Divers Taking Action to Protect Sharks

According to a recent study by the non-profit conservation group Oceana and Duke University, protecting sharks is more than sound ocean policy--it's also good business. "Sea the Value: Quantifying the Value of Marine Life to Divers" finds that sharks are worth more through ecotourism ($212 million) than in fisheries ($19 million). But these top predators continue to be victims of shark fining, in which fishermen cut off their fins and discard the body at sea. This unsustainable fishing practice has helped decimate many shark populations, reducing some by as much as 99 percent.

Click here to learn about Oceana
Click here to read about or download the "Sea the Value" study.

To stop the practice of shark fining in U.S. waters, Oceana is asking divers to join a petition campaign to enact the Shark Conservation Act of 2008. Thanks to more than 11,000 concerned ocean-lovers, an earlier petition drive helped get the bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now Oceana is asking for your support to pass the version awaiting approval in the U.S. Senate.

To join the petition, click here. Dive in today and tell your senators to support the Shark Conservation Act of 2008.

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According to a recent study by the non-profit conservation group Oceana and Duke University, protecting sharks is more than sound ocean policy--it's also good business. "Sea the Value: Quantifying the Value of Marine Life to Divers" finds that sharks are worth more through ecotourism ($212 million) than in fisheries ($19 million). But these top predators continue to be victims of shark fining, in which fishermen cut off their fins and discard the body at sea. This unsustainable fishing practice has helped decimate many shark populations, reducing some by as much as 99 percent.

To stop the practice of shark fining in U.S. waters, Oceana is asking divers to join a petition campaign to enact the Shark Conservation Act of 2008. Thanks to more than 11,000 concerned ocean-lovers, an earlier petition drive helped get the bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now Oceana is asking for your support to pass the version awaiting approval in the U.S. Senate.