Vacation, high sea-fish, Seychelles, Maldives, tour operator, hotel, hotel, Seychelles, nature protection, Finning, shark, sharks, predatory exploitation, nature, shark protection, Seychelles, tourism, journeys, vacation, remote journeys, Indian ocean, Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Anse Lazio, dipping, Maldives, Bermudas, Hotel, Hotels, Last minute

"Finning"
...means to cut off totally or only parts of the shark´s fins. Often this happens while the shark is still alive. Generally the body of the shark (alive or dead) is thrown back into the ocean, because the fins need less load area than the whole body does.
 
Source: www.sharkproject.org
 

Vacation, high sea-fish, Seychelles, Maldives, tour operator, hotel, hotel, Seychelles, nature protection, Finning, shark, sharks, predatory exploitation, nature, shark protection, Seychelles, tourism, journeys, vacation, remote journeys, Indian ocean, Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, Anse Lazio, dipping, Maldives, Bermudas, Hotel, Hotels, Last minute

The cause
Nation Online 06.03.2004: Sharks pay for lost swordfish market with their fins
 
The "Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA)" is announcing a dangerous increasing of chasing and trading with shark fins, done by local fishermen.
This development was caused by an appeal of the EU 18 months ago, warning that the Seychelles` swordfish has a high level of cadmium. Thereupon the swordfishmarket on the Seychelles collapsed and local fishermen were searching for alternatives. The fishermen took up their activities to catch shark for their fins, which was rather unusual so far and is now a great worry to the SFA.
 
For the local market catching swordfish plays a very important role, up to 65% of the catch consists of swordfish. Since the warning of the EU the export of swordfish has decreased from 411t to 200t, and the president of the SFA, Rondolph Payet, is fearing further serious losses. The Seychelles could go for alternative markets outside the EU but that would mean losing established advantages concerning custom. Also concentrating on other fish is hardly possible, as e.g. catching tuna is rather complicated and can only be done with best technical equipment and experienced tuna fishermen.
 
Nevertheless the SFA wants to train the local fishermen how to catch tuna, and also to put pressure on the EU in order to make them retracting the statement about the danger of cadmium of swordfish, which concentration is after all less than that found in chicken kidneys, lamb or pork.
 
Source: http://www.seychelles-online.com.sc/archives/4020304.html
 
The petition
An den Präsidenten der Seychellen James Michel
 
Dear Mr. President,
 
The Seychelles are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on earth and worldwide they are famous for pursuing an exceptional foresighted ecological policy. Mainly that exemplary commitment convinces many ecological orientated tourists to spend their holidays on the Seychelles, though there is higher price level compared to other nations. Many tourists are willing to spend their money at the Seychelles instead of somewhere else, where prices are lower but environmentalism does not count that much.
 
Now this balance is endangered!
 
As we could get from an article in the Seychelles Nation Online, 06.03.2004 a trade with sharks fins seems to establish in order to compensate for the drop in turnover with swordfish. This is a worrying development and it absolutely does not fit to the ecological policy ran so far, which cared for endangered species, e.g. turtles.
 
Many shark species these days are threatened by extinction due to excessive chasing, mainly done because of their fins. For this reason sharks need our help. A healthy and stable stock of sharks is absolutely necessary for an intact ecology of oceans, as already scientifically proved.
 
But the trade with shark fins does not only endanger the sharks itselves. Moreover, the Seychelles, where ecological tourism plays an important economical role, are in danger of losing a main source of income: tourists! The absence of tourists means a decreasing standard of living for mostly all inhabitants of the Seychelles. It is obvious which effects on tourism are expected, when worldwide campaigns direct the attention to the Seychelles: not by showing its beauty but the cruelty of finning! All the exemplary commitment concerning environmentalism done by the government so far would soon be forgotten. The country would get a damage to its image which can hardly be corrected in the foreseeable future.
 
This can´t be in the interest of the government of the Seychelles.
 
Therefore we ask you to make the trade with shark fins punishable by law and also to provide resources and capacities to observe this law.
 
As we know that you are open-minded to environmentalism we would be pleased if this petition will reach you and will make you acting so that the sharks´population and also tourism of the Seychelles will be saved sustainably.
 
The discussion (german)
http://www.seychellen-infos.de/ seyforum/viewtopic.php?t=1652
 
http://www.seychellen-infos.de/ seyforum/viewtopic.php?t=1649
 
http://www.seychellen-infos.de/ seyforum/viewtopic.php?t=1657
 
Links
D.E.G. Initiative zur Erhaltung von Haien,
Rochen und Chimären
 
SHARKPROJECT.ORG
 
www.haiwelt.de
 
Hai-Stiftung / Shark Foundation