Vote Yes for threshers!
Image: Steve de Neef
What is the petition about?
On September 24th to October 5th 2016, in Johannesburg, South Africa, all three species of thresher sharks are being proposed to be listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at their Conference of Parties (CoP) 17. Help vote YES to help protect and regulate the international trade of thresher sharks!
Why should we vote YES to thresher sharks?
According to Save Sharks Network Philippines, who started the petition:
“The Philippines is the only country that can boast to having an established pelagic thresher shark dive industry. Monad Shoal near Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan remains to be the only place in the world where scuba divers can see pelagic thresher sharks almost every day.”
Thresher sharks provide not only pride and tourism for the Philippines but, most importantly, livelihood to the locals of Daanbantayan. The presence of these sharks have turned Malapascua Island into a famous diving destination, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
Why are thresher sharks in danger?
Save Sharks Network Philippines explains:
“In the province of Cebu, sharks are considered valuable for both their ecological and economic value that the province issued a Resolution protecting all sharks and rays in all its municipalities and established the Philippines’ first shark and ray sanctuary in Daanbantayan. This legislation makes the Philippines one of the few countries in the world to have domestic protections for sharks. Aside from Cebu, thresher sharks are afforded local protection in Batangas City, Panglao lsland, and Palawan. Unfortunately, it is not enough as thresher sharks could still be fished, hunted, and traded legally elsewhere. Their meat is usually consumed locally but the fins are sold internationally, mainly through Hong Kong and Taiwan, to be used in shark fin soup.”
How do we help save the thresher sharks?
By signing this petition: www.change.org/p/philippines-vote-yes-for-threshers
You can learn more about this campaign at Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/marinewildlifewatchofthephilippines
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