Shark Photos Needed for Campaign

I hope that this is the right place to put this, below is an email that I received from Sara about a new campaign that is starting up in Australia. I know many people here have beautiful shark photos, and so if you would like to help please contact Sara on

Sara.keltie@jcu.edu.au

Hi, thanks so much for making contact.

My good friends film Sharkwater is coming out on dvd in Australia next week, and with his plans to release it in China with one of Chinas biggest young box-office heart-throbs doing the dubbing and the rounds for release it really seems like its now or never to get the issues of shark conservation onto the main stage.

The big problem here in Australia is of course the issues of the illegal finning practise, a recent trip to our local chinese grocer showed shark fin unlabeled, sadly in Australia shark fin imported does not have to state where it was from, what shark it is or who caught it!

But another big focus is this farce of sustainable harvesting that the Fisheries want us to believe to allow the new shark fin focus fishery on the Great Barrier Reef. I am a huge fan of sustainable harvesting, but we are using this arguement that Australian has so many sharks it makes sense to have a fishery, yet we are not taking into account the fact they are transient animals, or the fact that we are creating a demand through supply, that we are promoting this product on the world stage and it is only a matter of time before our waters become the target of illelegal practise, not to mention that local fishermen do not realise they are being screwed over because the whole point is the give the new licences to big industry fishermen.... blah blah why am I saying all this? You know all this...

So.

We have a lot of different campaign approaches, from sticking it to the chinese business men to photos of people on the beach with prosthetic shark fins sliced out of their backs, blood flooding into the sand...

What I think is really vital is we promote our shark populations as a financial opportunity more so alive. I dont think it even occurs to most people that their is a large community of people out there who enjoy swimming with sharks.

So for this I think any photos involving people and sharks in the wild together is vital. It will particularly be useful for our campaign focused upon the Chinese business men who frequent the Crown Casino, with 'Real men dont eat shark fin.' One of the posters will be showing Rob free diving with them, which almost works on the whole 'Grow some balls and swim with them instead you pansies' mentality. But it would also be really nice to show others, women especially though it may be hard to see, in a tranquil shared experience.

So if you have any photos of people with sharks that would be amazing. But also any photos of sharks which you think would draw a persons eye, vibrant colours or a well timed action shot, anything that makes you remember the time you took the photo and what touched you about that moment.

Thank you so much even for taking the time,with so much negative propaganda in the Aussie media right now the time to retaliate is passing quickly. But with the right amount of effort I reallybelieve shark conservation willl be the next big movement!!

Sara

Full credit will be given to the photographer, sorry no money involved but a good cause.

Many thanks for reading

Karen

Sara/Karen,

We all applaud your efforts!

Can you give us a better idea exactly how you plan to use the photos?

Hi

Thanks for the reply and message, i have emailed Sara who is heading the campaign for some more specifics ie what type of print materials will it be, how will it be distributed etc.

She came to me on Facebook because she was struggling to get photos, and so I put it on here as I know there are many shark divers.

Once I have some more info I will pass it on.

Again thanks people for helping

Karen

More information regarding the use of the photos

Hey howdy hey, How are you?

There are a few things we need the photos for.

The first step will be for flyers, Robs doco came out here on dvd today so we are trying to build some awareness of the issue and the doco collectively, because sadly very few people outside of the marine biology and diving world seem to have heard of it. I spoke on the phone to Rob yesterday to get some words off of him I can put into print.

So the flyers will be made availabe around Melbourne dvd stores but also at vegan and veg cafes and the Universities, as these people tend to be some of the most vocal about the issues they petain to be important. Also distributing them to people who live within walking distance to a chinese restaurant.

We also have a small rally/beach party coming up where we will be shooting some posters using finned human models and the idea is to get some press releases out to draw some media, but we would love to have some fliers to distribute there. It would also be nice to have large posters for people to look at, both showing sharks in their positive light and the horror of the finning industry, who happen to be drawn over into the crowd.

We also plan to get some journalism students to prepare stories for their university papers and provide photos for them to accompany their story. Once I get active with Sea Shepherd this year my plate will fill, and it would be nice to see some local grassroots communities at the universities sprouting up.

Another aim is a website, or facebook group, dedicated especially

to Australians boycotting shark fin and restaurants which aim to serve it. That is the main goal of this campaign, not necessarily to get people rallying in the streets (though one can only hope it would build to that level of passion) but for now to think about where they are putting their money, and encourage them to contact restaurants which they no longer patron and tell them why. Melbourne Chinese restaurants will be informed that they will be listed on a website, giving a good review if they are willing to pull shark fin from the menu or already do not serve it, and if they do serve it their details will be made available for people to avoid their restaurants and voice their concern to the business.

Our ultimate goals is to build enough awareness that we can share this with the local restaurants - that enough people know that should they start acting upon their beliefs it will be to a businesses detriment. And I wont shy away from the fact that a major target is the multi- million dollar Crown Casino Empire, whom serve this ghastly product to their Chinese business men. Thats where the 'Real men swim with sharks' campaign with

Sara Margaret Keltie

Today at 1:50am

ooops... cont

*with Robs image will come into play.

Promoting shark fin for the pathetic over-compensation for a lack of ones masculinity that it is!

Is this at all helpful?

People can specify exactly what they do/do not want their images used in, ie posters on the street versus flyers and such.

Peace, Sara

Thanks everyone for your help and attention, again if you are interested please contact Sara on the email above, so we can get things going. Some of you know Rob Stewart, so you may also be able to contact him if you have any more questions.

Many thanks

Karen