Sherman's Kin Need Your Help

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Some of you may have noticed in the April 14-20 edition of Sherman's Lagoon cartoon that Sherman (the main character in Jim Toomey's syndicated comic strip) has been sucked up by a huge trawler and is in danger of losing his valuable fins. April 14th's exciting episode is the first in a series running up to and just after Earth Day that will promote shark conservation.

Sharks aren't so fierce
Sharks are in deep trouble. Like many other ocean fish, we're taking too many out of the ocean. Although they seem tough, sharks are among the most vulnerable animals in our oceans. Most species grow very slowly and have few young. Their populations cannot take much fishing before they start to decline. In fact, many shark species are now considered threatened with extinction. Off the U.S. east coast, several populations have dropped by 80 percent or more; some need 100 years or more to rebuild to healthy levels.

Sharks are important
Most sharks are at the top of the food chain. They prey on weak and wounded animals and keep the other populations healthy and in check. Scientists warn that losing too many sharks will disrupt the balance of life in the oceans, causing problems for other species and probably ourselves.

Sharks are in demand
Interest in sharks for food and sport is growing. Shark meat, such as that from the dogfish shark, is popular is some countries, but not as valuable as cod or tuna. The priciest parts of most sharks are their fins, used to make a traditional Asian delicacy known as shark fin soup. The high price of fins together with the lower value meat too often leads to “finning” the act of cutting of a shark's fins and tossing the rest of the body away at sea. Shark finning has been banned in many oceans, but rules need to be stronger to make sure it is stopped for good.

Sharks are under-protected
Although their fins are worth a lot of money, sharks are still not the favorite catch of most fishermen. Many people still fear sharks; they aren't convinced we need to protect them at all. That adds up to sharks rarely getting as much attention as other fish by the people setting fishing rules. Too often, shark catch limits are set too high and come too late to avoid damage to the population. The U.S. is proposing measures to allow overfished shark populations in the Atlantic to recover. There are still no limits on the amount of sharks taken from international waters (outside 200 miles from shore), even though many shark species swim far out into the ocean.

Sharks Need Your Help
Sharks need all the friends they can get! Here are some things you can do to help sharks survive:

• The Shark Conservation Act of 2008 would strengthen the existing U.S. ban on shark finning by allowing for better enforcement, encouraging other countries to adopt shark conservation programs that are comparable to the U.S., and establishing a process that would ultimately allow the U.S. to impose sanctions against countries that do not. Please contact your Representative in Congress (go to www.house.gov/ and enter your zipcode to find and write to yours) and ask him/her to support the bill with an added requirement to ensure all sharks are landed with their fins attached.
• There are no limits on the amount of sharks taken from the high seas. Please contact the U.S. Secretaries of State and Commerce and ask them to fight for international quotas for overfished sharks.
• Tell your Governor that you support state fishing restrictions for sharks (including dogfish!) that are at least as strong as those for federal waters (3-200 miles from shore).
• Proposed rules for Atlantic shark fishing would not only improve the region's finning ban, but would also stop shark overfishing and protect endangered shark species. Send a letter to the head of the National Marine Fisheries Service and ask him to finalize shark conservation proposals for the U.S. Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
• Use your power as a consumer. Ask questions about the origin of seafood products or souvenirs made from sharks. Think before you buy.