Currently, sharks are being finned and fished to near extinction, and their loss may have profound negative effects upon all other organisms within the ocean. In the last 15 years, mankind has depleted shark numbers by up to 80 percent. If something radical is not done soon to help the plight of the shark, it may be too late! Adoptshark is a program of the Southern California based nonprofit group, Iemanya Oceanica, and is dedicated to groundbreaking research and education efforts to save sharks. Their researchers are currently physically placing tracking tags on large sharks to help determine how to best protect them. The information from these tags is transmitted to satellites, and the shark’s migration can be tracked. Tagging sharks and rays is one of the most important steps in conservation, helping conservationists understand sharks’ movements and allowing them to protect sharks more effectively.
How can you help? There are several different adoption programs you can be a part of. By contributing to the group’s research, you can adopt a shark and donate towards the placement of those tags. This gift qualifies as a tax deductible donation and each adoption pack comes with a personalized certificate of adoption, pictures of your shark, stickers, a t-shirt, and plenty of fun and educational information about marine conservation. You can also track your shark online. My kids and I were sent a classic shark pack, and they loved it! Stickers and tattoos are always a hit in my house. However, I did enjoy being able to talk about conservation with my kids. This made it a little more real to them. They thought it was very cool that we had a certificate in our name, and that we had a shark that was “ours”.
This is a great gift all around. This is great for the kids who have everything. This is great for kids to teach them about conservation too, and what better than a gift that keeps on giving?
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I think that this action has another positive impact: it will change the way people perceive sharks; after watching many documentaries on sharks, I've come to realize that they are an important part of the marine ecosystem.
This is something i will definitely look into…great post!
I love all kinds of tattoos! These are some of my favorites. Thanx
I live in Thailand and the shark fin situation is insane. Obviously tourism and diving tourism are big business and when visiting divers get to see a shark it blows them away – an awesome experience.
Yet head to any Chinese restaurant in a city and for sure you'll see shark fin soup on the menu. What a ridiculous situation.
Recently we saw one of the major supermarket chains retailing canned shark fin soup. Outrageous. A friend of mine sent them a nasty email and managed to get the shark fin soup removed from their product line – a small victory!
This tagging and sponsorship scheme is certainly a positive step and I hope it is well supported. Maybe some day you'll be able to extend to cover this part of the world?