Now all of you will know that there are no fish at Old Macdonald’s Farm, and certainly no sharks here (apart from Old Macdonald himself who can be a bit snappy when in a bad mood, and a lot of what he does is certainly fishy). However we are strongly supporting European Shark Week, which this year takes place from October 15th to 23rd. This is part of Old Macdonald’s continuing campaign to save the world, or help anyway, and he wants you all to join in. The photo above is from the Shark Alliance Website and taken by Andy Murch.
Sharks, vital predators in our oceans and an important part of the great Circle of Life, are at great risk from overfishing. European sharks face a particularly high risk of extinction with roughly one-third of species classified as threatened.
Europe is home to some of the world’s largest fishing fleets and its powerful fisheries officials exert influence on international fishing restrictions in many regions of the globe. As a result, poor European shark policies and enforcement pose threats to sharks not only in European waters but in other parts of the world as well.
In 2003, the EU adopted a ban on shark finning, where sharks are killed purely to cut off their fins for some food dishes, but at the same time allowed glaring loopholes that render the ban all but meaningless. With its finning regulations more lenient than those of the US and Canada, the EU is acting as the ‘lowest common denominator’ in international fisheries negotiations.
Every October, members of the Shark Alliance in Europe run a week of activities for supporters and other shark enthusiasts to find out more about sharks and shark conservation and add their voices to those demanding that policy makers secure the future health of shark populations.
Last year, there were events in 13 EU countries and this year the campaign to protect sharks plan to focus on national fisheries ministers in EU member states and unfulfilled commitments of the Community Plan of Action for Sharks (the CPOA), in particular for a strengthened finning regulation.
After sustained pressure from the Shark Alliance, two years ago EU Fisheries Ministers endorsed a sound plan of action for shark conservation but there is unfinished business: The EU finning ban still has huge loopholes, many endangered shark species remain completely unprotected, and there are no limits on the main shark species targeted by EU boats. There are key opportunities in the coming months to deliver on the commitments of the CPOA.
Shark Alliance member groups, aquariums and other supporters will be asked to help gather signatures for national petitions (on- and off-line), to hold events and collect drawings and photographs we will then use to call on Fisheries Ministers to protect sharks from finning and overfishing and finish what was promised in 2009.
Old Macdonald asks you all to visit the website www.sharkalliance.org for more information and also, very importantly, to sign the Petition to stop finning and overexploitation of sharks.
