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Shark finning in Palau

Discussion in 'YachtForums Yacht Club' started by Bamboo, Apr 5, 2009.

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  1. Bamboo, Apr 5, 2009
    #1
    Bamboo

    Bamboo Senior Member

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    I lived and worked in/on the island nation of Palau for several years while I lived in Micronesia. It's as close to God's perfect marine playland that can be found on earth. Over 300 islands in the main group of around 100 miles long, nearly all of them inside a protective reef. Above that is a atoll (Kayangel) and a shallow submerged reef that extends well past the horizon. It's about 8 degress above the equator, but there are a group of island leading down to 1/2 a degree (the southwest islands)above the eqautor just above Papua New Guinea- that is Helen's reef- another atoll- I've been there twice, and Kayangel numerous times. The main island of Palau (Babeldaob) is the second largest in Micronesia- just behind Guam. When I lived there it's population was less than 5000, and the only road that circled the island was dirt. I worked for Sam Scott of Sam's tours- and his long time GM sent me this... and I'm forwarding it to all of you here asking for your help. Please visit the links and write an email giving support to stop the bill which allows the long liners to fin sharks. Palau has little to no outside income except tourism and the money from Tawainese/Chinese commercial fishing- which literally rapes the ocean.

    If you care about the future of the earths oceans- as obviously many here do as seen by the response to the Japanese dolphin thread- then your efforts are needed here even more. The western pacific holds more than half of the world tuna, and the foreign fishing fleets of China and Tawain are harming the oceans- and Micronesia specifically- at an alarming rate. Japan, BTW is a very very small player in the fish fishing world.
  2. NYCAP123, Apr 5, 2009
    #2
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Strongly worded e-mails are sent and I've requested many contacts to do the same. My pleasure to lend a voice.:mad:
  3. Norseman, Apr 5, 2009
    #3
    Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Yeah, I just sent a message too:

    Strong but polite...I guess.:mad:

    I can't stand suffering of animals (or people) so I did not even watch the Dolphin video from Japan.
    Just read the first few postings and decided to sleep good at night by NOT seeing it.

    (Yes I eat meat, fowl and fish, but I sure as sh!t won't pay for torture, perhaps the Jews have a point with the "Kosher Thingy" ? )
  4. Fishtigua, Apr 6, 2009
    #4
    Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

    Joined:
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    When I sailed Micronesia, like Bamboo said, it was a lovely place.

    In Palau harbour you could see the seabed even on the fuel dock (even though the local dockmaster was wearing a Pliad Cymru((Free the Welsh)) t-shirt).

    The worst shark-finning I wittnessed however was in the Galapagos Islands. Sailing passed miles and miles of dying sharks was heartbreaking and made me very angry.

    When we got to Pago Pago in American Samoa you could see the huge fishing industry. As an ex-longline skipper I can now see what these guys were up to. They were just rapeing the ocean of any commercial fish, anything goes if it makes a buck.

    In Yap and Truk Islands I saw the big Tuna boats working. They put up a small helicopter to spot the fish then drive the fish into huge nets with speedboats while dropping TNT into the water (enjoying that tuna salad sandwich now?).

    Korea, Japan, China and America are all guilty of this rape. Please think when you buy your fish.

    Please e-mail the above link.
  5. OutMyWindow, Apr 6, 2009
    #5
    OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

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    I cringe every time I hear yet another story of Asian perceived aphrodisiacs and their pursuit of animal extinction.
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