All posts tagged: shark finning

Top 5 Eco Documentaries to Watch this Earth Day

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I love documentaries! In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to share my top 5 Eco Docs, I recommend you watch. If you haven’t already seen them, these environmental documentaries are thought provoking, powerful and are making a difference in lives around the world.  These filmmakers are heroes, taking a stand to raise awareness about environmental issues, and implore us to come together for the conservation and preservation of the environment. 1. Revolution An incredible documentary by Rob Stewart.  I remember when I first watched this documentary, it had just come out in Toronto, I was lucky enough to see it in theaters.  This film made a lasting impression on me.  I urge you to watch this insightful and incredible documentary. 2. Sharkwater Another amazing documentary by Rob Stewart, this documentary is a must see!  We cannot afford to lose sharks, we need sharks for our survival.  This movie has made waves, and as a result more legislation and protection has been put in place to save sharks and ban shark finning.  Rob Stewart is a …

Sharks In Hot Water: Combating The Negative Perception of Sharks

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Photo Credit: Ellen Cuylaerts Sharks are not only swimming in an ocean that is literally heating up- and melting icecaps but “hot water” due to the negative representation the media has created around sharks. More than ever, sharks find themselves in hot water because of the damaging affects of the negative image the media portrays of sharks as well as the constant targets placed on their backs as they are hunted for their fins. It is said that tens of millions of sharks are killed every year, creating a rapid decline in shark populations. In comparison, only 5-8 people are reported as being killed by sharks per annum. Primarily, sharks are killed for this fins, to make Shark Fin Soup. The practice of killing sharks for their fins is abhorrent. Thankfully, many countries have united together to standup for sharks and place a ban on shark fin soup, and ban the cruel practice of shark finning altogether. There are many conservation organizations working to protect sharks such as Fin Free, Shark Savers, Wild Aid, Shark …

Sharks Under Threat: FINdonesia Upcoming Documentary

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To date, 100 million sharks are killed every year.  Sharks are brutally slaughtered for their fins.  Despite efforts being made around the world to ban shark fin soup, and countries stepping up giving their support for the ban, unfortunately there is still a demand for shark fins.  The rapid decimation of the shark population is largely contributing to the disruption of the balance of ecosystems in the ocean.  Sharks are pivotal to the ocean’s ecosystems.  Bottom line, we cannot afford to lose sharks. As the tag line reads, from Mark Thorpe’s upcoming documentary FINdonesia, “Being #1 is not always something to be proud of” and that is the case with Indonesia being the world’s leading supplier of shark fins to the southeast Asian trade.  As a dedicated ocean conservationist with a passion for film, Mark has set out on a mission to help protect these majestic animals.  For many, he is a hero.  The aim of his documentary is to shed new light on this pressing issue, and help facilitate a resolution to end the …

Swimming with sharks…

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No I have never swam with sharks, though there are times I think it would be really awesome to be able to say that I have, as sharks are an amazing animal.  Last night I watched an incredible documentary called “Sharkwater” by Rob Stewart.  If you love sharks then I highly recommend that you watch it.  The cinematography was absolutely stunning!  The documentary captured so many fantastic scenic shots of sharks and other wildlife which inhabit the ocean.  One of my favorite scenes was watching one of the divers holding a shark and stroking the shark like you would  a dog.  The shark was completely docile.  It was just amazing to watch.  Another scene showed a school of hammerhead sharks, just awesome to see them swimming peacefully in the ocean. Sadly, sharks are being hunted resulting in the population of sharks being reduced by 90%.  During the time it took to watch the documentary over 15,000 sharks were estimated to have been killed, it just goes to show how rapidly the population of sharks are …

Sharks Under Attack

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Recently, I read an article by National Geographic, which brought attention to the shocking fact that 100 million sharks are killed each year.  It is heart breaking that sharks are endangered and being killed at such a rapid rate.  Sharks are incredible animals.  They are integral to ecosystems.  It is so saddening to know that many sharks are caught for their fins, which is completely inhumane.  For instance, “Blue sharks are among the most threatened species of sharks in the world. Trade in shark fins and overfishing have caused them to decline so rapidly that scientists worry about their future recovery.” (Count down the top 10 most threatened sharks.) According to an article by Jennifer Viegas, a whopping “Seventy-three million sharks die each year due to finning alone.” (http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/shark-finning.html)) In addition to this, the article notes that sharks are not just caught and killed for their fins, that “millions of deaths attributed to fisheries by-catch, environmental problems, intentional hunting for shark meat, leather, tourist souvenirs and more. In killing the sharks, however, humans are hurting …