May 2012 Coverage (reduced)

Transcription

Media Coverage
May 2012
WildAid
Table of Contents
Date
Headline
Publication
May 4, 2012
theBlu Dives Into Times Square
MarketWire
May 4, 2012
Finding Nemo: How a startup turns your desktop into an ocean
GigaOM
May 7, 2012
Shark fin losing popularity in Chicago amid concerns
The Chicago Sun Times
May 7, 2012
theBlu, social digital ocean app launched
Biz Community
May 7, 2012
Organizations target rhino horn consumption in China
Monga Bay News
May 7, 2012
Venice-‐based Wemo Media Dives Into Underwater Spectacle 'theBlu'
Manhattan Beach Patch
May 8, 2012
Dive Into TheBlu, A Social Ocean Experience with a Cause
Audubon Magazine
May 9, 2012
TheBlu’s Stunning Virtual Ocean Mimics the Open Seas
Wired Online
May 11, 2012
A Wild Night: Benefit for WildAid
Contra Costa Times
May 11, 2012
Bay Nature Institute
May 11, 2012
Zvents
May 11, 2012
WildAid Save the Tigers
The Food Network
May 13, 2012
Hong Kong: Activists Protest Shark Fin Trade
Voice of America
May 14, 2012
Larry King, Jared Leto, Hayden Panettiere Among Stars at WildAid Gala
WLBT
May 14, 2012
Larry King, Jared Leto, Hayden Panettiere Among Stars at WildAid Gala
Yahoo! Finance
May 15, 2012
Shark fin ban passes Illinois Legislature
STL Today
May 18, 2012
Cotillard: Whales made me guilty
May 19, 2012
May 21, 2012
Circulation*
Page
-‐
1
240,000
4
2,250,000
8
-‐
11
1,250,000
13
-‐
15
14,000
17
1,500,000
20
285,000
21
9,000
22
-‐
23
75,000,000
24
760,000
25
-‐
27
55,000,000
28
1,245,500
29
The Congleton Guardian
-‐
30
In New Jersey Legislature, talk of sharks, tigers, and pigs
Philly Online
-‐
31
Corbett National Park
Gaia Rocks
-‐
32
May 21, 2012
World Oceans Day Media Advisory: OceanElders, WildAid and theBlu to Host Global Online Celebration
Yahoo! Finance
55,000,000
35
May 21, 2012
Web 20 Journal
-‐
37
May 21, 2012
MarketWire
-‐
40
May 22, 2012
Votes for Sale at UN-‐linked Shark-‐protection Group
Forbes
10,500,000
42
May 23, 2012
Costa Rica assures fair trial for anti-‐whaling crusader
Mother Nature Network
780,000
46
May 23, 2012
Port Moody Becomes First British Columbian Municipality to Pass Ban on Shark Fin Trade
MarketWatch
3,300,000
49
May 23, 2012
Port Moody Becomes First British Columbian
Municipality to Pass Ban on Shark Fin Trade
MarketWire
-‐
51
May 23, 2012
Port Moody enacts bylaw that bans sale of shark fin
The Province
350,000
52
May 30, 2012
Help New York City Ban Shark Fin Soup
Force Change
-‐
55
May 31, 2012
Seized shark fins burned in Honduras
MSN Photo Blog
-‐
58
May 31, 2012
Shark fins burned as Honduran president watches
Washington Post
9,600,000
60
May 31, 2012
Shark Stewards Launches FIN-‐Free Toolkit to Protect Apex Predators
PR Web
120,000
61
* Circulation statistics are based on a per month calculation
"theBlu" Dives Into Times Square
http://www.marketwire.com/printer_friendly?id=1652859
Sign In
Register
Français
SOURCE: Wemo Media
May 04, 2012 08:00 ET
World's First Social Digital Ocean App Now Available to Download, Explore and Share; Mission
Blue, OceanElders, Oceanic Preservation Society, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and
WildAid Are Inaugural Non-Profit Cause Collaborators
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 4, 2012) - Wemo Media, the Venice, CA-based entertainment studio,
today announced the launch of "theBlu," possibly the largest globally shared art and entertainment
experience ever created. Inspired by the world's oceans, "theBlu" is a living and breathing digital art
exhibit of ocean habitats and species, created by artists and developers from all over the world. This
social exploring experience is currently available as a downloadable app for PC and Macintosh computers
at theblu.com
"theBlu" embodies the following principles:
Use the power of the Internet to connect geographically disparate people in a meaningful way
Empower a global community of artists and developers to create an extraordinarily beautiful and
high fidelity series of apps
Support non-profit collaborators in their efforts to better understand and protect the world's oceans
theBlu: From Social Gaming to Social Responsibility
"theBlu" turns the Internet into a globally-connected 3D digital ocean wherein every species and habitat
is an original work of art created by a worldwide community of artists, animators and developers,
including Academy Award® winners Andy Jones and Kevin Mack, and students alike.
Exploring "theBlu" is as easy as browsing the web and includes information about species, exploration of
geo-located habitats, in-ocean tagging of fish, the purchase of species to grow your collection and
customize your experience, social activity streams, event and photo sharing, and ocean life swimming
from user to user across the Internet, creating real-time social interaction.
1 of 3
7/24/12 11:22 AM
1
At launch, "theBlu" will enable a connected social exploration across eight ocean habitats, including over
one hundred life forms with new habitats and species released monthly, and fifteen "ambassador"
species, sponsored by non-profit cause collaborators, to raise awareness and funds for ocean
conservation. Currently a downloadable app for PC and Mac, "theBlu" will soon be available on phones,
tablets and smart TVs.
Announcing Non-Profit Cause Collaborators
theBlu's inaugural non-profit cause collaborators include: Mission Blue, OceanElders, Oceanic
Preservation Society, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and WildAid.
How it works: Participating non-profit collaborators sponsor "ambassador" species or habitats in
"theBlu" and users of "theBlu" are offered the opportunity to purchase these "ambassador" species or
habitats for their virtual ocean environment. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the purchase price of these
virtual species or habitats goes directly to the non-profit collaborators to fund projects that support their
work in the real ocean environment. The program is also designed to increase awareness and reach for
collaborating organizations and their conservation efforts. Users of "theBlu" have the opportunity to
effect real change for the world ocean.
Non-Profit Cause Collaborator Quotes
"Scripps Institution of Oceanography is one of the oldest, largest, and most important centers for ocean
science research, education and public service in the world, and we are proud to collaborate with the
forward-thinking creators of theBlu," said Dr. Tony Haymet, director of Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, a part of UC San Diego. "This ocean-inspired project creates the opportunity to educate
people around the world, raising the visibility of the ocean and its inhabitants."
"The ocean needs one voice. One very loud voice," said Gigi Brisson, founder of OceanElders. "Our
collaboration with 'theBlu' will help us drive cause effectiveness and unity; with a greater chance for
lasting impact."
"The oceans deserve our respect and care, but you have to know something before you can care about
it. 'theBlu' is an extraordinary way to enjoy the oceans and learn about all the individual species that
interdependently form our life support system and make the oceans so vital to our individual well-being
and our planet as a whole," said Sylvia Earle, founder and chair, Mission Blue.
"I think theBlu is an exceptional way for people all over the world to not only see the underwater world
but actually create it," said Louie Psihoyos, executive director, Oceanic Preservation Society. "It's a
beautiful, novel concept and I think the social media aspect is really exciting because it's going to
connect people with the oceans that get so little attention."
"With one-third of open-ocean shark species currently threatened with extinction, it has become
imperative that we reverse this trend by reducing demand for products derived from these magnificent
creatures," said Peter Knights, executive director, WildAid. "'theBlu' effectively bridges the gap between
virtual and real-world conservation and we are proud to partner with them on this important endeavor."
Wemo Media Quotes
"I am grateful and honored for the meaningful relationships we have established with our non-profit
collaborators," said Neville Spiteri, co-founder of Wemo Media. "theBlu reflects the very special and
powerful intersection of art, technology, and social change."
"The really interesting thing about theBlu is how it brings together the biology, the activism of
conservation, the beauty and the artistic elements as well as the grassroots, participatory social media
movement. I'm very excited about the possibilities ahead," said Joichi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab
and advisor to Wemo Media.
Dive into theBlu at http://youtu.be/x53kvmp10dY (video)
The Technology That Makes theBlu Possible
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7/24/12 11:22 AM
2
Today, in a separate announcement Wemo Media unveiled the technology platform and next-generation
studio model that makes "theBlu" possible. Called the Planet Participation Platform™, this
next-generation system, built to harness the power of global creative talent, delivers the first
collaboration and monetization platform purpose-built for independent content creators and developers.
theBlu Times Square Launch Event Details
On May 4th between 5:00pm and 11:00pm EDT, (22:00 GMT), "theBlu" will be displayed on the
NASDAQ and Thomson Reuters video screens every 30 minutes for a special five-minute show.
Participants in Times Square can log in to "theBlu" with their smartphones and join others around the
globe in celebrating the beauty and significance of the world ocean -- and the launch of "theBlu." This
special event is co-produced with Times Square 2. www.timessquare2.com
ABOUT WEMO MEDIA
"theBlu" is produced by Wemo Media, an entertainment studio based in Venice, California, co-founded
by Neville Spiteri, a media creative executive formerly at EA, Square and Digital Domain, and Scott
Yara, a successful repeat entrepreneur and president/co-founder of EMC|Greenplum. The team includes
Andy Jones, Academy Award-winner for Avatar and on the board of advisors; Joichi Ito, director of MIT's
Media Lab; and Sylvia Earle, Time Magazine's Hero of the Planet. Additionally, as a global social art and
entertainment project, Wemo Media's "theBlu" team includes a growing community of artists, animators
and developers worldwide.
Contact Information
Contact
Richard Snee
Wemo Media
650-784-3896
Email Contact
View Release
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© 2012 Marketwire, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
3 of 3
7/24/12 11:22 AM
3
Finding Nemo: How a startup turns your desktop into an ocean...
http://gigaom.com/2012/05/04/finding-nemo-how-a-startup-turn...
Finding Nemo: How a startup turns your
desktop into an ocean
By Om Malik May. 4, 2012, 12:04pm PT 2 Comments
Share
48
When was the last time you thought of screen savers? If you answer is no, then you are not
alone. But Neville Spiteri and Scott Yara want to change all that, and instead they want to take
the idea of screen savers and turn it into a massively connected platform. Unlike the MMO
games, they want to use this connected world to be a platform for creativity and learning.
Spiteri and Yara came together when Yara started Metapa, the pre-pivot Greenplum. Metapa
was started in 2000 on the idea that media would go through a digital revolution and would in
turn lead to need for a new kind of a studio and content distribution mode that would allow
anyone to become a creator and send content to all places.
While Yara’s vision was spot on, things didn’t work out as planned. The digital media company
ended up becoming a big data company which was eventually snapped up by EMC for north of
$300 million dollars.
1 of 4
7/24/12 11:28 AM
4
$300 million dollars.
Spiteri, who in the past had worked on 3D technologies, however left Greenplum in 2003, long
before the sale (December 2003) and started Wemo Media, with Yara as an investor and
co-founder. “We couldn’t let go of the idea we had in the beginning,” said Yara.
