Week In Review - September 4, 2014 - Sea Save Foundation

Sea Save Foundation BLOG

It’s in the Bag! Victories for Tuna, Sharks, the Great Barrier Reef, and More

1. Ban on Disposable Plastic Bags Passes California Legislature, Awaits Governor’s Signature

2. Amendment Issued By NOAA Will Protect Atlantic Tuna and Almost 100 Other Species from Falling Victim to Surface Long Lines

3. Hotels Join Fight Against Shark Fin Trade

4. Palau to Enhance Shark Sanctuary with Commercial Fishing Ban By 2018

5. Australia Opts Not to Dump Next to Great Barrier Reef

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1. Ban on Disposable Plastic Bags Passes California Legislature,

Awaits Governor’s Signature

The California State Legislature passed a bill banning the use of plastic bags at grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores and other businesses. If Governor Jerry Brown signs this bill, it will be the first statewide ban on plastic bags in the United States.

Several California cities have already banned single-use plastic bags at checkout stands, but if successful, this statewide ban could set a valuable precedent.

Only a small percentage of plastic bags are recycled, and many end up in the ocean. These orphaned bags cause marine life deaths and eventually add mass to the plastic ocean gyres.

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2. Amendment Issued by NOAA Will Protect Atlantic Tuna and Almost 100 Other Species from Falling Victim to Surface Long Lines

NOAA Fisheries just issued a final amendment to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (HMS). This amendment will extend some protection to the declining populations of Atlantic Tuna.

“Tuna and other pelagics are being fished to extinction,” said Georgienne Bradley, director of Sea Save Foundation. “Eliminating techniques that result in wasteful by-catch is an essential next step.”

The banned longlines average 30 miles in length and use hundreds of baited hooks. They often remain in the water untended for up to 18 hours, catching and killing bluefin, hammerhead sharks, blue marlin, leatherback sea turtles, and many other species.

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3. Hotels Join Fight Against Shark Fin Trade

When the buying stops, the killing stops too! This week, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group became the latest major hospitality company to announce that it has now stopped serving shark fin. They are joining other environmentally conscious hotel groups, such as Starwood, Hilton, Peninsula and Shangri-La, to say “no” to shark fin soup.

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4. Palau to Enhance Shark Sanctuary with Commercial Fishing Ban By 2018

In 2009, Palau’s then president Johnson Toribiong created the world’s first shark sanctuary. Now the new government is following his lead with a plan to ban all commercial fishing in the nation’s ocean territory by 2018.

“Johnson Toribiong is a true visionary,” commented Georgienne Bradley, director of Sea Save Foundation. “As part of the Shark Research Institute board of directors, I met with President Toribiong in New York City when Marie Levine presented him with the Ocean Heritage Award.”

Toribiong’s decision to create a national shark sanctuary was immensely controversial. Many fishermen in his constituency accused him of “selling out.” Now the marine ecosystems throughout the archipelago are thriving.

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5. Australia Opts Not To Dump Next to Great Barrier Reef

Earlier this year, the Australian government announced that it would facilitate the dumping of more than three million cubic meters of dredged sand near the Great Barrier Reef. The devastating effect this would have had on the World Heritage Site sparked international outrage.

The Australian government has decided to disallow this action, which would have been part of a larger project to create the world’s largest coal port.

Palau created the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009 and the move has been so successful that plans are now underway to completely ban commercial fishing in the island nation’s vast ocean territory by 2018.

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