Latest NEWS: Shark Savers' "Thank you to Palau" book presented to Palauan President Toribiong
Shark Savers' "Thank you to Palau"
book presented to Palauan President
Toribiong

Photo: Copyright
PALAU HORIZON;
Courtesy www.sharksanctuary.com
You
may recall that Shark Savers fielded two petitions
regarding Palau. The first one opposed a bad shark
fishing law and the second one thanked Palau for
subsequently protecting sharks by creating the
National Shark Sanctuary. We created a book
consisting of your signatures and comments for
presentation to President Toribiong. Today, our book
was presented to the President on our behalf by our
friend, Dermot Keane of the
Palau Shark
Sanctuary.
Here is Dermot's report: Read the complete article
@
Shark Savers' "Thank you to Palau"
book presented to Palauan President
Toribiong
TV report on Palau Shark Sanctuary
TV report on
Palau Shark Sanctuary just in...

Dateline video journalist
David O’Shea
takes his first ever scuba dive and plunges into the
controversy over saving the ocean’s top predator.
read more
Click this LINK
or the Image above.
In support of the Palau Shark
Sanctuary
&
Sam's Tours
Conservation: Keeping Palau a Wonder & a Natures Paradise...Support the Nature Conservancy.

© Gunther
Deichmann - unique marine bio diversity,
image above: Soft Coral Arch
Palau
“We need a little more compassion, and if we cannot
have it, then no politician or even a magician can
save the planet.”
Dalai
Lama
Excerpts below from
Nature Conservancy website...

© Gunther Deichmann -
Palau is home to many Bird
species, like this Rookery near Kayangal
...Legendary
for its astonishing marine diversity and beauty, even
named one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the
World” by divers,
Palau holds far more than seems possible in the 170
square miles it covers.
Underwater,
Palau supports an amazing 373 coral species, and
nearly 1,300 varieties of reef
fish...
read more:
Click this LINK to Natures
Conservancy, with more environmental info on
Palau.
Support
The Nature Conservancy & Palau Conservation
Society
Keeping
Palau a “Wonder”
© Gunther Deichmann
- Palau is an important nesting ground for Turtles
© Gunther Deichmann
- dense unspoiled rainforest and unique vegetation
© Gunther Deichmann
- flesh eating plant from Palau
For more images on Palau please
visit my Photoshelter Gallery
Click the LINK and type your subject e.g. Palau,
Jelly Fish lake,
Rock Islands, Aerials etc. or what ever you’re
looking for in the Search Box.
Philippines and the Pacific Ocean... Megamouth Shark Caught In Philippines. Could they be in Palau too?
The Philippine and the Pacific waters still hold a surprise or two, as long we take care of our Marine life...
Read on below and go to Dive Photo Guide for the complete story and Photos.
Editor
Rare Megamouth Shark Caught In
Philippines
Author: Jason Heller / April 07, 2009 12:00AM CDT
Category: Marine Conservation
Megamouth, rare, Shark, Philippines, Donsol
So rare are these sharks that each of them is
designated with a number.
Fishermen based in Donsol were trawling for mackerel
along the eastern coast of Burias Isle on the morning
of 30 March when they caught a strange-looking shark
from a depth of approximately 200 meters. WWF’s
satellite tagging initiatives have already shown that
pelagic filter feeders such as whale sharks and manta
rays regularly prowl through the region. It was only
a matter of time before something else was
discovered.
Megamouth SharkThe shark was brought to Barangay
Dancalan in Donsol, Sorsogon for assessment. WWF
Donsol Project Manager Elson Aca immediately arrived
to assess the haul – and promptly identified it as a
megamouth shark... MORE
Late NEWS: Sharks in peril? Repeal of Palau's Shark Protection Laws Proposed!
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
Sharks Swimming into trouble...an environment message...protect our OCEAN & Natural Resources...
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
The PALAU CONSERVATION SOCIETY protecting Palau's natural resources...with Environmental projects and conservation efforts
© Gunther Deichmann - Turtle returning to the sea.
Named one of the world's last “Edens” by National Geographic, Palau is truly blessed with an abundance of natural wonders. From the sublime Rock Islands to Micronesia's largest undisturbed forest, adventure seekers from around the world come to Palau to engage in world-class diving and snorkeling. Palau's magnificent reefs and coral gardens provide the underwater enthusiast with an unparalleled diving experience, where encounters with sharks, mantas, sea turtles and a kaleidoscope of reef fishes are commonplace... read more on the Palau Conservation Society @ http://www.palautours.com/palau-conservation.html
© Gunther Deichmann - pristine mangrove coastline







