Sharks in peril?

Late NEWS received from Sam’s Tour’s Blog, posted by Dermot Keane today the 18th of March 2009.

Repeal of Palau's Shark Protection Laws Proposed!

A Bill is now before Palau's OEK (Congress) that if passed would eliminate Palau's strong shark protection laws and actively encourage fishing for sharks and the taking of shark fins.

Senate Bill No. 8-44 seeks "to amend Title 27 of Palau's National Code to allow for the commercial fishing of sharks within Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone, to impose a tax on the export of sharks and tuna-like species, and for other related purposes."
The proposed law is a potentially severe blow to Palau's tourism industry of which scuba diving is the mainstay. Palau gained international recognition in 2004 for passage of landmark legislation that protected sharks, turtles and rays and outlawed the practice of shark-finning. Under Senate Bill 8-44 it is unclear whether shark fishing and or shark-finning is or is not permitted and the ambiguity will make it virtually impossible for law enforcement to successfully prosecute potential violators. Sections of the bill read as follows:
"It is unlawful for any person: to remove the fins of or otherwise intentionally mutilate or injure any such shark"...
Read More @ Sam’s Tours Blog

PRESS RELEASE FROM PALAU, MICRONESIA!

For Immediate Release from the
Balau Royal Yacht Club
EARTHRACE returns to Palau, Micronesia.

What is earthrace?
The goal of Earthrace is to set a new world record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe, running 100% renewable biodiesel fuel, and with a net zero carbon footprint. The amazing Earthrace boat will make the attempt starting from Sagunto in Spain. Earthrace is also undertaking a two year promotional tour, visiting 100 great cities around the globe. The crew meet local people, talk about their experiences, and most of all connect with people about the need to get renewable fuels into our energy mix and to inspire them to do something themselves to minimise their impact on the environment.

KOROR, PALAU, May 29, 2008:

Earthrace, the world’s fastest eco-boat returns to Palau on its second attempt to break the Round-The-World record set by the vessel Cable and Wireless back in 1998. The 24,000 nautical mile journey began in Spain and has included crossing the Atlantic Ocean, transiting the Panama Canal, and crossing the Eastern Pacific enroute to Hawaii. The current leg of the journey now underway took EARTHRACE from Hawaii to Majuro, Marshall Islands with Palau as the next refueling stop before heading for Singapore.

The complete round-the-world itinerary includes Sagunto (Spain) – Horta (Azores) – San Juan (Puerto Rico) – Colon (Panama Canal, Panama) – Manzanillo (Mexico) – San Diego (USA) – Maalaea Harbor, Maui (Hawaii) – Majuro (Marshall Islands) – Koror (Palau) – Singapore – Kochi/Cochin (India) – Salalah (Oman) – Port Said (Suez Canal, Egypt) – Sagunto (Spain).

EARTHRACE powered in to Hawaii well ahead of the record time however she suffered a fuel line failure shortly after departure that reduced her to one engine, slowing her progress from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands where repairs were made to get her back in the race. Even on one engine, EARTHRACE manages 16 knots so despite the delays, she remains very much in the race.

Skipper Peter Bethune said: “The progress we’ve made so far is nothing short of outstanding, but it’s nervous times. There are so many possible situations that can slow
you down when you take on a challenge as ambitious as this, but the team has so far managed to overcome every obstacle that’s been thrown at us. “We’ve conquered the Atlantic and most of the Pacific, at an average speed of 20 knots. The engine problem is a setback but we have overcome challenges all the way through the race so far.”

Earthrace is already beyond the half-way point on its historic round-the-world record attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a vessel powered by renewable bio-diesel, a fuel created from plants and waste materials. Given diminishing fossil fuel reserves worldwide as highlighted by rapidly escalating gasoline costs, EARTHRACES goal to focus attention on the need to develop renewable sources of energy makes more and more sense.

EARTHRACE is crewed by skipper Peter Bethune, New Zealand; Robert Drewett, Britian; Mark Russel, Britian; and Adam Carlson, Sweden. The Royal Belau Yacht Club bestowed Lifetime Honorary Membership on Skipper, Peter Bethune during his last visit to Palau, recognizing him for his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the art of circumnavigation.

EARTHRACE is scheduled to arrive in Koror, Palau late Saturday evening, May 31. The public is invited to join the Royal Belau Yacht Club in giving EARTHRACE and her crew a warm welcome to Palau at the Royal Belau Yacht Club, located at Sam’s Tours in Malakal, immediately following port clearance and refueling, Saturday evening.

On Sunday, EARTHRACE is open to the public for a unique opportunity to get a close up view of this radical wave-piercing high speed craft.

EARTHRACE is scheduled to depart late Sunday, June 1 or early Monday, June 2.

For more information, please contact the Royal Belau Yacht Club at 488-4382 or contact Sam’s Tours at 488-7267.