Spiteri moved back to Los Angeles, set up shop in the funky Venice Beach and started working
on what he calls “the Planet Participation Platform,” which has ability to sell individual
creations from various artists, and also allows collaboration for complex projects. In many ways
it does for visual and animation creation what Soundcloud does for audio. The platform already
is getting a buy in from art education groups such as the:
USC Film School, Carnegie Mellon’s ETC, Art Institute of Pittsburgh; SAE,
Berlin, Germany; Murdoch University in Perth, Australia; Loyola Marymount -‐
Los Angeles, CA, Art Institute of California, Los Angeles; the Ex’pression College
-‐ Emeryville, CA
Today, the company launched theBlu, which has garnered support from some big time ocean
lovers including Bill Joy (co-founder of Sun Microsystems) and Richard “The Virgin” Branson.
What is theBlu?
TheBlu is a downloadable app for PC and Mac and will soon be made available via the
browsers and will work on the phones and tablets. It is a screensaver of “the ocean” and has
many underwater habitats built into the screensaver. The application takes cues from location of
the computer and changes the habitats based on location. You can buy various different species
for your collection. Artists can create more species and sell them on the platform.
Here is how the company describes theBlu:
“TheBlu” turns the Internet into a globally connected 3D digital ocean wherein
every species and habitat is an original work of art created by a worldwide
community of artists, animators and developers, including Academy Award®
winners Andy Jones and Kevin Mack, and students alike.
Exploring “theBlu” is as easy as browsing the web and includes information about
species, exploration of geo-located habitats, in-ocean tagging of fish, the purchase
of species to grow your collection and customize your experience, social activity
streams, event and photo sharing, and ocean life, swimming from user to user
across the Internet, creating real time social interaction.
At launch, “theBlu” will enable a connected social exploration across 8 ocean
habitats, including over 100 life forms with new habitats and species released
monthly, and 15 “ambassador” species, sponsored by non‐profit cause
collaborators, to raise awareness and funds for ocean conservation.
2 of 4
7/24/12 11:28 AM
5
TheBlu has gotten backing of non-profit ocean-oriented groups like the Ocean Elders, Mission
Blue and WildAid.
Participating non-‐profit collaborators sponsor “ambassador” species and habitats
in “theBlu” and users of “theBlu” are offered the opportunity to purchase these
“ambassador” species and habitats for their virtual ocean environment. Twenty-five
percent of the purchase price of these virtual species goes directly to the non-profit
collaborators to fund projects that support their work in the real ocean environment.
The program is also designed to increase awareness and reach for collaborating
organizations and their conservation efforts.
“The really interesting thing about theBlu is how it brings together the biology, the activism of
conservation, the beauty and the artistic elements as well as the grassroots, participatory social
media movement. I’m very excited about the possibilities ahead,” said Joichi Ito, director of the
MIT Media Lab and advisor to Wemo Media.
Why am I excited about this?
I am excited about this for multiple reasons. First and most importantly, it is one of the
applications that truly leverages what I have been saying for nearly a decade – hyperconnecivity. As most (if not all) computers in our life start to get connected, we are going to see
emergence of these living-and-breathing applications, that take cues from location, time,
weather and even our moods. I want to see more, not less of these applications.
Is a desktop client the answer? Probably not. I would love to see this on my television screen,
because it would turn my television into a giant aquarium. Just imagine the impact of something
like this on learning: the kids could learn about various fishes and other fauna and have fun at it.
Today it is oceans, but it is equally easy to create the African Savannah or Galapagos Islands
and turn them into a living class-room. The possibilities – they are simply limitless!
3 of 4
7/24/12 11:28 AM
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Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.
4 of 4
7/24/12 11:28 AM
7
Print Story
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/12374270-418/shark-fin-l...
suntimes
Shark fin losing popularity in Chicago amid concerns
By SOPHIA TAREEN
Last Modified: May 7, 2012 11:10AM
Like at other herb shops in Chicago’s Chinatown, the glass jars that line the shelves at Yin Wall City
offer floral teas, shiitake mushrooms and a seafood product that looks strangely like dried corn husks
and sparks controversy even hundreds of miles from the ocean.
Shark fin is a pricey delicacy used to make soup considered a status symbol at Chinese social
gatherings. But environmentalists say that harvesting sharks just for their fins is inhumane and a threat
to shark populations, and they have brought their campaign against it to Illinois, which could become
the latest state — and the first inland — to ban its possession.
Chicago’s Chinatown, among the largest nationwide, is a hub for the sale and consumption of shark
fin in the Midwest. But evidence in the neighborhood — reduced demand and restaurateurs’ support
for outlawing shark fin — could reflect waning appetite as environmental concerns increase.
Advocates say a state measure would add momentum to the movement to prohibit it worldwide,
including in China.
Good luck finding a bowl for lunch in Chinatown, a dense neighborhood of restaurants and bulk
goods shops with its own museum, library branch and gardens along the Chicago River. Shark fin
soup is listed on the menu at several restaurants, but chefs don’t keep it on hand because it’s
expensive, takes days to prepare and is so rarely ordered that it would go to waste.
Morgan Ng, the manager at Triple Crown, one of the largest restaurants, said he’ll leave the $18.95a-bowl dish off new menus when they come out this year. Bring up shark fin soup back in the kitchen
and the chefs groan.
“It’s a hassle for them,” said Ng. “We’re happy this [ban] was brought up.”
Dried shark fin, most commonly sold in long, thick triangles at bulk stores, costs from $300 to nearly
$900 a pound, depending on the variety. Annie Wu, a bookkeeper at Yin Wall City, said a customer
buys it at her shop perhaps once a month. It’s sold elsewhere for less in other forms.
Bans on the delicacy have passed in California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii, and a few East
Coast states are mulling it. In Illinois, the issue was raised by the Center for Oceanic Awareness,
Research, and Education and The Humane Society.
1 of 3
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Print Story
“Although we are not surrounded by oceans,” said state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, a Chicago Democrat
sponsoring the ban, “we are connected to this as an environmental issue.”
She has introduced legislation that passed with an overwhelming majority in the Illinois House and
awaits a Senate vote.
In China, the practice of eating shark fin soup goes back several hundred years, according to Theodore
Foss, a director at the University of Chicago’s Center for East Asian Studies. Once considered
upper-class food, it has become more common as the standard of living has increased and, like
champagne, remains a status symbol at weddings and business meetings.
Clerks at Chinatown stores tout shark fin for healthy bones, livers, hearts and virility, though there’s
little Western scientific research to support the claims. Shark fin meat — cooked so long it takes on a
stringy texture — is bland when eaten by itself, so it’s often sprinkled with crab meat or ham.
In recent years, a widespread public awareness campaign has been mounted against harvesting shark
fin, which is difficult to regulate because of its global scale. Finless sharks either die right away from
the injury or are left to die an agonizing death without the ability to swim.
Few hard statistics are available when it comes to shark fin consumption. Advocacy groups and
scientists estimate that somewhere between 26 million and 74 million sharks a year are harvested for
their fins, while shark populations are dwindling.
Activists believe that each additional ban in the U.S. has an impact in China, and that an Illinois ban,
just as Chicago officials are working to improve ties with the Chinese, would be especially
meaningful. Last year, Chicago courted Chinese President Hu Jintao and other dignitaries in an effort
to boost economic ties between the world’s second-largest economy and Midwest companies.
“It all helps to legitimize the idea that people shouldn’t be consuming it,” said Peter Knights,
executive director of WildAid, an environmental group that enlisted retired NBA star Yao Ming to
speak out on the issue.
Not everyone agrees.
Talk of fin soup brings up fond memories for Anthony Yu, a 73-year-old retired professor and
self-professed foodie who grew up in China but has lived in Chicago for decades. “I have eaten it
since I was a baby,” he said. “It is a very, very much treasured delicacy.”
Last year, for his wife’s 70th birthday, he treated her to a $100-a-bowl meal. He said he understands
the environmental concerns, but thinks a ban might cross a fine line into encroaching on one’s culture.
He prefers a middle ground, such as more regulation to protect sharks.
In Chinatown, business owners say they’re already gearing up for a ban. One of the neighborhood’s
biggest business owners, Tony Hu, says he serves it at only one of his five restaurants but is leaving it
off new menus.
David Hoy, a manager at Won Kow Restaurant, hopes someone orders the dish so he can finish off his
2 of 3
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Print Story
last little bit in stock. At another dried goods store, a clerk said she’s ready to sell shark extract pills
instead, at just $6 a bottle.
And Xiao Ming, 49, who studies Chinese medicine and was buying herbs last week, said he no longer
eats it.
“It’s a universal concern for the environment,” he said.
Copyright © 2012 — Sun-Times Media, LLC
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"theBlu", social digital ocean app launched
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/522/74728.html
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NEW YORK: Wemo Media, the Venice, CA-based entertainment studio, on friday, 4
May 2012, announced the launch of "theBlu," a globally shared art and entertainment
experience. Inspired by the world's oceans, "theBlu" is a living and breathing digital art
exhibit of ocean habitats and species, created by artists and developers from all over
the world.
This social exploring experience is currently available as a downloadable app for PC
and Macintosh computers at theblu.com
"theBlu" principles:
Conservation
Education
Engineering
Fashion
Finance
Government
Health & Beauty
Human Resources
Import & Export
Insurance
IT &
Telecommunications
Legal
Lifestyle
Logistics
Use the power of the internet to connect geographically disparate people in a
meaningful way.
Empower a global community of artists and developers to create an
extraordinarily beautiful and high fidelity series of apps.
Support non-profit collaborators in their efforts to better understand and protect
the world's oceans
.
From social gaming to social responsibility
"theBlu" turns the internet into a globally-connected 3D digital ocean wherein every
species and habitat is an original work of art created by a worldwide community of
artists, animators and developers, including Academy Award winners Andy Jones and
Manufacturing
Maritime
Marketing & Media
1 of 4
7/24/12 11:32 AM
11
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/522/74728.html
SUBSCRIBE | SUBMIT NEWS | CONTACT US | ADVERTISE & RATES | TRANSLATE
Kevin Mack, and students alike.
|
SOUTH AFRICA
Mining
Petrochemical
Pharmaceuticals
Property
Publishing
Retail
Science & Technology
Security
Sport
Sustainability
Tourism & Hospitality
Exploring "theBlu" is as easy as browsing the web and includes information about
species, exploration of geo-located habitats, in-ocean tagging of fish, the purchase of
species to grow your collection and customise your experience, social activity streams,
event and photo sharing, and ocean life swimming from user to user across the
Internet, creating real-time social interaction.
At launch, "theBlu" will enable a connected social exploration across eight ocean
habitats, including over one hundred life forms with new habitats and species released
monthly, and fifteen "ambassador" species, sponsored by non-profit cause
collaborators, to raise awareness and funds for ocean conservation. Currently a
downloadable app for PC and Mac, "theBlu" will soon be available on phones, tablets
and smart TVs.
Non-profit cause collaborators
theBlu's inaugural non-profit cause collaborators include: Mission Blue, OceanElders,
Oceanic Preservation Society, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and WildAid.
How it works: Participating non-profit collaborators sponsor "ambassador" species or
habitats in "theBlu" and users of "theBlu" are offered the opportunity to purchase these
"ambassador" species or habitats for their virtual ocean environment. Twenty-five
percent (25%) of the purchase price of these virtual species or habitats goes directly to
the non-profit collaborators to fund projects that support their work in the real ocean
environment. The program is also designed to increase awareness and reach for
collaborating organisations and their conservation efforts. Users of "theBlu" have the
opportunity to effect real change for the world ocean.
5
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May 07, 2012
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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2 of 6
7/2/12 11:18 AM
14
Venice-based Wemo Media Dives Into Underwater Spectacle 't...
http://manhattanbeach.patch.com/articles/venice-based-wemo-...
