Swim for sharks in ... Reading !
THIS SUMMER , A READING-BASED BSAC club is organising a 3.4km swim to raise money for shark conservation . Members from BadSAC ( Berkshire Alumni Divers ) will be taking to Caversham Lake on 14 August to swim or snorkel the distance , with all money raised going to conservation charity Shark Guardian .
The event , which is also open to other BSAC clubs and members , has been inspired by the annual Swim for Sharks event , which started back in 2010 .
Swim for Sharks is the brainchild of divers Lara Hotchkiss and Dan Bolton , who , while diving in Thailand in 2010 , came up with the idea of swimming around the 3.4km island of Koh Nang Yuan to raise funds for shark conservation .
In recent years , the event has spread to other countries , with the team at BadSAC now bringing it to the UK . Event organiser David Ashmore said he would like to see members from other clubs get involved with the day , choosing to complete all or part of the 3.4km swim .
“ Shark conservation has never been as important as it is right now and , as a keystone species , they are vital to keeping our oceans in balance . If doing something as simple as going for a chilly swim in a lake will help conservation efforts , then why not join us ?”
End to UK shark fin trade in sight
THE IMPORT AND EXPORT OF SHARK fins are set to be banned by the UK government .
As part of its new Action Plan for Animal Welfare , the government has announced new legislation that will require all imported and exported shark fins to be attached to the carcass and only traded as a whole commodity .
While this ban doesn ’ t directly address the broader issue of shark fishing , it will effectively end any UK involvement in the trade of detached shark fins , which sees the mutilated shark cast back into the water to die .
An estimated 73 million sharks are hunted and killed by fishing fleets globally every year , meaning that one in four shark species are now either endangered or threatened .
Announcing its new action plan , the government acknowledged the brutality of the shark fin trade . “ It is a barbaric practice that has rightly been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years , but we do still import shark fins which may contribute to the practice . To this end , we will bring in legislation to ban the import and export of detached shark fins .”
The news of the ban has been welcomed by many , including conservation charities , Shark Guardian and Bite-Back , who have both campaigned for the law to change .
Brendon Sing , Director of Shark Guardian , whose campaign , Finspire Change UK and its online petition earlier this year proved to be pivotal in the move towards the ban , said he was delighted by the news .
“ When Shark Guardian started the petition , it gathered over 115,000 signatures and led to a ‘ Call for Evidence ’, ultimately proving that petitions do work ! Most importantly , by banning the trade of detached shark fins , the UK now leads by example .”
Six years ago , Bite-back ’ s ‘ NoFin to Declare ’ campaign exposed a loophole in EU law that permitted a personal import
allowance of up to 20kg of dried shark fins . “ This news will come as a blow to a global industry that is forcing sharks closer to the brink of extinction ,” said Bite-Back ’ s Campaign Director , Graham Buckingham .
“ We hope this announcement will encourage other European countries to impose similar constraints .”
PHOTO : SCUBAZOO
15