Hi guys and gals, I am an American from the center most state of Missouri. We don't have an ocean and that's just the way I like it. I ALWAYS puke, Always!!!
Here is the reason I posted this time. An article of interest to sea folks.
Galapagos: Over 1,000 Shark Fins is still not enough …
May 27, 2001

The future of the sharks in Galapagos lies in the hands of one judge. Are we going to let this happen!! This year alone there have been 18 boats captured within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. In Santa Cruz Island alone there are 18 judgments for illegal fishing and 3,000 shark fins were decommissioned. In San Cristobal Island there are 25 court cases with 1,980 decommissioned and 3,000 pounds of shark meat. Over 1,000 shark fins were released along with the poacher, Ecuadorian registered Japanese class long liner named Dilsun, by an order made by a port captain on the island of Isabela. Another 1,000 shark fins captured by Costa Rican long liner, the Maria Canela II, is about to go unpunished by a judge’s ruling. What will it take for people to start reacting strongly against this cruelty?

I am writing this article from onboard the Galapagos National Park patrol boat, Sirenian, and we are continuing to patrol the marine reserve despite these actions taken by the authorities. I am frustrated though. The Sirenian has captured four boats in less then three weeks and three were already released and the last one is about to be let go after having been caught illegally fishing shark within the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

The Maria Canela II was caught with over 1,000 shark fins and just 78 shark trunks onboard. You do the math, over 1,000 shark fins would correspond to over 200 shark trunks. Not only were they hunting shark illegally they are pirate shark finners, a practice expressly forbidden according to the Ecuadorian law and most other places as well. Shark finning is the act of cutting off the shark fins, usually while still alive, and discarding the rest of the body. Over 99% of the shark is not used. All this waste to feed the rich minority in the asian markets. If that was not enough, we also caught them with over 25 miles of long line laid across the marine reserve just off the coast of what is considered one of the 7 greatest underwater wonders of the world, Darwin Island. We picked up the entire 25 miles of long lines, which are strictly prohibited in Galapagos, and found between 6 to 10 live sharks dangling from it.

It was a perfect bust in my eyes. Open and shut case. This was a foreign registered industrial long line fishing vessel hunting exclusively shark fins. All aforementioned facts are illegal within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. The laws do exist and the National Park is applying them with force. Why then are these poachers being released?

The answer is simple. There are huge economic interests involved whom are influencing people from judges, port captains, admirals, to even the minister of the environment who has recently resigned. How can the Galapagos National Park, known as the greatest national park in the world, going to effectively safeguard one of the greatest world heritage sites if this is allowed to continue.

The sharks in Galapagos are worth more alive then dead according to Mathias Espinosa, naturalist guide and owner of one of the top dive shops in Galapagos, Scuba Iguana. “People come to Galapagos exclusively to swim amongst the sharks”. He has been diving the Galapagos Islands for over 13 years and has witnessed the decline of sharks year after year. In speaking with him he has recounted many stories where tourists from around the world have arrived with what I dub as the “Jaws Effect” and have left with a total understanding and appreciation for one of the most graceful examples of evolution. I recently spent some time with Patrick Symmes, renowned writer and author, about his experience with diving amongst sharks in Galapagos. He had no idea that in the first day of diving with sharks he would be totally transformed about his views of sharks.

Many similar stories have been told here in Galapagos.

I ask the local people here in Galapagos to voice their opinion and help safeguard the symbol of their Islands, the Hammerhead Shark. The shark is an icon and one of the major reasons tourism exists in Galapagos. There is even a shark named after the islands and the sharks are one of the most ancient species today and should be a deep-rooted part of the traditions and cultures of all people in Galapagos.

I ask the people of Ecuador to voice their opinion and help safeguard their greatest treasure and National Heritage Site, The Galapagos Islands. All Ecuadorians have the responsibility to protect the Islands so that their children and their children’s children can also know Galapagos as you know it today. Express your concerns to the president and stay informed. Do your own investigation on what is happening with Galapagos Islands.

I ask the people of the World to voice their opinion and help safeguard one of the last untouched wilderness areas and one of the most unique places on this Earth. Galapagos Islands is listed as a World Heritage Site according to UNESCO. I say what good is it to be listed as a World Heritage Site if practices such as those aforementioned are allowed to continue. If UNESCO is not willing to get involved then the title of World Heritage Site is nothing more then an empty label. Perhaps it is time for representatives to come down and re evaluate this World Heritage Site.

Will the release of Maria Canela II be the point of no return or will it be the one decision that the authorities regret. YOUR actions today will dictate one or the other. From Galapagos,

Sean O’Hearn Gimenez Marine Conservation Officer Sea Shepherd International National Park Galapagos sean@seashepherd.org seashepherd@fcdarwin.org.ec http://www.seashepherd.org

Well rather long but there you have it.
Phone

Phonebush, You might get a better result if you post it on SACN (sea anglers conservation network) there is a team there dedicated to there quest and it is truely international.
Good luck
Alan(nl)