Sharkwater & the New Conservationists
We've inadvertently slipped into a conservation theme this week. I just finished watching the Making of Sharkwater, the first film attempt by Canadian Rob Stewart. From an old-school environmentalist at the helm motoring their ship away from the machine-gun toting Costa Rican Coast Guard and an all-star musical score and soundtrack, this film looks to be a must-see.
The ecological impact of shark hunting could potentially be huge since they are one of the ocean's top predators and have been since before dinosaurs even existed. But what makes shark hunting different than any other type of fishing? Shark Fin Soup.
In some parts of the world Shark Fin Soup is considered a delicacy and a sign of wealth. The fin adds almost nothing to the dish besides texture and it is not feeding starving children or even everyday working-folks. It's a status symbol to serve at weddings and big social events.
And that's not the whole tragedy. The worst part is this: the fin is the only part of the shark that is used. They literally capture sharks by the hundreds, cut the dorsal fins off and dump the bodies. There is really no excuse, no up-side to consider. It's a vulgar abuse of nature and there's not much more to it than that.
Unfortunately, in international waters there aren't many laws and there are even fewer people willing to go to bat for sharks, who are still viewed by many as man-eaters at-worst and pests at-best. Luckily there are some real dedicated folks, some of them willing to go to perhaps-insane extremes (like Paul Watson) in order to fight the "good fight" and some of them were involved with this film
Keep an eye out for this film, it's supposed to be in theaters soon.
- one