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Venice-based Wemo Media Dives Into Underwater
Spectacle 'theBlu'
The company is releasing the first version of a new application that allows users to explore the
world's oceans and help with ocean conservation.
By Paul Chavez
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Related Topics: Media, Ocean, Technology, marine life, and theBlu
Tell us about a Manhattan Beach startup that's into media, technology and the like. Tell us in the
comments.
Venice-based startup Wemo Media has introduced a new animated underwater environment called "theBlu". Designed as a global art project and
educational platform, the digital ocean was announced Friday on the giant video billboards in New York's Times Square.
The application allows users to navigate underwater and access information about species, explore geo-located habitats, tag fish and buy species to
grow a personal collection and create a unique experience. It also features photo sharing via Facebook and social activity streams.
The launch version has social exploration across eight ocean habitats, including more than 100 life forms. New habitats and species will be released
monthly and 15 "ambassador" species have been sponsored by non-profits to raise awareness and funds for ocean conservation. The inaugural
non-profit cause collaborators include: Mission Blue, OceanElders, Oceanic Preservation Society, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and
WildAid.
Users of theBlu will be able to purchase the "ambassador" species or habitats for their virtual ocean and 25 percent of the sales proceeds will go
directly to the non-profit collaborators.
The project was inspired by the planet's oceans and serves as a digital art exhibit of ocean habitats and species. The Huffington Post reports
that WemoMedia co-founder Neville Spiteri's close-up, eye-to-eye encounter with a humpback whale made him recommitted to "telling a big
story about the ocean."
The underwater environment was created by some of the world's best artists and developers, including Andy Jones, an Academy Award winner for
visual effects for 2009's "Avatar" and Kevin Mack, another Oscar visual effects winner for 1998's "What Dreams May Come," according to a press
release from WemoMedia.
"I am grateful and honored for the meaningful relationships we have established with our non-profit collaborators," Spiteri said in a statement. "theBlu
reflects the very special and powerful intersection of art, technology and social change."
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1 of 3
7/2/12 11:24 AM
15
Venice-based Wemo Media Dives Into Underwater Spectacle 't...
http://manhattanbeach.patch.com/articles/venice-based-wemo-...
Oceanography, a part of UC San Diego, in a statement. "This ocean-inspired project creates the opportunity to educate people around the world, raising
the visibility of the ocean and its inhabitants."
Wemo Media, located on Rose Avenue in Venice, was co-founded by Spiteri and Scott Yara.
Email me updates about this story.
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2 of 3
7/2/12 11:24 AM
16
http://magblog.audubon.org/print/1931
Published on Audubon Magazine Blog (http://magblog.audubon.org)
Dive Into TheBlu, A Social Ocean
Experience with a Cause
By Anna Sanders
Created 05/08/2012 - 4:28pm
TheBlu, an online social experience in a digital
ocean, is now available for download.
The queen angelfish moves swiftly in an endless pool of pure, blue ocean. The creatureʼs
magenta body passes gracefully over gardens of lush thong weed, bursts of yellow cluster
anemone, and fierce spouts of pinkish-colored black coral in a vibrant Caribbean reef. Her
caudal fin sways with the current as a colossal striped marlin rushes by. And, in the
distance, a pair of black ocellaris clownfish dive past a monstrous barracuda. While
witnessing these sights usually requires a plane ticket and scuba gear, with the new social
media and graphic art app, theBlu [1], all you need is a computer.
Launched May 4, theBlu is a global art and entertainment social media application where
users can explore miles of digitized ocean. Like the queen angelfish Iʼve been following,
every species in theBlu is an original work created by an international group of artists,
animators, and developers—including Academy Award winners Andy Jones (Avatar) and
Kevin Mack (What Dreams May Come). As if the breathtaking graphics werenʼt enough,
1 of 3
7/23/12 1:37 PM
17
theBlu is also dedicated to saving the same environments it depicts, collaborating with
Mission Blue, Ocean Elders, Oceanic Preservation Society, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography and WildAid.
“TheBlu is different from other online apps in many dimensions,” explains the appʼs
co-founder, Neville Spiteri. He and Scott Yara, his co-founder, have been on a mission to
create a global experience inspired by the ocean since they met in 2000. “The internet is a
complex, interconnected system that surrounds our planet. The internet is a great platform
to represent and celebrate our oceans,” Spiteri says.
Unlike Zynga's FishVille or other online social apps, Wemo
Media's theBlu is an ocean experience, not a game. In this
sense, the app is a lot like the real ocean: you canʼt feed or
name the fish. But there are lots of other interactions
available. Users can click on any species and read about
them. And soon, fish will know when youʼve been following
them, Spiteri says.
(Photo courtesy of TheBlu)
“The richness of user interactions with species will continue
to evolve. We are developing an ever increasingly complex AI system that drives the
species behaviors,” he explains.
Users can purchase credits to collect various species and access to other environments.
Over 100 species and 8 ocean habitats are available now, but more will be added every
month. The artificial creatures you purchase will end up in their native digital habitats. But
be careful: The purchases will ultimately influence the environment.
“The choices you make as a user impact the ecosystem. For example, if you introduce
more predators you will likely see more chasing behaviors,” Spiteri says.
User purchases could also impact oceans in the real world. When users purchase species
or habitats sponsored by the appʼs non-profit collaborators, 25 percent of the price will go
directly towards that groupʼs projects supporting their work with the ocean. The program is
designed to also increase awareness of the collaboratorsʼ conservation efforts.
“It's a beautiful, novel concept and I think the social
media aspect is really exciting because it's going to
connect people with the oceans that get so little
attention,” Louie Psihoyos, executive director of the
Oceanic Preservation Society, says in a press
release.
But Spiteri adds this is just the beginning.
“As more people join the experience, the more theBlu
becomes an experience of ocean life growing and
swimming across the web,” he explains. “There will
be many more storytelling characteristics and more
gamification elements that will be released to allow
The user interface of theBlu.
different users with different play styles to engage
(Screenshot: theBlu)
with the app.”
2 of 3
7/23/12 1:37 PM
18
On World Ocean Day, June 8, a big, blue whale will be released into the digital ocean,
where she will roam the applicationʼs various habitats. Spiteri says they are thinking of
making your own habitat—an empty ocean space where purchased species are found—
customizable. TheBlu is also being enabled to allow students and professionals to
participate around the world.
“TheBlu is on a trajectory to enable a ʻglobally shared momentʼ where, like the Olympics,
or the Soccer World Cup final or a U. S. presidential inauguration, hundreds of millions of
people around the world are sharing an experience,” Spiteri says. “Online apps today don't
do that.”
Dive In: To use the app, simply click here [2] and the download should begin immediately.
You can explore the first environment—the reef—as a guest or you can create a log in
(with or without connecting to Facebook) to explore further. TheBlu is available now for PC
and Mac, but will be offered on mobile and tablet devices in the future.
Animals
Art&Nature
Nature
Products
Technology
//> //>
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js'
type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA6149536-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview();
The Perch | About | Archive | Get the Magazine | Audubon.org | Contact Us
Source URL: http://magblog.audubon.org/dive-theblu-social-ocean-experience-cause
Links:
[1] http://theblu.com/home
[2] http://assets.theblu.com.s3.amazonaws.com/public/install/theBlu-v1.4.9.exe
3 of 3
7/23/12 1:37 PM
19
WildAid | Underwire | Wired.com
http://www.wired.com/underwire/tag/wildaid/
All posts tagged ‘WildAid’
TheBlu’s Stunning Virtual Ocean Mimics the Open
Seas
By Brian Lam
Email Author
May 9, 2012 |
2:26 pm |
Categories: Current Affairs, internet, WiredOpinion
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As a wary technologist and an enthusiastic amateur waterman, when I first heard of theBlu, I
was prepared to dismiss it as a waste of funds. For those who have yet to get wet inside its
virtual oceans, theBlu is a distant relative of one of those old virtual fish tank screensavers on
your computer. But instead of a lowly fish tank, theBlu is a virtual world simulating several
habitats in the ocean, with dozens of species swimming around.
Brian Lam
My suspicion was that the cash that went into constructing this ambitious web-based marine
land would be better spent on preserving the real ocean or supporting scientific fieldwork. I
thought that there’s no way that an on-screen Blu ocean could ever convey the majesty, peace
or excitement I feel in the real, seemingly limitless blue ocean. A large part of what makes the
ocean thrilling for me is the rawness and lack of distraction as well as the physical challenges
it presents when you are sailing, diving, surfing or swimming. Why bother trying to replicate
the thing if we could never experience the essence of it as a digital reproduction?
And then I “dove” into theBlu.
It was along a virtual stretch of the California coast that I know well, filled with kelp forests
and, in deeper, greener waters, schools of albacore. What came as a surprise to me was the
jolt of immersion that I received. It was the same jolt I get when I stare slack-jawed at
1 of 2
7/23/12 1:36 PM
20
A Wild Night: Benefit for WildAid - Terra Gallery - Contra Cos...
http://events.contracostatimes.com/san_francisco_ca/events/sh...
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Friday, May 11 8:30p to Saturday, May 12 2:00a
at Terra Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Price: $175 per adult
Phone: (415) 834-3174
Age Suitability: 21 and up
Tags: benefit, wildlife conservation, cocktail reception
Join us in honoring Google and tech entrepreneur and philanthropist James H. Clark at WildAid’s annual gala, hosted by iconic
TV personality, Larry King, with appearances by Pierce Brosnan, Bo Derek, and others – and a live musical performance by
The John Corbett Band. Throughout the night, you will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, specialty cocktails, cupcakes from The Food
Network, and explore interactive exhibits. A portion of the ticket price directly supports our wildlife programs.
A Wild Night: Benefit for WildAid - Website
Categories: Food & Dining, Charity & Volunteer
Creator: aschoeneman
Location & Nearby Info
Terra Gallery
511 Harrison St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-896-1234 or 866-511-2787 toll free
Return
Map data ©2012 Google -
1 of 2
7/19/12 3:54 PM
21
A Wild Night: Benefit for WildAid — Bay Nature Institute
http://baynature.org/events/a-wild-night-benefit-for-wildaid
iCal
vCal
Friday, May 11, 2012 8:30 PM
to Saturday, May 12, 2012 2:00 AM
We invite you to attend our 2012 benefit, A Wild Night, on May 11th in San Francisco. This year, we
are honoring both Google and tech entrepreneur and philanthropist James H. Clark with Leadership
Awards for their dedication and services to WildAid and wildlife conservation.
The evening will be hosted by iconic TV personality, Larry King, with presentations by Pierce
Brosnan, Bo Derek, and others – and a live musical performance by The John Corbett Band.
Indulge in delectable appetizers and cocktails, explore interactive exhibits, learn about our
innovative programs, and see the impact of your donation.
Regular price is $175/ person but as a special promotion, we are offering a special 30%
discount on our tickets at $120/ person.
To purchase tickets, click here: https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=11344
1)
Enter gift amount = $120
2)
Select program= SF Gala- A Wild Night
3)
Write in comments= ECO DISCOUNT
About WildAid:
WildAid is the only organization to focus on reducing the demand for endangered species
products, with the strong and simple message: when the buying stops, the killing can too. Just
as corporations employ celebrities to promote their products, WildAid enlists popular Asian and
Western stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, and Harrison Ford to
dissuade people from purchasing endangered species products. Our portfolio of 150+ public
service announcements reaches up to 1.5 billion people every week via our unrivaled network of
global media partners. For more information, visit wildaid.org.
