Responsible Dive Travel

Fish Facts

Check out these stories: Shark Finning / Animals for Entertainment

Fun Fish Facts:

Fish were well established long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Fish have been on the earth for more than 450 million years.
There are more species of fish than all the species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals combined.
Fish DO feel pain and suffer stress just like other mammals and birds.
Ever wonder why fish are slimy? Fish secrete a type of mucus from their skin which acts as a coating that provides protection against parasites and diseases, covers wounds to prevent infection and helps fish move through the water faster. Some species can release toxins into their slime that help ward off attacks, while others use their slime to feed their young.
There are approximately 26,800 aquatic vertebrates referred to as fish. Forty percent of all the fishes evaluated in 2007 (3,100 fishes assessed) are classified threatened (IUCN 2007).
There are over 25,000 identified species of fish on the earth, and it is estimated that there is up to 15,000 fish species that have not yet been identified.
A group of fish is called a "school.”
Some fish like sharks don't have an air bladder to help keep them afloat and have to either swim continually or rest on the bottom.
Goldfish are capable of outliving dogs and cats- they can live for over 20 years.
Most tropical fish for the aquarium trade are harvested from the wild in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.
Did you know that fish can walk on land? The amazing climbing perch, native to India, can walk on land in search of water when its water hole has dried up.
The world's largest lake trout was caught on the Saskatchewan end of Lake Athabasca in Canada; it weighed a astounding 102 pounds.
People who study fish have a funny name, it sounds kind of like someone who has a rash! They’re called ichthyologists.

Do you know what SHARK FINNING is?

from www.sharkwater.com - check out the movie if you haven’t seen it yet.

What is Shark Finning?

Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, the shark slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is eaten alive by other fish.
Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers have only the fins to transport. Shark meat is considered low value and therefore not worth the cost of transporting the bulky shark bodies to market.
Any shark is taken-regardless of age, size, or species.
Longlines, used in shark finning operations, are the most significant cause of losses in shark populations worldwide.
Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored.
Shark finning has increased over the past decade due to the increasing demand for shark fins (for shark fin soup and traditional cures), improved fishing technology, and improved market economics.
Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.
One pound of dried shark fin can retail for $300 or more. It's a multi-billion dollar industry.

Impacts of Shark Finning

Loss and devastation of shark populations around the world. Experts estimate that within a decade, most species of sharks will be lost because of longlining.
Unsustainable fishery. The massive quantity of sharks harvested and lack of selection deplete shark populations faster than their reproductive abilities can replenish populations.
Threatens the stability of marine ecosystems.
Loss of sharks as a food staple for many developing countries.
Local waters are invaded by large industrial, foreign fishing vessels that threaten traditional sustainable fisheries.
Threatens socio-economically important recreational fisheries.
Obstructs the collection of species-specific data that are essential for monitoring catches and implementing sustainable fisheries management.
Wasteful of protein and other shark-based products. Up to 99 per cent of the shark is thrown away.

Are there laws against shark finning?

Each country with a coastline is responsible for laws and regulations pertaining to fishing in their waters.
A number of countries have shark-finning legislation. Many stipulate that fins must arrive in a 5 per cent weight ratio of the shark carcasses onboard. Only a few countries demand that sharks arrive in port with fins attached.
According to the IUCN Shark Specialist group, the easiest way to implement a ban is to require that shark carcasses be landed with fins attached. The possession of fins alone on vessels would thus be illegal.
Shark finning violates the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
Shark finning is contrary to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's International Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.
The United Nations Convention on the Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) lists the whale shark, basking shark, and great white shark as species that could become threatened if trade is not controlled. To date, 169 countries have agreed to be legally bound by CITES.

Animals for entertainment

Many of us visited zoos or aquarium as children without ever questioning the idea of having wild animals caged up for our entertainment. We would never treat other humans in this fashion, that would be cruel and unusual, yet we never offer this courtesy to our animal counterparts. Maybe it’s time we ask ourselves why?

The aquarium trade is a multibillion dollar industry that, one which often capture it’s prize performers in the most astoundingly inhumane ways, rarely disclosed to the public. Check out these two cases that have broken their way onto the world stage.

From the documentary “The Cove”- visit www.thecovemovie.com

2010 Academy Award Winner - Best Documentary

In the 1960s, it was Ric O’Barry who captured and trained the 5 dolphins who played the title character in the international television sensation “Flipper.”

But his close relationship with those dolphins – the very dolphins who sparked a global fascination with trained sea mammals that continues to this day -- led O’Barry to a radical change of heart. One fateful day, a heartbroken Barry came to realize that these deeply sensitive, highly intelligent and self-aware creatures so beautifully adapted to life in the open ocean must never be subjected to human captivity again. This mission has brought him to Taiji, Japan, a town that appears to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the sleek, playful dolphins and whales that swim off their coast.

But in a remote, glistening cove, surrounded by barbed wire and “Keep Out” signs, lies a dark reality. It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for mercury-tainted dolphin meat, engage in an unseen hunt. The nature of what they do is so chilling -- and the consequences are so dangerous to human health -- they will go to great lengths to halt anyone from seeing it. Up to 20,000 dolphins are killed in this cove every year, yet the world remains in the dark about this hunt.

The result of this movie is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope.

Check out Lolita: Slave to Entertainment - www.slavetoentertainment.com

In Maimi Seaquarium you can visit Lolita, the beautiful Orca who for thirty years has lived in captivity in this tank, performing tricks for visitors. Follow the link above and read Lolita’s story about how she was captured.

In Puget Sound in 1970, a barbaric hunt kills five orca whales, Lolita’s mother was one of these Orcas, killed trying to prevent her baby from being kidnapped. Six young orcas are shipped off to marine parks to become forced entertainers for the rest of their lives. Lolita is the last orca alive today of the six that were captured on that fateful day, even after activists have offered up millions trying to have her released.

For those who visit performing animals, or plan to, this is a must see movie. Double think the decisions you make for solely an entertainment purpose and help put an end to this exploitative industry. There are alternate, sustainable options for visiting and learning about wildlife that does not destroy their natural cycle. Watch this movie and think twice about how you choose to learn about the animals you love.