Appeal

Against the shark fin trade in French Polynesia
For the creation of the world’s first shark sanctuary

Dear Sir,

On behalf of the Longitude 181 NATURE association, which speaks for over 20,000 scuba divers and sea enthusiasts who have already signed this letter, I respectfully remind you of the following facts:

• In 40 years, shark numbers have dropped by 90%. Most species are endangered. In some regions, for instance, the oceanic whitetip shark is on the verge of extinction.
• Sharks are among the most fragile species, like whales; Like these marine mammals, they have late sexual maturity and low fertility. They cannot withstand the intensive fishing which is now rampant in all the world’s oceans: 100,000,000 sharks are caught each year.
• Until last year, French Polynesia was relatively unaffected. Polynesians had been wise enough to spare these predators which are necessary to the balance of ocean ecosystems.
• Today’s fishing aimed at sharks, purely for their fins, is incredibly short-sighted; it prioritises short-term profit for a few individuals to the detriment of the general good and long-term biological balance.
• The substantial development of longline tuna fishing, whereby sharks also end up being caught, considerably reinforces the threat to all shark species.

It is urgent to act in order to conserve the extraordinary wealth of the Polynesian heritage which visitors from all over the world come to admire. It is urgent to follow through with the protective action that started with the whale sanctuary !

I urge you to show visionary wisdom and avoid an irreversible disaster by taking,
as soon as possible, the measures necessary to protect the sharks:

1. A ban on fishing aimed at sharks, and on possessing, trading or transporting shark fins in the Polynesian territory
2. Longline fishing boats must return accidentally-caught sharks to the sea
3. A marine reserve where longline and shark fishing are banned

Yours most sincerely,

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Forename : ________________________________ Surname : _______________________

Address : __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Country : __________________________________________________________________

Date & Signature :

 

Longitude 181 NATURE is a non-profit organisation (under the law of 1901).
Its goal is to preserve the sea environment and share its resources equitably.