Event Type(s): benefits
Cost: $120 per adult
Location:
Terra, 511 Harrison St. (at First Street) San Francisco CA 94105
Google Map (always check directions with organizer)
Sponsor:
Event Contact:
Erin Sullivan
[email protected]
415-834-3174
http://www.wildaid.org/night
© Bay Nature Institute
1 of 1
7/19/12 3:34 PM
22
A Wild Night: Benefit for WildAid Tickets at Terra Gallery in S...
http://www.zvents.com/san_francisco_ca/events/show/2539571...
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Event website
Phone (415) 834-3174
Price $175 per adult
Age Suitability 21 and up
Categories Food & Dining Charity & Volunteer
Tags benefit wildlife conservation cocktail reception
Friday, May 11, 2012 8:30p to Saturday, May 12, 2012 2:00a
Terra Gallery San Francisco, CA
Buy Tickets Discounts Available
Join us in honoring Google and tech entrepreneur and philanthropist James H. Clark at WildAid's
annual gala, hosted by iconic TV personality, Larry King, with appearances by Pierce Brosnan, Bo
Derek, and others - and a live musical performance by The John Corbett Band. Throughout the night,
you will enjoy hors d'oeuvres, specialty cocktails, cupcakes from The Food Network, and explore
interactive exhibits. A portion of the ticket price directly supports our wildlife programs.
Tickets
WildAid $120 Buy Now
Performers at this Event
2 of 6
7/19/12 3:56 PM
23
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/episode_print/0,1983,...
WildAid Save the Tigers
Show: Cupcake Wars • Episode: WS0608H
It's going to get wild in the kitchen as four bakers fight for
the chance to serve their cupcakes at a huge celebrity
gala honoring animal conservation group, WildAid. Actress
Minnie Driver judges.
Tune In:
Aug 05, 2012
8:00 PM ET/PT
Aug 06, 2012
3:00 AM ET/PT
Printed from FoodNetwork.com on 07/24/2012
Aug 11, 2012
1:00 PM ET/PT
© 2012 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
1 of 1
7/24/12 11:43 AM
24
[Hong Kong: Activists Protest Shark Fin Trade] - [VOA - Voice ...
http://www.voanews.com/articleprintview/566356.html?display...
May 13, 2012
Hong Kong: Activists Protest Shark Fin Trade
by Ivan Broadhead
HONG KONG - Shark fin has been considered a luxury in
Chinese cuisine since the Ming emperors first demanded the
delicacy more than 400 years ago. However, unsustainable and
barbaric methods of harvesting the fish mean shark populations
are increasingly endangered.
Banning the use of shark fin
More than 150 activists braved oppressive heat Sunday to
deliver a letter calling on the new head of the Hong Kong
government, CY Leung, to ban the use of shark fin at official government banquets.
According to Rachel Vickerstaff of the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, the southern Chinese city is the destination
for over half the shark fin traded globally - a market worth more than $500 million a year.
“Our objectives are to get some public awareness of what we’re trying to do and to let CY know why he needs to
see why sharks need saving,” said Vickerstaff.
70 million sharks killed each year
Sharks are afforded some protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
However, Vickerstaff calculates that up to 70 million sharks are killed each year to feed the growing demand for
shark fin among increasingly affluent Chinese consumers.
“The Hong Kong government has hidden behind CITES, which is pretty ineffective. CITES only has international
trade restrictions on three species of shark. But the International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists well
over 100 species as threatened or near threatened with extinction,” added Vickerstaff.
$100-soup
Nowadays, shark fin is served in soups at business and wedding banquets as a symbol of status. Depending on
a specimen’s quality, a bowl of shark fin soup can cost more than $100, while a dorsal fin of the prized whale
shark can retail for up to $20,000.
Conservationists say the over-fishing of apex predators has a negative effect on the ocean ecosystem. But they
say there is some good news. Younger generations in China are increasingly reluctant to partake of shark fin.
Nina Whittaker, a student at Li Po Chun United World College, says this is not just for conservation reasons, but
also because of the brutal way fishermen harvest the fin.
“They’ll take sharks on board and cut their fins off; then throw the live sharks overboard. They can’t swim without
1 of 2
7/23/12 1:41 PM
25
[Hong Kong: Activists Protest Shark Fin Trade] - [VOA - Voice ...
http://www.voanews.com/articleprintview/566356.html?display...
them so it’s a painful, unpleasant death," said Whittaker. "So [you are left with] piles and piles of fins, and
hundreds and hundreds of shark carcasses in the sea. It’s such a waste.”
What is more, says Whittaker, shark fin soup actually tastes pretty bland.
Trade
“Having shark fin in your soup, it’s a cultural thing to some extent - though that’s not an excuse," added Whittaker.
"They have high levels of mercury, and they don’t really have that much taste: it’s basically chicken soup with
jelly.”
Gary Stokes, of the marine wildlife conservation organization Sea Shepherd, says shark fin's value puts it in the
same league as the narcotics and arms trade. Stokes recently filmed Hong Kong seafood merchants drying
thousands of fins on the city’s sidewalks.
“A shipment had come in," he said. "Obviously it was still a bit damp and they needed to move it on to China. But
instead of the secrecy they normally have - it’s all done behind closed doors; on roofs - it was out there drying on
the main highway: A rough estimate; there were 41,000 fins there.”
To maintain pressure on the Hong Kong government, in the coming weeks conservation groups will present CY
Leung with a statement from 40 internationally renowned scientists reiterating the environmental argument for
ending the trade in shark fin.
http://www.voanews.com/content/hong_kong_environment_shark_voa/566356.html
2 of 2
7/23/12 1:41 PM
26
Larry King, Jared Leto, Hayden Panettiere Among Stars at Wil...
http://www.wlbt.com/story/18391426/larry-king-jared-leto-hay...
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Larry King, Jared Leto, Hayden Panettiere Among Stars at WildAid
Gala
Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through
PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this
Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
SOURCE WildAid
Hollywood Comes Out to Celebrate with Business Tycoons For a Good Cause
SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood joined forces with Silicon Valley on
Friday evening to support wildlife conservation organization, WildAid, at their annual gala. Larry
King, Hayden Panettiere, Jared Leto, Maggie Q, John Corbett, Kate Flannery, and Bo Derek were
among the stars raising money for WildAid.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120514/SF06993)
The 300-guest black-tie VIP dinner included a presentation by WildAid Founder Peter Knights, a live
auction, and awards presented to Google and James H. Clark for their innovative use of technology
to benefit conservation.
After dinner, guests enjoyed a live musical performance by the John Corbett Band, sipped on
specialty cocktails compliments of POM Wonderful and Ketel One, sampled from a 1,000 cupcake
display provided by The Food Network, and explored the virtual oceans in an exhibit by theBlu.
Knights presented a new PSA featuring Pau Gasol (LA Lakers) and a sneak peak of an upcoming
documentary WildAid is working on with Peabody-Award winning director Deborah Scranton about
the rhino and elephant poaching crisis in Africa, as seen through the eyes of China's biggest star
(and long-time WildAid Ambassador) Yao Ming.
Other notable guests included President Alvaro Uribe, General Ron Hite, Bill Joy, Gigi Brisson, Tod
Bensen, Alan Chung, Sir Michael Rose, Andrew Paul, Jim Rogers, Xochi and Michael Birch, Sir Iain
Douglas-Hamilton, Lonnie Autry, David Hersh, William Tseng, Jason Holt, Nick Osborne, and
Google's Brian McClendon.
Other sponsors include Perka, Tiffany & Co., San Francisco Magazine, FLOR, theBlu, Incase, Grand
Hyatt, RBC Royal Bank, Forbes & Manhattan, AllianceBernstein, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosini,
and Britex Fabrics.
About WildAid:
WildAid (www.wildaid.org) is the only organization to focus on reducing the demand for wildlife
products with the strong and simple message: when the buying stops, the killing can too. WildAid
works with Asian and Western celebrities to dissuade people from purchasing wildlife products via
public service announcements and educational initiatives. WildAid's roster of ambassadors includes
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, Minnie Driver, and Sir
Richard Branson.
1 of 2
7/23/12 1:48 PM
27
Larry King, Jared Leto, Hayden Panettiere Among Stars at Wil...
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/larry-king-jared-leto-hayden-22...
YAHOO! FINANCE
Larry King, Jared Leto, Hayden Panettiere Among Stars at
WildAid Gala
Hollywood Comes Out to Celebrate with Business Tycoons For a Good Cause
Press Release: WildAid – Mon, May 14, 2012 6:28 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood joined forces with Silicon Valley on Friday evening to
support wildlife conservation organization, WildAid, at their annual gala. Larry King, Hayden Panettiere, Jared Leto,
Maggie Q, John Corbett, Kate Flannery, and Bo Derek were among the stars raising money for WildAid.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120514/SF06993)
The 300-guest black-tie VIP dinner included a presentation by WildAid Founder Peter Knights, a live auction, and awards
presented to Google and James H. Clark for their innovative use of technology to benefit conservation.
After dinner, guests enjoyed a live musical performance by the John Corbett Band, sipped on specialty cocktails
compliments of POM Wonderful and Ketel One, sampled from a 1,000 cupcake display provided by The Food Network,
and explored the virtual oceans in an exhibit by theBlu.
Knights presented a new PSA featuring Pau Gasol (LA Lakers) and a sneak peak of an upcoming documentary WildAid is
working on with Peabody-Award winning director Deborah Scranton about the rhino and elephant poaching crisis in
Africa, as seen through the eyes of China's biggest star (and long-time WildAid Ambassador) Yao Ming.
Other notable guests included President Alvaro Uribe, General Ron Hite, Bill Joy, Gigi Brisson, Tod Bensen, Alan Chung,
Sir Michael Rose, Andrew Paul, Jim Rogers, Xochi and Michael Birch, Sir Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Lonnie Autry, David
Hersh, William Tseng, Jason Holt, Nick Osborne, and Google's Brian McClendon.
Other sponsors include Perka, Tiffany & Co., San Francisco Magazine, FLOR, theBlu, Incase, Grand Hyatt, RBC Royal
Bank, Forbes & Manhattan, AllianceBernstein, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosini, and Britex Fabrics.
About WildAid:
WildAid (www.wildaid.org) is the only organization to focus on reducing the demand for wildlife products with the strong
and simple message: when the buying stops, the killing can too. WildAid works with Asian and Western celebrities to
dissuade people from purchasing wildlife products via public service announcements and educational initiatives.
WildAid's roster of ambassadors includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Yao Ming, Jackie Chan,
Minnie Driver, and Sir Richard Branson.
B-roll and digital images available upon request.
1 of 2
6/27/12 2:02 PM
28
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/shark-fin-ban-passes...
BY BRIANNA EHLEY [email protected] > 217-782-4912 | Posted: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 2:29 pm
SPRINGFIELD, ILL • The possession or distribution of shark fins may no longer be legal in Illinois, under a measure
passed by the Legislature today.
State Sen. Antonio Munoz, D-Chicago, said the bill's purpose is to prevent shark finning, which is the removal of the shark's
fin followed by releasing the shark back into the water. Shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters, however the possession of
shark fins is only prohibited in several coastal states.
“The sharks are mutilated for their fins," Munoz said. "They just cut off their fins and charge anywhere from $200 to $300 for
each fin."
Shark fins are considered an asian delicacy and a lucrative market in the seafood business.
Opposition to the bill came from state Sen. Matt Murphy, D-Palatine, who questioned why Illinois needed the ban, when
only coastal states currently prohibit the possession and distribution of shark fins.
“This has only affected the west coast...this should give us pause,” Murphy said.
