Speaking at the signing of the anti-shark finning law.

Following the release of Jaws, that 1970s thriller about an evil man-eating Great White shark, the public image of this extraordinary animal took a turn for the worse. Fear and misunderstanding of sharks became a part of the psyche of generations of people from all over the world. In spite of growing conservation concerns, “Save the sharks!” would have rallied few supporters to the cause, a sad truth made all the more so by the fact that sharks are in peril - their very existence increasingly threatened by overfishing and shark finning.

Sharks are unlike other fish in that they are slow to mature and reproduce and then generally have a small number of offspring when they finally do. This makes them vulnerable to overexploitation and mismanagement by fisheries. In addition, many shark species are highly migratory, leading to difficult situations where the conservation efforts of one country are nullified by the unsustainable practices of another. As more demand is placed on the world’s fisheries resources, too many species are being pushed to the edge.

But there is reason to hope. On March 17th I traveled back to Panama to witness a very special event – the kind that gives me hope for the future. In response to a UN Food and Agriculture Organization request directed to 120 countries to develop shark management plans, Panama followed through with a strong initiative outlawing shark finning that was signed into law last week by President Martin Torrijos. Sitting next to him as he took pen to paper in an act that would save countless sharks was an overwhelming moment for me. Truth be told, the emotion I felt was so strong that I didn’t know if I would laugh or cry. Happily I did neither though I probably did have a silly grin on my face during the entire event.

Obviously, there is still a lot of work to be done. People must comply with this new law, which means that enforcement of coastal areas, surveillance of ports, and education of communities is now a priority. In Panama, civil society is strengthened by government collaboration and I feel sure that progress will be made towards the effective implementation of this legislation.

Panama is an example for other countries to follow in the effort to sustainably manage shark populations at a global level. Life on our planet depends on healthy oceans, and healthy oceans depend on diverse ecosystems. Laws like the one passed in Panama go a long way towards contributing to a process that works to protect ocean biodiversity and the survival of an extraordinary marine animal.

The first time I went to Panama, I visited a place called Puerto Mutis on the Pacific coast. In spite of being tiny, the port is one of the most important in the country where many local fishermen unload their daily catch. And, because there was no law regulating shark fisheries, shark fins were a common sight drying along the side of the highway by the hundreds or even thousands. Some of the fins from the baby sharks were so small, they looked like little potato chips curling in the sun. Nearby, local fishermen would count their dollars as they handed over more fins to be spread along the highway and sold to buyers for the Asian shark fin trade.

In addition to local fishermen, sharks in Panama are also hunted by industrial fleets with an exponentially greater impact on their numbers that the locals with their small boats and nets. No one knows how many sharks are taken in Panamanian waters each year, but anecdotal evidence from the local fishermen themselves points to dramatic disappearances of populations that have been there since anyone can remember.

Destined for shark fin soup, a cherished delicacy in some Asian countries, the shark fins I saw in Panama eventually ended up in someone’s plate, adding noodle-like consistency to the dish but little flavor. And those sharks weren’t alone. Sharks are fished all over the world, as many as 100 million a year, with tens of millions of that number sacrificed for their fins alone.

The practice of shark finning, barbaric by any definition, entails slicing off the fins of the shark and throwing the rest of the animal back overboard. All too often, this takes place when the animal is still alive and a slow and certainly painful death ensues. For those who are not moved by animal cruelty arguments, humanitarian ones apply in this case too. In a world where hunger and starvation are a terrible reality for an increasing number of people in developing countries, wasting valuable resources is unconscionable. And as if this weren’t enough, sharks are increasingly recognized for the crucial role they play in maintaining equilibrium of marine ecosystems. Removing these apex predators from the seas will have unforeseen repercussions that may include negative impacts on commercial fish stocks. Shark finning is a cruel and unnecessary practice and a waste of marine resources with dire consequences for the oceans.

To be continued…