News
NUPG February Meeting Report

February saw two club members taking the “stage” to talk about two very different underwater photography topics. The first was by Justin Beevor on his recent trip to the Cayman Islands where he joined the “Digital Madness” team on an Alex Mustard underwater photography workshop. This was his 5th such workshop and so Justin was the perfect club member to tell us what the experience is like. Justin talked about the benifits of such a trip, as well as telling us about Grand Cayman, where he dived with Ocean Frontiers and was based at Compass Point Dive Resort. He then showed us his amazing images from the trip that featured both macro critters and beautiful wide angle reef scenery. It was truly stunning.
The second club member to speak was John Spencer and his contrasting talk was about Shore Diving the Scottish West Coast Sea Lochs. This was an inspriational talk that made everyone in the room want to pack up and head to Scotland with their dive and camera gear. John talked about his favourite lochs to dive, and showed us his fantastic macro photography from the many dives he has done there. The presentation also included Sue’s stunning topside shots that show just how beautiful this region is.
Finally the competition theme was Black & White / Desaturated and the top spots were taken by Glynn Phillips and John Spencer, who entered lovely images of an octopus, brittle star & pufferfish.
For more information about the NUPG please visit www.nupg.org.uk.
News
PADI meets with Maldivian Ministry to confirm protection of sharks

Over recent weeks, there has been speculation about the possibility of the Maldivian government lifting the ban on shark fishing in the country’s waters. PADI®, and the dive industry at large, were instrumental in establishing these protections over a decade ago.
With concern for the continued protection of sharks in the Maldives, the PADI organisation and Project AWARE®, along with 200 concerned local and international stakeholders opposing the lifting of the shark fishing ban, called on the government to continue to enforce the legal protections of sharks. PADI staff met with Maldivian Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture Zaha Waheed to reinforce the position of the dive community and critical role sharks play in dive tourism.
In those meetings, Minister Waheed assured PADI that the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture has no intentions to lift the ban on shark fishing. She affirmed that they remain committed to sustainable and responsible management of fisheries and marine resources in the Maldives. On 20 April 2021, the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture released a statement asserting that “the Maldives does not intend to permit a targeted shark fishery in the Maldives.”
“Sharks are a dominant force in dive tourism in the Maldives. We congratulate the Maldives’s commitment to their ongoing protection,” says Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide. “The Maldives continues to lead by example, among the most progressive countries on this critical issue.”
There are currently 17 shark sanctuaries in the world; the first established in Palau in 2009 and others in popular dive destinations including French Polynesia, Honduras, The Bahamas and several others in the Caribbean. The Maldives shark sanctuary was established in 2010 and covers 916,000 km2 (353,000 square miles).
Tourism accounts for an estimated 25 percent of Maldives’ GDP (according to 2014 figures), with diving and snorkeling being the most popular tourism activity. Prior to the formation of the Maldivian sanctuary, shark fishing was worth US$0.7 million to the Maldives’ economy, compared to US$2.3 million from shark tourism. In 2018, the shark sanctuary increased dive-trip demand in the Maldives by 15 percent, raising an additional US$6 million. Consumer research indicates that any re-opening of a Maldives shark fishery could potentially decrease dive tourism demand by over 50 percent, which could result in a loss of US$24 million.
Sharks are some of the most endangered species in the ocean, with recent research showing that the global number of oceanic sharks has declined by 71 percent. Over a third of shark and ray species are threatened, facing an increased threat of extinction, primarily due to overfishing. There are an estimated 600,000 shark watchers globally spending $314 million per year and directly supporting 10,000 jobs. Research indicates these figures are expected to rise as global tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels.
As part of its commitment to ocean conservation, PADI will continue to stand up for sharks and advocate for their protection. For more information on responsible shark tourism, read Project AWARE’s Guide to Best Practices. To learn more about PADI’s efforts and how you can join the community of PADI Torchbearers working to save the ocean, visit padi.com/conservation.
Miscellaneous Blogs
The BiG Scuba Podcast… with Rosemary Lunn

Ian and Gemma chat among themselves and are also are joined by well-known Dive Industry Professional Rosemary Lunn.
We talk about dive fitness and entering the CrossFit 2021 open games and being members of our local CrossFit Box. You can also listen to our new member of the team – Rosemary Lunn – answer some scuba diving questions.
Find out more about Rosemary at www.tumc.co.uk.
Find more podcast episodes and information at the new www.thebigscuba.com website and on most social platforms @thebigscuba
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