Marine conservation groups and other environment advocates, spearheaded by the Save The Sharks Network of the Philippines on Monday sounded calls for a strengthened campaign for the protection of sharks as Shark Conservation Week reeled off in Dumaguete City.
The appeals were made at a simple opening program of the I Love The Ocean photo exhibit at The Atrium of the Robinsons’ Place shopping mall in the capital city of Negros Oriental.
SSNP is an alliance of experts, advocates and civil society leaders led by Save Philippine Seas, Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, and Greenpeace Philippines.
Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, explained that this is the 2nd national Shark Conservation Week and they organized it in Dumaguete to bring all experts, advocates, scientists, government offices and agencies and academic institutions to discuss ways on how to manage the sharks.
Sharks are very important to the marine ecosystem “and we need to put them in the water, instead of your plate or in your soup”, Cinches stressed, referring to the prevalent sale of shark meat and fins in the markets.
Cinches disclosed that they are pushing for a revised national policy to protect sharks, or the National Plan of Action for Sharks.
He pointed to Senate Bill 905 by Senator Win Gatchalian that “they want to enhance it and revise it to make it a more effective policy”.
Meanwhile, Cinches disclosed they are launching Monday on Bataris, an online platform for various campaigns, a petition for thousands of signatures from Dumaguete and at the national level for the protection and conservation of sharks.
Signature booths will be set up at the mall and at different schools throughout the week, he said.
The Greenpeace oceans campaigner stressed that sharks are economically important as well, as many have benefitted from these creatures, such as the tourism industry in Malapascua, Cebu.
They also play a significant role in the ecosystem because without them, there will be an imbalance in the seas.
The Convention for International Trade on Endangered Species on Flora and Fauna (CITES) has already included the listing of three species of thresher sharks (Aloipas spp), silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) and mobula rays (Mobula spp) in Appendix II of CITES international regulation.
The listing in Appendix II automatically protects these species, and Cinches said they hope this will push government to hasten the passage of Senate Bill 905.
Meanwhile, marine biologist Dr. Aileen Maypa of the Silliman University-Institute of Environment & Marine Sciences, emphasized that it is high time a national initiative get underway for the protection and conservation of sharks.
Dr. Maypa, a marine biologist, pointed out a decline in shark species but admitted that advocating for the protection of these creatures is difficult because of their image as predators that attack humans as well.
“You have butterflies in your stomach when you see one (shark), but at the end of the dive, you know that it’s worth it,” said Maypa, who is a scuba diver and who says she has seen hammerhead, prairie, white tip and black tip sharks, to name a few.
SU-IEMS is part of the SSNP but prior to that it was already part of initial efforts in shark conservation, according to Maypa.
The biggest challenge now is how to educate the people here on shark conservation, noting that many still hunt them down for their meat and fins and these can even be seen regularly at local markets, Maypa stressed.
There is still a lot of work to be done, Maypa pointed out.
Activities included the Shark Conservation Week here include the I Love My Ocean photo exhibit, Art Attack by AG Saño, Live Installation Art; Artsea Community, a community mural painting at the SU Jalandoni Pelota Courts; MOCEANS, zumba for oceans and sharks at the Rizal Boulevard; Shark Science Session; Anak ng Pating, a youth forum on oceans and sharks at the SU American Studies and Research Center; Patingin, a film screening featuring On the Brink; the Shark Summit, a national roundtable discussion and workshop at Guy Hall; and Sure Thing, Pating, an open mic night at El Amigo Restobar. (PNA)