EARTHRACE on-line: www.earthrace.net

Tags: EARTHRACE, Environment, Conservation, Marine, History, biodiesel

We picked up this very interesting article today...

With sufficient public support and resulting political will,
we can turn the tide.
Nicholas Dulvy, SSG

Sharks swim closer to extinction
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website

Sharks Swimming into trouble...
an Environmental message from
palautours.com
Protect our OCEAN & Natural Resources



© Gunther Deichmann - Blue Corner Palau, Micronesia.
"How much longer can we and our Children enjoy these
amazing creatures?"

More than half of the world's ocean-going sharks are at risk of extinction, a new analysis concludes.
Specialists with IUCN (formerly the World Conservation Union) found that 11 species are on the high-risk list, with five more showing signs of decline.
Sharks are particularly affected by over-fishing as they reproduce slowly.
The scientists are calling for global catch limits, an end to the practice of removing fins, and measures to minimize incidental catches (by-catch).

"There's this idea that because these are widely ranging species, they're more resilient to fishing pressure," said Sonja Fordham, deputy chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG) and policy director for the Shark Alliance conservation group.
"In fact they're becoming species of serious concern because there are no international catch limits for sharks. There are intense fisheries on the oceans, and they remain pretty much unprotected."

New threats

The SSG assessed data on the 21 species of sharks and their close cousins, the rays, that swim in upper portions of the open ocean where they are exposed to fishing fleets.
Of the 21, one - the giant devilray - is assessed as Endangered, and 10 are Vulnerable.

A further five are listed as Near Threatened, which means the signs of decline are not serious enough yet to merit a full listing...
please read the whole article with photos @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7413948.stm

Tags: Science, Protect THE SHARKS, Extinction

We are happy to announce that the following updates have been completed on the PalauTours.com website:


© Gunther Deichmann - Blue Hole
Palau Micronesia
http://www.palautours.com/

More than 60 dive sites with descriptions (click on the image above) have been placed now, we are still working on some of the images in the right order but all the information is now there.

Completed the Wreck Diving pages

Updated also the Research & Conservation page have added detailed info (see below or click on the image)



Under Hotel accommodation PPR is now available.
Under Other Business establishments Palau Helicopters is now offering their service we also added the Palau Shop
A few pages still being worked on but will be available very shortly, in the meantime enjoy the site.
Your Palau Tours Team
http://www.palautours.com/

Tags: Hotels, Helicopters, Conservation, DIVING, Shopping, Wreck Diving,

A conservation issue...just arrived from Palau...see also the previous blog from Palau re.Ban on Live Reef Fish Ban... NEW Law signed in by the the President of the Republic of Palau.

I am very delighted to report that Palau’s Legislative and Executive Branches have come together to support individual states in bringing an end to the controversial practice of “Live Reef Fisheries” in Palau with the recent signing in to law of a bill outlawing the destructive practice. The people and leaders of Palau’s northerly states of Ngarchelong and Kayangel sought the assistance of the national government to help protect Palau’s environmentally important Northern Reefs.
The issue of Live Reef Fisheries first came to public attention through postings made on this blog dating back to 11/19/07 and continuing through 12/08/07. After the story on Live Reef Fisheries first broke on this blog a great deal of public debate and very close scrutiny took place on the environmental impact caused by this unsustainable and destructive fishing practice. States then appealed to the national government for assistance in ending the practice.
President Remengesau, Senator Alan Seid, Members of the OEK, and the leadership of Ngarchelong and Kayangel States are to be commended for their actions to protect Palau’s natural resources and marine environment from unsustainable exploitation.
For more on the issue of Live Reef Fisheries, please refer to these earlier posts on the subject on this blog

Tags: Conservation, Protect, reef fish, export ban, PALAU

More updates have just been implemented including the ff. Conservation Society, Hotels, Bar and Restaurants, Event calendar and you might like to have a sneak preview what is coming for the Palau Dive sites...we are almost there. A street directory with a supporting Map is also on he way.

One of the unique and special features in Palau are the amazing Jellyfish lakes...yes, there are more than one but due to the fragile environment only one has been made accessible for the public.

© Gunther Deichmann- Aerial view of Palau's Jellyfish Lake,
special thanks to Palau Helicopters and Matt the cool Pilot
click on the image or the link for more photos on Palau.
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html

Jellyfish Lake is one of about 70 marine lakes found within the Rock Islands of Palau. This is a marine basin surrounded by a limestone island but connected to the inner lagoon by small and large channels or tunnels that course their ways through the rock. Some basins are connected to the lagoon by relatively wide channels that boats can navigate and others are almost completely isolated, connected only through microscopic cracks and fissures through the limestone
There are actually several marine basins in Palau...read more @ http://www.palautours.com/tour-jellyfish.html

Tags: Conservation, Hotels, TOURS, Marine, Bio Diversity, Jellyfish