-fins-in-australia/

Photo credit: livescience(dot)com

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PETITIONING: 
PRESIDENT MASSAAKI KANAI
MUJI JAPAN: 
STOP SELLING SHARK FIN SOUP

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/muji-japan-stop-selling-shark-fin-soup?utm_campaign=twitter_link_action_box&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition

Photo credit: seasidestyle(dot)tumblr(dot)com

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PETITION: GREAT WHITE SHARKS 
NEED BOAT ENGINE COVERS

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/greatwhitesharks/

Photo credit: strongwomanstrong(dot)blogspot(dot)com

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PETITION TO LIST WHITE SHARK
 ( CARCHARADON CARCHARIAS ) 
AS THREATENED OR ENDANGERED 
UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT 

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/whiteshark.asp

Photo credit: constantinealexander(dot)net

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HONG KONG GOVERNMENT : 
LEGISLATE A BAN ON THE SALE AND POSSESSION 
OF SHARK FIN IN HONG KONG

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Extinction_is_forever_2/?pv=23

Photo credit: nature-madness(dot)tumblr(dot)com

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STOP SHARK FINNING : 

ASK INDIA TO ADOPT 

A SHARK FINNING BAN

http://action.hsi.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=104&ea.campaign.id=22057&ea.tracking.id=email&forwarded=true

Photo credit: thelovelyseas(dot)tumblr(dot)com



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From Stop Shark Finning

This one is the huge shark petition list.

Thank you folks for compiling this one, looks to

be the spot to go to for shark finning petition protests.

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/petitions.htm