The bill, HB4119, which passed the House and Senate by a large margin, will be sent to the governor’s desk.
1 of 1
7/23/12 2:16 PM
29
Cotillard: Whales made me guilty (From Congleton Guardian)
http://www.congletonguardian.co.uk/uk_national_entertainment...
NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
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Cotillard: Whales made me guilty
© Press Association 2011
12:42pm Friday 18th May 2012 in National
Entertainment News
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Marion Cotillard told how she had
to overcome her hatred of seeing
animals in captivity to work with
whales on her new film.
The Inception star - an avid
wildlife campaigner who has
worked with animal welfare and
supporting charities including
WildAid and Greenpeace - plays a
whale trainer in love story Rust &
Bone, which premiered at
Cannes, and had to work with
killer whales every day and get
them to perform tricks.
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Marion Cotillard said withholding
treats from the whales made her
feel guilty
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Marion revealed at the Cannes Film Festival: "I've always had a
repulsion going in a place where animals are in captivity. I had to
work through my rejection of this world, which I still feel. But I had
a job.
"Even though the orcas are as big as trucks, they're animals, and
you have a connection with them."
The 36-year-old Oscar-winner confessed she felt guilty withholding
treats from the whales as she learned to perform tricks with them.
Marion plays a young woman who suffers a terrible accident and
loses both her legs in the film based on a short story by Craig
Davidson and directed by A Prophet's Jacques Audiard.
The film wowed the critics at Cannes and is already tipped to win
the Palme d'Or prize for best film.
1 of 4
6/27/12 2:11 PM
30
In New Jersey Legislature, talk of sharks, tigers, and pigs - Phill...
http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-19/news/31766223_1_shark-f...
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Tigers
In New Jersey Legislature, talk of
sharks, tigers, and pigs
May 19, 2012 | By Joelle Farrell, INQUIRER TRENTON BUREAU
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TRENTON — Before they delved completely into
the budget, lawmakers took some time this
week to talk about sharks, tigers, and pigs.
The Legislature is considering bills to ban the
sale of shark fins, require aggressive monitoring
of captive tigers, and keep pregnant pigs out of
restrictive crates.
The shark-fin bill generated the most
controversy. It would force New Jersey
fishermen to throw away shark fins rather than
sell them.
Supporters of the bill hope it will help stifle the
shark-fin market, which has led to a practice
called “finning,” in which fishermen cut fins from live sharks and toss the animals back into the ocean to
die. Fins are prized for shark-fin soup, a Chinese delicacy served at weddings and celebrations.
Story continues below.
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“Finning” has been banned in the United States for more than a decade, but the sale and trade of fins
isn’t regulated: Shark fins are both exported from and imported into the United States. An estimated 73
million sharks are killed annually worldwide to meet the growing demand for shark-fin soup, said
Kathleen Schatzmann, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Humane Society.
“The idea is to starve the beast that’s feeding the finning process,” said Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D.,
Union), a sponsor of the bill.
But New Jersey fishing industry representatives argue that they should not have to throw away part of
their profit if they catch the sharks lawfully. They are particularly concerned about losing profits from the
sale of the spiny dogfish, a small shark common in Atlantic coastal waters. Fins contribute up to 30
percent of the profit from the fish, said Scot Mackey, a lobbyist with the Garden State Seafood
Association.
“We can all go to a pet store and buy a pig’s ear ... or a cow’s nose for our dog to chew on,” Wayne
Reichle, vice president of Lund’s Fisheries in Cape May, said at the hearing. If a shark is caught legally
and people want to use the fins in soup, he asked, “why shouldn’t people be able to enjoy that?”
Lesniak, who sits on the Senate Economic Growth Committee, which heard the bill Monday, held off on a
vote. He said he wanted to gather more support for the bill, which is also sponsored by Sen. Christopher
Bateman (R., Somerset).
Hawaii and West Coast states have banned sale and trade of shark fins, Schatzmann said. Illinois’
legislature passed a bill banning the practice this week, and Delaware and New York are considering
1 of 2
6/27/12 2:11 PM
31
Corbett National Park - GaiaRocks
http://www.gaiarocks.org/?p=39
Home • About us • Projects • News
Search
Search
Home » Featured » Corbett National Park
Corbett National Park
Protecting tigers in India’s oldest national park
1 of 5
6/27/12 2:14 PM
32
Only 3,200 tigers left in the wild
From around 100,000 at the turn of the century there are now some 3,200 tigers surviving in the wild.
That is a 97% decline and the complete extinction of 3 sub-species. Caspian, Bali and Javan tiger will
never be seen again.
While hundreds of millions of dollars are spent worldwide seeking to study and protect tigers in the
wild, the tiger population remains in rapid decline due to loss of habitat and poaching even within
protected areas across its entire range. Tigers are killed for sport, skins and body parts used
predominantly in traditional medicine and decorations. The illegal wildlife trade is driven by demand
for these products, and unless the demand side is addressed, traditional conservation efforts essentially
only escalate a war between poachers and rangers.
2 of 5
6/27/12 2:14 PM
33
Virgin’s involvement
Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite are supporting the work of WildAid, an organisation focused on
reducing the demand for wildlife parts and products. WildAid’s message is simple but powerful: when
the buying stops, the killing can too.
WildAid focuses on the largest markets for tiger parts, working with government, business, media
partners, and celebrities to encourage attiudinal and behavioral change to reduce demand for the
highly endangered tiger.
Sir Richard Branson is one of WildAid’s celebrity ambassadors, helping to ensure the tigers’ voice is
heard in the global community, bringing about change.
Virgin Unite has supported WildAid’s field programme in India, where it focuses on Corbett National
Park, home to approximately 10% of India’s tigers. The park is one of nine tiger reserves established
in 1973 with the launch of Project Tiger by the Indian authorities, and has been the only wildlife
sanctuary in India where the tiger population has been stable. Corbett is India’s most densely
populated tiger zone.
Since 2008, WildAid has worked with local NGOs Sanskara Development Trust and the Jim Corbett
Trust, as well as park officials, local authorities and government departments. The programme
combines field protection of tigers, securing migratory corridors for tigers and other species, and
working with surrounding communities to reduce human-wildlife conflict, educate and encourage
stewardship.
In support of this programme, Virgin Unite has recently partnered with WildAid to offer a once in a
lifetime opportunity to join Sir Richard Branson on a Connection Trip to India. A small group of
like-minded entrepreneurs had a chance to get face to face with the issues surrounding India’s tigers.
Take action
If you would like to donate to WildAid please click here and to find out more, just get in touch below:
Visit the website: www.wildaid.org
Email us at: [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter: @WildAid
Like us on facebook: facebook.com/wildaid
Photo copyright: Courtesy of WildAid Inc.
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3 of 5
6/27/12 2:14 PM
34
World Oceans Day Media Advisory: OceanElders, WildAid and...
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-oceans-day-media-adviso...
YAHOO! FINANCE
World Oceans Day Media Advisory: OceanElders, WildAid and
theBlu to Host Global Online Celebration
Press Release: theBlu.com – Mon, May 21, 2012 8:00 AM EDT
VENICE, CA--(Marketwire -05/21/12)- The following is being released by the theBlu.com
What:
OceanElders, WildAid, and theBlu.com are holding a global online celebration at theblu.com, in honor of World Oceans
Day, June 8, 2012. Entitled, "If You Love The Ocean, Download It!" Interested parties are encouraged to start registering
immediately to ensure best interaction with the celebrities and leading ocean advocates expected to participate.
Who:
OceanElders members are: Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia A.
Earle, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, Captain Don Walsh,
Neil Young and founder Gigi Brisson.
The event will unite individuals, communities, and organizations all over the world in a globally shared moment
celebrating the beauty and significance of the world's ocean. On June 8, the "Big Blu" whale, created by Academy Award
winner Andy Jones (for Avatar), will be seen for the first time, and Ambassador Species sponsored by WildAid and
OceanElders will be available for purchase. We suggest participants download now and log in early on June 8th.
When:
Friday, June 8, 2012 at theblu.com
Details:
theBlu is an easy-to-download app for Mac and PC, available now at theblu.com
In Advance:
Members of the media interested in the satellite media tour or booking interviews with OceanElders, the WildAid team,
and theBlu team are invited to contact Richard Snee, Media Relations at theBlu; [email protected]
Social Media:
Suggested tweet examples for May 18 - June 8:
Celebrating #worldoceansday following Big Blu whale around the world! @intheblu If you love the ocean, download it!
theblu.com
If you love the ocean, download it! theblu.com Connecting with amazing people across the globe @intheblu.
#worldoceansday
If you love the ocean, download it! theblu.com Buy Ambassador Species to support @WildAid @OceanElders @intheblu
#worldoceansday
Social media handles and hashtags: @intheblu @WildAid @OceanElders #worldoceansday #theblu
Watch theBlu Video: http://youtu.be/enPlsab8L-8
ABOUT theBlu (www.theblu.com)
TheBlu "app" was launched in Times Square on May 4, 2012 with interactive shows on the large NASDAQ and Reuters
video screens. http://youtu.be/B9IotEN_ePY TheBlu is produced by Wemo Media, an entertainment studio based in
1 of 2
7/23/12 1:56 PM
35
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-oceans-day-media-adviso...
Venice, California, and 2012 winner of the SXSW Accelerator Award for best entertainment start-up. The company was
co-founded in 2010 by Neville Spiteri, a media creative executive formerly at EA, Square and Digital Domain, and Scott
Yara, a successful repeat entrepreneur and president/cofounder of EMC|Greenplum. The team includes Andy Jones,
Academy Award® winner for Avatar, and on the board of advisors, Joichi Ito, Director of MIT's Media Lab, and Sylvia
Earle, Time Magazine's Hero of the Planet. Additionally, as a global social art and entertainment project, Wemo Media's
"theBlu" team includes a growing community of artists, animators and developers worldwide.
ABOUT WildAid (www.wildaid.org)
WildAid the only organization to focus on reducing the demand for wildlife products with the strong and simple message:
when the buying stops, the killing can, too. WildAid works with Asian and Western celebrities to dissuade people from
purchasing wildlife products via public service announcements and educational initiatives. WildAid's roster of
Ambassadors includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, Ralph Fiennes, Minnie Driver, Carmelo Anthony,
Lang Lang, and Sir Richard Branson.
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World Oceans Day Media Advisory:
OceanElders, WildAid and theBlu to Host
Global Online Celebration
BY MARKETWIRE .
Comments
ARTICLE RATING:
MAY 21, 2012 08:00 AM EDT
READS:
447
VENICE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/21/12 -- The
following is being released by the theBlu.com
What:
Perhaps I Haven’t
Made Myself
Clear...
By Bruce Armstrong
bruce.armstrong wrote:
Somebody just said it better
than I did, and with more
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to Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl
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May. 8, 2012 02:11 PM EDT
read more & respond »
OceanElders, WildAid, and theBlu.com are holding a global online celebration at
theblu.com, in honor of World Oceans Day, June 8, 2012. Entitled, "If You Love
The Ocean, Download It!" Interested parties are encouraged to start registering
immediately to ensure best interaction with the celebrities and leading ocean
advocates expected to participate.
1 of 8
7/24/12 11:57 AM
37
Who:
OceanElders members are: Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, Dr. Rita Colwell,
Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her
Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, Captain Don Walsh, Neil
Young and founder Gigi Brisson.
The event will unite individuals, communities, and organizations all over the world
in a globally shared moment celebrating the beauty and significance of the world's
ocean. On June 8, the "Big Blu" whale, created by Academy Award winner Andy
Jones (for Avatar), will be seen for the first time, and Ambassador Species
sponsored by WildAid and OceanElders will be available for purchase. We suggest
participants download now and log in early on June 8th.
