News
Turks and Caicos Islands Approves Shark Export Ban
The Turks and Caicos Islands government has approved amendments to territorial fishing regulations that will ban the export of sharks from its Caribbean islands from the 1st July 2015.
Currently, no international trade in sharks originates from the British overseas territory, so the new regulations, approved by the governor’s cabinet, will keep commerce in shark fins and meat from starting.
“Healthy populations of sharks will ensure healthy reefs, and healthy reefs can be translated into a robust economy attributed to tourism,” noted the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Department of Environment and Marine Affairs in a statement.
“This export ban is a great first step in restoring depleted shark populations to the waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands,” said Angelo Villagomez of The Pew Charitable Trusts. “But there is still work needed to fully safeguard sharks here and across the Caribbean.”
As top predators, sharks are essential to the health of the ocean, where they have roamed for more than 400 million years. Marine life in the seas has evolved around their presence, and their severe depletion has thrown many marine ecosystems off balance.
Many shark species make their homes in waters around the Turks and Caicos Islands. These include silky and lemon sharks, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers Near Threatened with extinction, and thresher sharks, which are listed as Vulnerable. By regulating the variety and abundance of other marine species in the food web, these local sharks play vital roles in maintaining the health of critical coral reefs. Without them, these beautiful and diverse marine areas risk becoming degraded.
“The ecological consequences of losing sharks are something the Turks and Caicos Islands should not risk,” said Rob Stewart, director of the documentary “Sharkwater.” “All sharks need protection now.”
In addition, sharks can provide valuable tourism income to islands such as the Turks and Caicos. A 2009 study of sharks in Palau found that an individual reef shark in the water is worth US$1.9 million over its lifetime, mainly as a tourism draw, and only US$108 when caught and sold. In many small island states, shark diving and watching, science, film and photography, shark education and research, and other related industries are significant sources of revenue.
According to Pew’s Villagomez, “If the Turks and Caicos Islands continue to advance shark protections, it will go a long way to keeping the islands’ coral reef ecosystems — and dive tourism — strong.”
Source: www.pewtrusts.org
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
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