Worsening News for Palau

The legislative threat to Palau's waters is now compounded with yet another insane bill against its marine environment.

This is a very real threat to the sharks and to the entire ecosystem in one of the last relatively healthy dive locations remaining in the world's oceans.

The following worsening news comes from April 2nd's Palau Shark Sanctuary's blogspot:

The Pressure Mounts on Palau's Sharks and Other Marine Species!

On the heels of recently proposed legislation (SB8-44) that would undo Palau's ban on shark fishing comes yet another threat to Palau's marine resources and national treasury by way of proposed legislation (SB8-50) to exempt fishing companies from export taxes on fish caught by purse seining and to allow those fish to be off-loaded at a foreign port(s).

If these two proposed bills pass into law, the combined effect will be:

* To permit and encourage the killing of sharks in Palau's waters

* To promote shark finning

* To promote fishing methods that according to Monterey Bay Aquarium "result in large amounts of unintended catch" including sharks, dolphins, turtles, rays and juveniles

* To exempt fishing companies from any export taxes on fish taken from Palau's waters

* To make it practically impossible for Palau's law enforcement personnel to successfully prosecute alleged violators in the courts

* To risk destroying Palau's sustainable tourism industry

* To risk destroying Palau's marine resources through unsustainable practices

* To gamble on all of the above for no apparent gain to Palau or Palauans.

There is still time to comment, so if you've not already done so, please take the time now and submit your views on this travesty.

No, this isn't "1 click" activism, but it's worth a few minutes to address this critical issue. The 2 billion (US) dollar tuna industry in the Western Pacific has used its tremendous power to push this legislation and will rapidly vacuum out this rare aquatic oasis. Every voice is needed to let Palau's Senate realize they're under the global spotlight.

Please write your email to the following 3 addresses on what the rapid degradation of Palau's waters means to you. Describe how despoiling "One of the "Seven Wonders of the Underwater World" would affect your plans of ever again seeing Palau as a desirable destination. All of these comments will be presented to the Senate Committee in charge of reviewing these 2 Bills.

Palau Chamber of Commerce: pcoc@palaunet.com

Belau Tourism Association: bta@palaunet.com

Palau Visitors Authority: pva@visit-palau.com

ebonites

bunch of short sighted morons with eyes only for dollars in the govt after Remengsau's (sp?) term ended it seems.

no income from the tax (not that there was much before as it was something like .04%) but still...

A very few locals gain lots from the payoffs and the rest of the country and the rest of the world loses...

sad

This is extremely sad indeed! I was just out there, and the shark population was already disappointing compared to what I have heard over the years, I can not imagine losing more out there. We were told there were Taiwanese fishing vessels miles out that are often caught with shark fins. What evidence is it going to take for these legislators and fishermen to see the devastation this is causing to everyone in the world??

Palau's tourism will be gone with the sharks & pelagics.... Sad... Have always desired to visit Palau for its natural beauty, guess there are other places to spend money at...

Well being realistic, in these economic times, $$$ talk. Tourism isn't a constant growth industry and Palau isn't considered a budget place to dive. And I'm sure all the "swing vote" politicians have lost a lot in their portfolios so they have to do something to maintain lifestyles.

Specifically the legislation is proposed to change as follows:

The law previously read:

It is unlawful for any person:

4 …

5 (k) to use any foreign fishing vessel to fish, as that term is defined in 27 PNC

6 Chapter 12, for any shark, or any part of any such, or to remove the fins of or otherwise

7 intentionally mutilate or injure any such shark. If any shark is inadvertently caught or

8 captured, it shall be immediately released, whether dead or alive; if the shark is caught or

9 captured alive, it shall be released in the manner that affords it the greatest opportunity for

10 survival. It shall be unlawful for any person to have on board a fishing vessel shark fins

11 that total more than five percent of the weight of sharks on board.”

It now will read:

It is unlawful for any person:

4 …

6 to remove the fins of or otherwise

7 intentionally mutilate or injure any such shark.

10 It shall be unlawful for any person to have on board a fishing vessel shark fins

11 that total more than five percent of the weight of sharks on board.”

So essentially they are moving from a "no foreign vessels can target or catch sharks" policy to "fins must be a percentage of sharks weight" policy. This is exactly the legislation that is finally being removed in the US and Costa Rica in favor of stricter regulations. Basically, this will open the doors wide open again for foreign vessels to circumvent laws and target Palau's sharks again.

Very clearly this legislation must be opposed.

A goal set in the Terrestrial and Marine Strategic Plan by the Palau Conservation Society was "for every Palauan resident to understand the importance of conservation and the environmental impacts of different kinds of development by 2009." Were some of Palau's policy makers somehow exempt from acquiring the same knowledge mandated for all of their fellow citizens? Such an exemption must surely include Kuniwo Nakamura, the former Palau President from 1993-2001, and the current president of Kuniyoshi Fishing Co., a Filipino fishing firm. Nakamura recently claimed it would be wise for the Philippine fishing firms to engage in activities in Palau as it was a small country and "cannot fully exploit its marine resources." The only word needed to focus on is "exploit", which can also refer to Mr. Nakamura's pro-whaling mindset in his additional role as Palau's IWC Commissioner.

Senate Bill No. 8-44 (to allow commercial fishing for sharks) was passed on first reading on March 5th by Palau's Senate and is now in the Committee on Resources and Development.

The additional threat of proposed Bill No. 8-50 (to exempt fishing companies from export tax on fish caught using purse seining methods) was introduced on March 30th.

The President of Palau has the power to veto these bills. If he doesn't, they'll become law 60 days after passage.

I've now made another disturbing disovery regarding Bill No. 8-50...it's being sponsored by Senator Joel Toribiong, none other than the brother of Palau's President, Johnson Toribiong.

It's definitely not the time to go limp with this and accept some perception of inevitable defeat with "market forces" and underlying corruption. I'm revealing this political/industrial machine to encourage all efforts to stop such relentless assaults on our shared natural heritage.

Please ripple the word on this disaster in the making & continue in putting a harsh light on this racket. Voice your condemnation to those 3 email addresses provided at the bottom of post #1 (above) on this topic.

Have written to the 3 emails.

written to all three

Hey guys,

Was going to post on front page but didn't have time before I depart. Please take a moment and support this petition.

______________________________________________________________

Stop Palau from opening up shark fishing. Sign the petition.

Palau has had perhaps the strongest protection of sharks in the world. But now, a new government that is short on cash is considering legislation to overturn those laws and cash in on sharks. The new law will open up shark fishing to foreign fisheries in Palau's waters. It will also weaken the shark finning law. This will be disastrous for the sharks in Palau.

We have a small window to act. The Palau Senate goes back into session on April 14 and may consider this bill as early as this week. Please sign the petition at Shark Savers today and we will make sure the Palau government has heard us on this issue.

The petition, with access to more information, may be found here:

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/get-involved...rk-fishing.html

Also, check out the petition to the Maldives in support of their new ban on shark fishing while you're at Shark Savers