michali Posted October 23, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 23, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) M9 & 35mm Summicron. Last time I saw a shark I was diving with them in Mozambique. This really ruined my day! Nothing great from a photographic perspective, just a shot to show how despicable humans can be. Considering the fact that shark populations in the Mediterranean have declined by as much as 97% this shocked me. I spoke to the store manager about it I may as well have been speaking Swahili to him. For those who may be interested: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/science/earth/12sharks.html [ATTACH]169269[/ATTACH] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 23, 2009 Posted October 23, 2009 Hi michali, Take a look here This ruined my day!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
allamande Posted October 23, 2009 Share #2 Posted October 23, 2009 Mike, So long as people continue to buy this stuff without question, it's a losing battle. Raising the consciousness of the consumer as to the reality of the situation is the only way to stop this slaughter. Ece Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted October 23, 2009 Share #3 Posted October 23, 2009 Mike - It is disgusting. Too bad so few people seem to realize the importance of predators (and top predators) in the balance of nature. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker Posted October 23, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 23, 2009 Last time I saw a shark I was diving with them in Mozambique. [ATTACH]169269[/ATTACH] And how did you get to Mozambique? Walk and swim? There is more than one way to do damage to the environment. Middle and upper class hypocrisy methinks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share #5 Posted October 23, 2009 And how did you get to Mozambique? Walk and swim? There is more than one way to do damage to the environment. Middle and upper class hypocrisy methinks. You have no idea. Your comment doesn't warrant the courtesy of a reply. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker Posted October 23, 2009 Share #6 Posted October 23, 2009 You have no idea. Your comment doesn't warrant the courtesy of a reply. Enlighten me if you can. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted October 24, 2009 Author Share #7 Posted October 24, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Stuart & Ece- Thanks for commenting. You're absolutely right, it's all about creating awareness at all levels in the "supply chain". This is precisely what we are trying to achieve on the ground with our rural community based, education and uplifment projects in Southern Africa. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauledell Posted October 25, 2009 Share #8 Posted October 25, 2009 Mike, Your photograph is certainly a strong statement. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted October 25, 2009 Author Share #9 Posted October 25, 2009 Thank you Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted October 26, 2009 Share #10 Posted October 26, 2009 I commend you for confronting the store manager. In spite of some people's ignorance, it is well documented that shark populations are rapidly diminishing worldwide. By far the major contributor to this is the insatiable appetite some Japanese seem to have for shark fin soup. The demand for shark fins drives prices to astronomical levels, so fisherman are more than happy to catch sharks as fast as they can haul them into their boats, whereupon they cut off the fins and throw the helpless creatures back into the ocean to die of starvation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted October 26, 2009 Share #11 Posted October 26, 2009 And how did you get to Mozambique? Walk and swim? There is more than one way to do damage to the environment. Middle and upper class hypocrisy methinks. I guess your point is that since we damage the environment to some degree just by living our normal lives, we should just ignore excesses like this and go about our business? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted October 26, 2009 Share #12 Posted October 26, 2009 I am not interested in reading a fight between people. I do however share the belief that our seas are being commerically fished to extinction. How big should the following fish grow to before they are ready to reproduce and what size are they when they are caught? Cod Tuna (all species) Sturgeon (caviar) What do bottom trawling and small holed nets do to non-targeted fish/sea life populations? In this area, I think fish farming would be a better choice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share #13 Posted October 26, 2009 Brent - Thank you for your comments and feedback. The whole planet is being raped. There is presently huge pressure (via massive cash handouts) being put on African governments by several oil rich Middle East and Far East countries. In their search for more fishing grounds to pillage, and arable land on which to grow crops to feed their populations, they are trying to "coerce" some African governments to open up their natural areas and ever-shrinking reserves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share #14 Posted October 26, 2009 What do bottom trawling and small holed nets do to non-targeted fish/sea life populations? In this area, I think fish farming would be a better choice. Ravi- Thank you for your input. I fully agree with you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdb Posted October 27, 2009 Share #15 Posted October 27, 2009 Very strong content Mike. Makes me sick on so many levels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfredo Posted October 31, 2009 Share #16 Posted October 31, 2009 And how did you get to Mozambique? Walk and swim? There is more than one way to do damage to the environment. Middle and upper class hypocrisy methinks. Keith, Yes, it is true that there is more than one way to damage the environment and we are all culprits, every single one of us, but raising the awareness level of the declining Shark populations I don't think is hypocrisy. Some tribal cultures revere the sharks and grieve their loss. Some reckless fishermen catch them only for their fins and throw the rest of the animal back in the water. This reckless behavior merits our attention and response. Why don't you cut Mike some slack? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geaibleu Posted October 31, 2009 Share #17 Posted October 31, 2009 So did your comments ruin my perusing this forum which I thought so far to be politically neutral! The problem with promoting a cause, however worthy of attention per se, amounts to prioritizing any given point of view to the detriment of others that ought to be far more of concern to a general audience, and amounts to using this towards an end that does not seem to be the original one. I submit that showing pictures of Iraqis massacred by the 10s of 1000s, or even by the 100s of 1000s thanks to the US-UK invasion would certainly "ruin my day" with a far greater impact than your picture of a fish shop counter, which, by the way, needs an explanation to become worthy of attention. Without text, that picture means nothing except perhaps to the happy fews concerned with sharks. I therefore suggest to create within the forum a special category of images without added comments or captions that would allow showing anything that the author finds shocking or repugnant, or pertinent to affect others sensibilities. In this way a clear message would be shown by a photograph, without undue influence on the readership. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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