When:
Details:
In Advance:
Members of the media interested in the satellite media tour or booking interviews
with OceanElders, the WildAid team, and theBlu team are invited to contact
Richard Snee, Media Relations at theBlu; [email protected]
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Social Media:
Celebrating #worldoceansday following Big Blu whale around the world!
@intheblu If you love the ocean, download it! theblu.com
If you love the ocean, download it! theblu.com Connecting with amazing people
across the globe @intheblu. #worldoceansday
If you love the ocean, download it! theblu.com Buy Ambassador Species to support
@WildAid @OceanElders @intheblu #worldoceansday
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Social media handles and hashtags: @intheblu @WildAid @OceanElders
2 of 8
7/24/12 11:57 AM
38
#worldoceansday #theblu
TheBlu "app" was launched in Times Square on May 4, 2012 with interactive shows
on the large NASDAQ and Reuters video screens. http://youtu.be/B9IotEN_ePY
TheBlu is produced by Wemo Media, an entertainment studio based in Venice,
California, and 2012 winner of the SXSW Accelerator Award for best entertainment
start-up. The company was co-founded in 2010 by Neville Spiteri, a media creative
executive formerly at EA, Square and Digital Domain, and Scott Yara, a successful
repeat entrepreneur and president/cofounder of EMC|Greenplum. The team
includes Andy Jones, Academy Award® winner for Avatar, and on the board of
advisors, Joichi Ito, Director of MIT's Media Lab, and Sylvia Earle, Time
Magazine's Hero of the Planet. Additionally, as a global social art and
entertainment project, Wemo Media's "theBlu" team includes a growing
community of artists, animators and developers worldwide.
WildAid the only organization to focus on reducing the demand for wildlife
products with the strong and simple message: when the buying stops, the killing
can, too. WildAid works with Asian and Western celebrities to dissuade people
from purchasing wildlife products via public service announcements and
educational initiatives. WildAid's roster of Ambassadors includes Leonardo
DiCaprio, Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, Ralph Fiennes, Minnie Driver, Carmelo
Anthony, Lang Lang, and Sir Richard Branson.
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Media Relations at theBlu
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Published May 21, 2012 – Reads 447
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SOURCE: theBlu.com
May 21, 2012 08:00 ET
World Oceans Day Media Advisory: OceanElders, WildAid and
theBlu to Host Global Online Celebration
VENICE, CA--(Marketwire - May 21, 2012) - The following is being released by the theBlu.com
What:
OceanElders, WildAid, and theBlu.com are holding a global online celebration at theblu.com, in honor of
World Oceans Day, June 8, 2012. Entitled, "If You Love The Ocean, Download It!" Interested parties are
encouraged to start registering immediately to ensure best interaction with the celebrities and leading
ocean advocates expected to participate.
Who:
OceanElders members are: Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel
Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa
Thompson, Ted Turner, Captain Don Walsh, Neil Young and founder Gigi Brisson.
The event will unite individuals, communities, and organizations all over the world in a globally shared
moment celebrating the beauty and significance of the world's ocean. On June 8, the "Big Blu" whale,
created by Academy Award winner Andy Jones (for Avatar), will be seen for the first time, and
Ambassador Species sponsored by WildAid and OceanElders will be available for purchase. We suggest
participants download now and log in early on June 8th.
When:
Details:
In Advance:
Members of the media interested in the satellite media tour or booking interviews with OceanElders, the
WildAid team, and theBlu team are invited to contact Richard Snee, Media Relations at theBlu;
[email protected]
Social Media:
Celebrating #worldoceansday following Big Blu whale around the world! @intheblu If you love the
ocean, download it! theblu.com
If you love the ocean, download it! theblu.com Connecting with amazing people across the globe
@intheblu. #worldoceansday
If you love the ocean, download it! theblu.com Buy Ambassador Species to support @WildAid
@OceanElders @intheblu #worldoceansday
Social media handles and hashtags: @intheblu @WildAid @OceanElders #worldoceansday #theblu
TheBlu "app" was launched in Times Square on May 4, 2012 with interactive shows on the large
NASDAQ and Reuters video screens. http://youtu.be/B9IotEN_ePY TheBlu is produced by Wemo Media,
an entertainment studio based in Venice, California, and 2012 winner of the SXSW Accelerator Award
for best entertainment start-up. The company was co-founded in 2010 by Neville Spiteri, a media
creative executive formerly at EA, Square and Digital Domain, and Scott Yara, a successful repeat
entrepreneur and president/cofounder of EMC|Greenplum. The team includes Andy Jones, Academy
Award® winner for Avatar, and on the board of advisors, Joichi Ito, Director of MIT's Media Lab, and
Sylvia Earle, Time Magazine's Hero of the Planet. Additionally, as a global social art and entertainment
1 of 2
7/23/12 1:58 PM
40
project, Wemo Media's "theBlu" team includes a growing community of artists, animators and
developers worldwide.
WildAid the only organization to focus on reducing the demand for wildlife products with the strong and
simple message: when the buying stops, the killing can, too. WildAid works with Asian and Western
celebrities to dissuade people from purchasing wildlife products via public service announcements and
educational initiatives. WildAid's roster of Ambassadors includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Yao Ming, Jackie
Chan, Ralph Fiennes, Minnie Driver, Carmelo Anthony, Lang Lang, and Sir Richard Branson.
Contact Information
Richard Snee
Media Relations at theBlu
Email Contact
View Release
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2 of 2
7/23/12 1:58 PM
41
Votes for Sale at UN-linked Shark-protection Group - Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/donaldfrazier/2012/05/22/waiter-th...
HONG KONG—Confronted with a
rising tide of bans and boycotts, the
outfits that sell shark fin are fighting
back – just this week, with a
high-profile onslaught of ads in the
industry’s epicenter that says sharks
aren’t endangered, and charges that
Western cultural supremacy lies
behind the global campaign to shun
this unlikely delicacy.
The protests, according to the
leading trade group for shark
products, are intended “to incite the public to discriminate against our own
eating culture.” It claims Western conservation groups “use the shark issue as
a fund-raising gimmick. We now make a vow to voice out and unveil those
lies.”
But shark-finning interests fight this battle mainly behind closed doors. They
pack the UN-endorsed group that’s supposed to protect sharks with friends –
consultants who work for them, government officials who are supposed to
promote their home industries, lobbyists who front shady educational groups,
and even outright employees.
The result: feeble, dilatory, and
otherwise ineffective oversight of a
business that according to research
oceanologists takes as many as 73
million sharks a year, and damages
ecosystems that support fisheries
feeding hundreds of millions.
According to the Pew Environment
Group, shark populations have
declined from 70 to 80 percent over
Just can't wait to get over the wedding part, so we
can finally deplete the oceans' biodiversity.
the last 50 years, and 30 percent of
species are now endangered
including the hammerhead, whose fin is especially prized for soup.
2 of 5
7/24/12 12:01 PM
42
Blame prosperity. Many of the world’s Chinese crave the social status they get
for offering shark fin soup at banquets and weddings. Now more and more of
them can afford it, even at prices exceeding $100 per bowl, and consumption
has gone up dramatically over the last two decades,
But overfishing can have devastating consequences for ocean life. And sharkfinning itself – often slicing the fin from a still-living shark and tossing it back
into the ocean to drown, making room for more of the highly-profitable
fins—arouses widespread revulsion. A number of cities and states in North
America have passed laws against serving shark fin, and a number of top
Hong Kong restaurants and hotels have followed suit.
“The UN treaty is supposed to protect animals from becoming threatened by
international trade, but pro-trade lobbyists have managed to rally the
one-third of the vote needed to veto any proposal,” according to Peter
Knights, executive director of the global anti-smuggling NGO, WildAid,
referring to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or
CITES. Such vetoes cast in secret balloting kept the hammerhead off the list
at a CITES meeting in Doha, Qatar in 2010.
In a more recent example, an event in Singapore, an influential member of the
CITES shark group described the campaign against shark finning as a
Western “attack on Chinese culture.” Dr. Giam Choo-Hoo claimed most
sharks are caught by small-scale subsistence fishermen, most shark fin is a
product of accidental catches, and sharks don’t need protection anyway.
Everything he said in this forum flies in the face of a vast consensus of
scientific data, and is extensively disproven by dozens of research
organizations and academic institutions.
But Dr. Giam’s impartiality is in question. According to the Washington Post,
he introduces himself as a representative of the shark fin industry. He advises
leaders of the trade group, the Marine Products Association (which just
recently took the words ‘Shark Fin’ off its name), and he vigorously slaps
down measures to protect sharks at CITES meetings around the world, as
described in a police investigator’s report endorsed by Sea Shepherd, the
Seattle-based conservation group.
He’s not even a shark expert – his specialty is crocodiles, and he works for
3 of 5
7/24/12 12:01 PM
43
companies that make them into luxury handbags. But he does take the shark
fin issue seriously. He explains that because shark fin soup is the “number
one most prestigious thing to serve at a big event in China,” Chinese people do
not want it banned, and he campaigns avidly for that result.
Others wonder why the 78-year-old veterinarian has a public forum in the
first place. “Only here where the industry is strong and the press is weak can
you characterize such a biased charade as an impartial debate,” Knights said.
Episodes like this cast a light on the inner workings of the UN-chartered
CITES shark group. It is “quite informal,” explained Juan-Carlos Vasquez,
communications head of the Geneva-based organization. Its members are
supposed to have ‘broad expertise,” according to Susan Lieberman, deputy
director for international policy for the Pew Environment Group. But taking
part calls for a mere “show of hands” – and the people who turn up are often
bankrolled by the industry, or are paid to promote it.
This results in some odd decisions. For example, species hunted for their fins
such as the long-fin mako, the porbeagle, and the thresher have declined
precipitously over the last decade. But CITES lists only a few species as
endangered: the basking, the great white, and the whale shark. Industry
advisers like Giam vote, veto, and lobby to keep most of the threatened sharks
off the list. Then, citing the same list, they say only a few sharks are
endangered – a widely-dismissed conclusion.
But CITES does not require members to disclose personal financial interest in
the matters they rule on – another break with global NGO practice. (Vasquez
says it is considering changes to this policy.) Nor does it require member
countries to refrain from vote-trading – that is, a rich nation granting
commercial advantage to a poor nation in exchange for a CITES vote
protecting its own fishing industry.
The U.S. government has outlawed shark finning, and Canada is considering a
ban on importing shark fin. But these measures will hardly make a dent in
the global shark fin trade, where North America accounts for a mere three
percent.
Meanwhile, overfishing for shark continues to alter the ecological balance of
4 of 5
7/24/12 12:01 PM
44
ocean fisheries in dramatic ways. Without a predator at the top of the food
chain, surviving carnivorous fish and rays can wipe out commerciallyvaluable fish and scallops, and have already done so in many places. This
takes a long time to reverse: sharks bear their young live, not many of them,
and do it slowly.
This article is available online at:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/donaldfrazier/2012/05/22/waiter-theres-a-shark-fin-inmy-soup/
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7/24/12 12:01 PM
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Costa Rica assures fair trial for anti-whaling crusader | MNN - ...
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Costa Rica assures fair trial for anti-whaling
crusader
The Sea Shepherd founder has no doubts about the fairness of Costa Rica's
judicial system, and is instead worried about the 'shark fin mafia of Costa Rica.'
