Shark Conservation | Ocean Doctor | Ocean Conservation in Action

November 21, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

Big news in shark conservation from our sister organization, Shark Advocates International: EU Officials Sign UN Migratory Shark Initiative, Propose Stronger Finning Ban

Bergen, Norway. November 21, 2011. The European Union (EU) today became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Sharks, just as the European Commission announced a proposal to strengthen the EU ban on shark “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea). An EU representative signed the Shark MoU at a ceremony at the 10th Conference of the CMS Parties which opened today in Bergen while the announcement on the finning proposal came from Commission headquarters in Brussels. [Read more...]

Slice Up Your Sunday Funnies and Save Endangered Sharks!

Click image to enlarge. Â© 2008 Jim Toomey.
On Sunday, April 20, 2008, Newspapers Around the Nation Carried this Special Edition of “Sherman’s Lagoon” by Jim Toomey

Cartoonist and devout conservationist, Jim Toomey, has dedicated his April 20 “Sherman’s Lagoon” comic strip to protecting sharks. His regular strip has delighted millions, featuring the antics of a variety of sea creatures, especially sharks. Here is what Jim recently wrote about this special edition of his beloved comic strip: “I have devoted my color Sunday Shermanâ€™s Lagoon comic strip to creating awareness and public interest in shark conservation. Recent populations studies done by numerous independent marine biologists confirm that many species of large sharks from great whites to hammerheads to tiger sharks are being overfished to the point that only 10% of their historic populations remain. [Read more...]