In the Spotlight

Dive Centres Show Support for Sharks

August 2010 - Dive centres across the globe are lending their support to Project AWARE's Help Give Sharks A Fighting Chance campaign. 

ScubaFish in Thailand organized a Save our Fin 3 Legged Race and collected over 60 signatures for the petition. Lumba Lumba Dive Centre in Indonesia has also started collecting signatures for the campaign.

Over in Hong Kong, PADI Course Director Rommy Cheung, IDTC Elite Divers, Hong Kong ran a Shark Seminar on behalf of Project AWARE.  And in Malaysia Borneo Divers and Sea  Sport collected signatures and raised money for Project AWARE at the recent Malaysia International Dive Expo.

High School Students Support Shark Conservation

May 2010 - Grant Hilzinger, a student from Shipley High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, has campaigned for shark protection for four years. His local shark presentations for fellow school students aim to create awareness about the dangers facing sharks today. He combines these talks with a pizza sale and donates all the proceeds to support "the fight to stop shark finning and the preservation of vibrant ocean ecosystems that sharks keep in balance," says Hilzinger.   

Fiji Takes Lead in Shark Free Marina Initiative

Marina's and resorts across Fiji are taking the lead in shark conservation.  The International Shark-Free Marina Initiative works with marinas, boaters and fishermen to develop policy designed to protect a vital component of the oceans health, our sharks. Thanks to funding from Project AWARE Foundation and under the leadership of Stuart Gow from Matava- Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, 13 marinas and fishing charters on Fiji's tropical islands have already signed their commitment.

The Shark Free Marinas program encourages shark conservation at sport fishing and resort marinas by prohibiting the landing of any shark at the participating facility. Fishermen are not allowed to bring caught sharks into the participating marina for any purpose.

Stuart Gow, Matava - Fiji said, "By asking vessels not to arrive at marinas with sharks we hope to encourage responsible sport fishing and ensure the future of healthy reefs and our islands.  We look forward to signing up more marinas and charters in the coming months."

Joanne Marston, Asia Pacific Manager for Project AWARE added, "It's great to see so many marinas and fishing charters practice responsible fishing practices and pledge their commitment to shark conservation."

South African Marine Predator Lab Research Center (SAMPLA), South Africa

The SAMPLA in Mossel Bay, South Africa, provides the perfect location to study great whites in their natural environment. Project AWARE funding supported acoustic tag monitoring of white shark density. The research found that white sharks spent most of their time in three particular areas at depths from 2-20 metres/7 - 66 feet. This research is invaluable when it comes to helping balance human development, tourism and the conservation of an apex predator.