By Agence France-Presse
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Wed, May 23 2012 at 12:48 PM EST
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FOR ONE MAN: Paul Watson, Canadian anti-whaling activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation
Society, demonstrates with protesters in Berlin. (Photo: Odd Andersen/AFP)
BERLIN — Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said May 24 that anti-whaling activist
Paul Watson would have a fair trial if extradited to the Central American country
following his arrest in Germany.
1 of 5
7/24/12 12:11 PM
46
"If Paul Watson is extradited to Costa Rica he will have legal proceedings that strictly
keep to constitutional principles and the international standards which have to be
applied in this type of case," she said.
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Chinchilla, speaking at a press conference with German President Joachim Gauck
during a visit to Berlin, stressed that her country had a "completely independent
justice" system.
Watson, 61, the leader of the Sea Shepherd organization noted for its muscular attacks
on Japanese whalers, was arrested at Frankfurt airport in western Germany on May 14
and detained for a week before being released on bail.
German authorities are deciding whether he can be extradited to Costa Rica on
charges stemming from a high-seas confrontation over shark finning in 2002. He is
accused of "putting a ship's crew in danger."
He said in a telephone interview with AFP on May 23 that he had "no reason to believe
that the Costa Rican legal system would not give me a fair trial."
What's this?
"My concern is not for the judicial system, but for the reality that the shark fin mafia of
Costa Rica has a price on my head and a Costa Rican prison would provide an excellent
opportunity for someone to exercise this lethal contract against me," he said.
"We have cost the shark finners a great deal of money over the last two decades and
they want their revenge. I would need absolute assurance that the Costa Rican
authorities would not place me in a position to jeopardize my safety when I return to
Costa Rica to prove my innocence in court."
Sea Shepherd claims it was escorting an illegal shark finning ship back to port when
the crew falsely accused the organization's members of trying to kill them.
Watson said it was unusual that an extradition order should be issued for "a relatively
minor offense, where no one was injured and no property damaged."
He suggested that Japan might be "putting pressure" on Germany to carry out the
order.
"It may be more than coincidental that the extradition order was put out in October
2011 at around the same time that the Japanese brought civil charges against us —
and lost — in a Seattle court," he said.
On the sidelines of Chincilla's visit to the German capital, Watson joined several
hundred of his supporters who were shouting "Free Paul Watson!" for a protest in front
of the Victory Column in central Berlin.
He had told AFP he would have to be back in Frankfurt by 5:00 pm to report to the
police.
Shepherd also vowed on May 22 that Sea Shepherd's campaigns against would go on
2 of 5
7/24/12 12:11 PM
47
without him and voiced suspicions that Japan was behind his arrest.
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"This is not about me. It is about our oceans and the ever-escalating threat of
diminishment of the diversity of life in our seas. It is about the sharks, the whales, the
seals, the sea turtles and the fish," he told AFP.
"They hope that by getting me out of the way, they'll shut down our operations. They
won't," he said.
Sea Shepherd's ships would continue to "defend sharks in the South Pacific, whales in
the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary" and dolphins in Taiji, Japan, he added in a
statement.
The Canadian national is well known for his pursuit and harassment of Japanese
whaling boats off Antarctica, which in recent years has significantly reduced the
number of animals slaughtered.
Copyright 2012 AFP Global Edition
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Port Moody Becomes First British Columbian Municipality to P...
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/port-moody-becomes-first-br...
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May 23, 2012, 12:36 a.m. EDT
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Port Moody Becomes First British Columbian
Municipality to Pass Ban on Shark Fin Trade
Animal protection groups applaud historic decision
PORT MOODY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, May 23, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -Humane Society International/Canada, WildAid and other leading animal protection groups
applaud the recent decision by the Port Moody, British Columbia City Council to ban the
possession, trade, sale and distribution of shark fin products in the municipality. Port Moody
is the first municipality in British Columbia to adopt such a prohibition. Similar prohibitions
have already been passed in the cities of Toronto, Brantford, Mississauga, Oakville,
Newmarket, Pickering and London in Ontario.
"The City of Port Moody has shown tremendous leadership in taking a stand against the
cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning," said Gabriel Wildgen, campaigner for Humane
Society International/Canada. "Every year tens of millions of sharks are finned and tossed in
the ocean, dead or dying, to feed the global demand for shark fins each year."
"We're thrilled to see British Columbia's first municipality join four million other Canadians
and dozens of jurisdictions around the world in acting to end this unsustainable practice"
said Rob Sinclair, executive director of WildAid Canada. He added, "I have no doubt that
other municipalities in British Columbia will follow suit."
"We are seeing a growing number of consumers - including wedding couples - that are
going Fin Free. Businesses will begin to realize that taking a stance for conservation will
give them a competitive advantage - one that's good for their social and financial bottom
line," said Claudia Li, executive director of Shark Truth.
The ban passed by unanimous vote. The new bylaw includes a fine of $500 and potential
revoking of business licenses for violations of the ban.
Shark fin products are primarily served in a soup broth at Chinese banquets, such as
weddings. The demand for this dish, coupled with unsustainable fishing methods have led
some shark populations to decline by as much as 99 percent in recent decades.
Facts:
Sharks are apex predators whose survival affects all other marine species and entire ocean
ecosystems.
-- The fins from as many as 73 million sharks are used to feed the growing
demand for shark fin products each year. The profitable market of shark
fins is also threatening many species of sharks and rays with
extinction.
-- Shark fins are often harvested through a practice known as "shark
finning," which involves cutting off the fins of sharks and then
throwing the sharks back into the ocean, often while still alive,
leaving the animals to die a slow death.
-- Unlike other fish species, sharks produce very few young and mature
slowly and, consequently, overexploited populations can take years or
even decades to recover.
-- In the United States, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington - and
the territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands have banned the
possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins.
1 of 4
6/27/12 2:22 PM
49
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/port-moody-becomes-first-br...
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Humane Society International/Canada is a leading force for animal protection, representing
tens of thousands of members and constituents across the country. HSI/Canada has active
programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal
preservation and farm animal welfare. HSI/Canada is proud to be a part of Humane Society
International-one of the largest animal protection organizations in the world, with more than
eleven million members and constituents globally-on the Web at hsicanada.ca
Since 2008, WildAid Canada has been active in building partnerships with business,
educators, and governments throughout the country. We are pursuing a variety of initiatives
designed to counter the multi-billion dollar illegal international trade in wildlife products and
to implement national programs to reduce the human threat to wildlife.
Shark Truth is a grassroots nonprofit with the mission to protect sharks by promoting
awareness and action around shark fin issues. Through its unique and effective campaigns,
we have successfully diverted 28,000 bowls of shark fin from consumption - saving
approximately 2,780 sharks from being consumed. Join us at sharktruth.com
Contacts:
Dean Pogas
HSI/Canada
514-261-6007/514-395-2914
[email protected]
Rob Sinclair
WildAid
416-890-5616
[email protected]
Claudia Li
Shark Truth
604-723-0134
[email protected]
SOURCE: Humane Society International/Canada
mailto:[email protected]
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
Financial Glossary
2 of 4
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Humane Society International/Canada
May 23, 2012 00:35 ET
Port Moody Becomes First British Columbian Municipality to Pass Ban on Shark Fin Trade
Animal protection groups applaud historic decision
PORT MOODY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - May 23, 2012) - Humane Society International/Canada, WildAid and other leading animal
protection groups applaud the recent decision by the Port Moody, British Columbia City Council to ban the possession, trade, sale and distribution of
shark fin products in the municipality. Port Moody is the first municipality in British Columbia to adopt such a prohibition. Similar prohibitions have
already been passed in the cities of Toronto, Brantford, Mississauga, Oakville, Newmarket, Pickering and London in Ontario.
"The City of Port Moody has shown tremendous leadership in taking a stand against the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning," said Gabriel
Wildgen, campaigner for Humane Society International/Canada. "Every year tens of millions of sharks are finned and tossed in the ocean, dead or
dying, to feed the global demand for shark fins each year."
"We're thrilled to see British Columbia's first municipality join four million other Canadians and dozens of jurisdictions around the world in acting to
end this unsustainable practice" said Rob Sinclair, executive director of WildAid Canada. He added, "I have no doubt that other municipalities in
British Columbia will follow suit."
"We are seeing a growing number of consumers - including wedding couples - that are going Fin Free. Businesses will begin to realize that taking a
stance for conservation will give them a competitive advantage - one that's good for their social and financial bottom line," said Claudia Li, executive
director of Shark Truth.
The ban passed by unanimous vote. The new bylaw includes a fine of $500 and potential revoking of business licenses for violations of the ban.
Shark fin products are primarily served in a soup broth at Chinese banquets, such as weddings. The demand for this dish, coupled with
unsustainable fishing methods have led some shark populations to decline by as much as 99 percent in recent decades.
Facts:
Sharks are apex predators whose survival affects all other marine species and entire ocean ecosystems.
The fins from as many as 73 million sharks are used to feed the growing demand for shark fin products each year. The profitable market of shark
fins is also threatening many species of sharks and rays with extinction.
Shark fins are often harvested through a practice known as "shark finning," which involves cutting off the fins of sharks and then throwing the
sharks back into the ocean, often while still alive, leaving the animals to die a slow death.
Unlike other fish species, sharks produce very few young and mature slowly and, consequently, overexploited populations can take years or even
decades to recover.
In the United States, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington - and the territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands have banned the
possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins.
Humane Society International/Canada is a leading force for animal protection, representing tens of thousands of members and constituents across
the country. HSI/Canada has active programs in companion animals, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammal preservation and farm animal
welfare. HSI/Canada is proud to be a part of Humane Society International-one of the largest animal protection organizations in the world, with
more than eleven million members and constituents globally-on the Web at hsicanada.ca
Since 2008, WildAid Canada has been active in building partnerships with business, educators, and governments throughout the country. We are
1 of 2
6/27/12 2:22 PM
51
http://www.theprovince.com/story_print.html?id=6668502&sp...
BY CHERYL CHAN, THE PROVINCE
MAY 23, 2012
escapes.ca
Gabriel Wildgen of Humane Society International/Canada has been campaigning on a shark fin ban in Port Moody and now
hopes it spreads to other Metro Vancouver municipalities. He is photographed in Vancouver on May 23, 2012.
Photograph by: Glenn Baglo, The Province
Shark fin is now extinct in Port Moody after council passed a bylaw — B.C.’s first — banning the exotic
delicacy.
City council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fin
products, whose demand activists say drives a cruel harvesting practice and endangers shark
populations worldwide.
The move is largely symbolic — Port Moody has three Chinese restaurants, none of which serve shark
fin — but mayor Mike Clay said it prevents shark fin from coming to town, and paves the way for other
municipalities to follow suit.
“We are a small town ... but we are more than willing to lead the way and test the bylaw and hopefully,
make it easier in the future for other municipalities who may be facing more of a challenge.”
Gabriel Wildgen of Humane Society International/Canada said Port Moody’s success in banning shark
fin sends a strong message to other communities.
1 of 3
7/23/12 2:02 PM
52
“Shark finning is a cruel, wasteful and ecologically devastating practice and needs to be stopped,” said
Wildgen. “That’s something all communities can do, whether small or large.”
Scientists say up to 73 million sharks are killed annually for their fins, which are used in traditional
shark fin soup popular at Chinese weddings, birthdays and other celebrations.
The practice of shark finning — where fins are sliced off and the animals tossed back into the ocean to
die a slow death — is banned in Canada.
However, Wildgen said it is “almost impossible” to trace the origins of shark fin once it’s been harvested
and sent to Hong Kong — the clearing house for half of the world’s shark fin trade — for processing
and packaging.
“We just don’t know how those sharks are killed,” he said. “The only way to stop it is to ban the trade on
shark fin altogether.”
In the United States, California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii have banned shark fin, while other
states like Florida, Illinois and Virginia are in the process of enacting bans.
Luxury hotel chain Shangri-La announced earlier this year it will stop serving shark fin at its 72
properties, mostly in Asia, while major supermarket chains in Singapore have also gone fin-free.
In Canada, Fin Donnelly, MP for New Westminster-Coquitlam and Port Moody, introduced a bill last
year prohibiting the importing of shark fin into the country.
In the absence of a federal ban, some Canadian municipalities, including Toronto and Mississauga,
have imposed anti-shark fin bylaws.
Last week, Coquitlam passed a motion calling for a similar ban. It is expected to become bylaw in June.
Clay said he plans to bring the issue up at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities in September, as
well as push for a provincial and/or federal ban.
There was no opposition to the ban in Port Moody — where the bylaw carries a $500 fine and possible
revoking of business licenses — but enacting and enforcing such a prohibition will likely prove a bigger
challenge for larger municipalities with bigger Chinese-Canadian populations.
In Richmond, the issue of shark fin has not been raised in council, said city spokeswoman Kim Decker.
In Vancouver, a ban would simply be “unworkable,” said Coun. Kerry Jang.
“People would just cross the bridge and go to Richmond,” he said, adding a provincial ban or a regional
ban covering Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby would be more feasible.
Jang said awareness campaigns, such as the wedding contest organized by local group Shark Truth
encouraging couples to go fin-free at their wedding banquets, are working.
2 of 3
7/23/12 2:02 PM
53
“Merchants [in Chinatown] have told me sales of shark fin has plummeted,” he said. “It’s not the dish of
kings anymore.”
Vancouverite Jeremy Dunn and fiancée Noreen Chiu have decided to forego shark fin soup at their
wedding reception in Hong Kong in June. Their 180 guests will instead tuck into lobster bisque with
bird’s nest soup.
Dunn said he and Chiu didn’t want to rock the boat and probably would have gone with shark fin soup
had Chiu’s parents not broached the topic with them.
“They’re not really in support of shark fin, and said it does not have to happen,” said Dunn. “After that, it
was a two-minute conversation for Noreen and I.”
Dunn said he is ambivalent about the benefits of a ban in Vancouver.
“My opinion is the market tends to regulate itself. If people are making this conscious choice, then
restaurants are going to start providing alternatives.”
[email protected]
twitter.com/cherylchan
© Copyright (c) The Province
3 of 3
7/23/12 2:02 PM
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Help New York City Ban Shark Fin Soup
By Christopher Baranowski on May 31, 2012
Target: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature
Goal: Ban shark fin soup, the product of inhumane and unsustainable shark fishing, in New York.
New York City is pushing to be the newest place to ban shark fin soup and take a stand against the brutally inhumane practice of shark finning. Several other states have
banned the delicacy, referencing data that shows how devastating the practice is on shark population. Stand with Council Members Margaret Chin and Daniel Dromm as
they try to make New York City shark fin-free.
All the states on the West Coast, Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have already banned shark fin soup. They cite the extreme cruelty and the unsustainable
nature of the practice of shark finning, where fishermen haul sharks aboard, cut off their fins and then throw them back in the water where they drown, bleed to death or are
eaten by other predators. Statistics show that more than 70 million sharks die this way every year and that some shark populations have declined 90% as a result.
New York is the biggest buyer of shark fins on the East Coast. Asian American Council Member Margaret Chin recognized that while shark fin soup is a traditional menu
item for many Asian Americans, the people of New York City cannot continue allowing the trade of something that is the product of such cruelty. She is joined by
progressive groups like the Humane Society of the United States and the National Resources Defense Counsel, as well as celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who filmed a
documentary exposing the brutal practice and has called on restaurant owners to remove the item from their menus. Many State Assembly members have banded together
behind the legislation as well.
The resolution that the Council hopes to send to Governor Cuomo and the state legislature would “prohibit the possession, sale, offer for sale, trade, or distribution of shark
fins.” It would make New York the first East Coast state to do so and put them at the forefront of the animal welfare cause. It is time to stop the inhumane practice of shark
finning, even if we have to do so one state at a time. Urge Governor Cuomo and the state legislature to enact the pending legislation.
Sign the Petition:
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PETITION LETTER:
Dear Andrew Cuomo and members of the New York State Legislature,
2 of 4
6/27/12 2:25 PM
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The New York City Council has called on you to pass a pending bill that would prohibit the possession, sale, offer for sale, trade, or distribution of shark fins in the state of
New York. The bill has the broad support of numerous members of the legislature, various different animal advocacy groups and even celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. They
all seek to raise awareness about and ultimately end the brutally inhumane practice of shark finning. Shark finning is the practice where fishermen haul sharks on deck, cut
off their fins and then toss them back into the ocean to drown, bleed to death or be consumed by other predators. It is estimated that shark finning affects more than 70
million sharks each year and that some shark populations have declined as much as 90% as a result.
By passing this legislation, you would join the four other progressively minded states (Oregon, Hawaii, Washington and California) that have made products like shark fin
soup illegal. New York would be the first East Coast state to do so and would surely be praised for taking a stand against animal cruelty. New York is the biggest buyer of
shark fins on the East Coast; this victory would not be a small one by any means. Please consider passing this legislation and join the thousands of people who agree that
shark finning is an unsustainable and cruel practice.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
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Seized shark fins burned in Honduras - PhotoBlog
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Seized shark fins burned in Honduras
2012
4:33pm, EDT
Orlando Sierra / AFP - Getty Images
Some 120 shark dorsal fins seized to fishermen by the navy in the Caribbean Sea are incinerated in Tegucigalpa, on Thursday. Honduras created the first shark sanctuary
one year ago.
1 of 4
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Seized shark fins burned in Honduras - PhotoBlog
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/31/11994228-s...
The Tico Times reports that environment officials from Costa Rica and
Honduras proposed protections for hammerhead sharks:
Scalloped hammerheads are listed as endangered by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are in high demand for
shark fin soup and account for about 4 percent of all shark fins in
international trade.
Government delegates from the 175 CITES member countries will vote
on the hammerhead and other possible shark protection proposals at
next year’s meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention
Orlando Sierra / AFP - Getty Images
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,
which will take place March 3-15 in Thailand.
Some 120 shark dorsal fins seized from fishermen by the navy before
their incineration in Tegucigalpa.
See images of sharks in PhotoBlog.
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do justice
The slaughter of these animals over foolish soup is absolutely asinine! These wicked brain-dead individuals that consume
shark fin soup will surely extinct a beautiful species for foolish beliefs or reasons. Well, don't fret they'll be nothing for future
generations to enjoy (watch - observe!) not slaughter for STUPID EVIL SOUP!!!
2 of 4
6/27/12 2:28 PM
59
Shark fins burned as Honduran president watches - The Washin...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/shark-f...
Back to previous page
Shark fins burned as Honduran
president watches
By Juliet Eilperin, Published: May 31
Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa joined some of the country’s top
law enforcement officials Thursday to watch the burning of hundreds of
illegal shark fins, a move aimed at underscoring the country’s commitment
to protecting sharks.
The incendiary display, featuring fins from nurse sharks that were seized
by the Honduran navy in April, took place in the nation’s capital,
Tegucigalpa.
“Unfortunately there are few limits on the number of sharks that can be
killed beyond the borders of our sanctuary, but we are committed to
putting a stop to this activity in Honduras,” Lobo said in a statement.
“These animals play an important role in maintaining healthy coastal
areas, our fisheries are dependent upon them, and they provide revenue by
bringing tourists and divers to Honduras to see sharks. They are worth far
more alive than dead.
The confiscated fins would have been worth as much as $300 per pound
on the open market, where they are sold for shark’s fin soup. As many as a
third of all shark populations face some threat of extinction, according to
the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Last June, Lobo declared his country’s entire 92,665-mile exclusive
economic zone off limits to shark fishing, which includes both the Pacific
and Caribbean coasts. Only a handful of other countries, including Palau
and the Maldives, have established similar shark sanctuaries. In the U.S., several states have banned
the sale, trade and possession of shark fins.
“We salute the government of Honduras and its law enforcement officers for swiftly implementing its
shark sanctuary,” said Maximiliano Bello, who advises the Pew Environment Group on shark
conservation and attended the burning. “More comprehensive measures and enforcement actions such
as these are still needed to protect the ocean’s top predators from extinction.”
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Shark Stewards Launches FIN-Free Toolkit to Protect Apex Pre...
http://www.prweb.com/printer/9561297.htm
Shark Stewards Launches FIN-Free Toolkit to Protect Apex Predators
Legislative Initiative Promotes Statewide and International Bans on Shark Fin Trade.
Forest Knolls, CA (PRWEB) May 31, 2012
Shark Stewards, a 501c3 non-profit shark conservation organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area, announced
today the launch of a legislative toolkit to facilitate effective advocacy for shark conservation. The downloadable “FIN-Free”
Toolkit, designed to educate and empower citizens, restaurant owners, and legislators to unite against shark finning, is
available on SharkStewards.org.
Shark Stewards director David McGuire with his team of grassroots volunteers sparked the California Shark Fin Ban, which
passed with bi-partisan support in 2011. “After witnessing finned sharks and tuna ships loaded with shark fins in the central
Pacific, I became motivated to protect shark populations, and to stop shark finning and the shark fin trade,” said McGuire, a
marine biologist and award-winning shark conservationist. The success of the California ban has spurred support for similar
campaigns in Illinois, Texas and New Jersey, where Shark Stewards has launched chapters to spearhead the efforts.
“I am thrilled to represent Shark Stewards in Texas,” said Anna Clark, chair of the Shark Stewards Texas chapter and
president of EarthPeople, a Dallas-based sustainability consulting and communications firm. “Corporate sustainability is
primarily focused on energy efficiency and the development and commercialization of clean technologies, but all of our
progress in this area will be rendered useless if our we allow nature’s built-in mechanisms to deteriorate.” Clark adds,
“Sharks are at the top of the food chain in our oceans, so protecting them is crucial for maintaining a balanced ecology and
sustainable planet.”
According to scientists, at least 107 species of sharks worldwide have had population sizes so dramatically reduced they
warrant international concern. One third of open ocean sharks are now threatened with extinction from overfishing and
killing sharksfor the shark fin soup trade. “When shark populations are destroyed, the overall health of ocean ecosystems
decline,” explains McGuire. “Shark finning and overfishing are largely responsible for this phenomenon.”
The FIN-Free Toolkit is the latest outreach of the Shark Stewards organization, whose mission is to promote shark
conservation through education, motivation and action.
About Shark Stewards
Shark Stewards, a 501c3 non-profit based in the San Francisco Bay area, is a project of the Turtle Island Restoration
Network. Launched in 2006 by award-winning film conservationist and marine biologist David McGuire, Shark Stewards is
dedicated to conserving our oceans through the protection of sharks. Visit http://www.sharkstewards.org for information and
videos.
Contact Information
Anna Clark
EarthPeople, LLC
http://www.earthpeopleco.com
214-597-0367
Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in these press releases please contact the company listed in the press release.
Please do not contact PRWeb®. We will be unable to assist you with your inquiry.
PRWeb® disclaims any content contained in these releases. Our complete disclaimer appears here.
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May 2012 Coverage (reduced)

Transcription

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