Dismay over Sunday Mail's promotion of SA restaurant selling shark fin soup

On April 18th, Adelaide's Sunday Mail ran a 2-page spread about a local restaurant selling a seafood soup of which shark fin was a main ingredient. Residents of Adelaide responded beautifully, with the 1st response to the item on the AdelaideNow website being posted 1st thing Sunday morning. Many of SA's divers & scientists have now expressed their dismay. There had been some 150 responses within a few days, several of them coming from overseas. My own response read: - "Clearly the Sunday Mail has overstepped the mark by promoting shark fin soup in this era. I'm glad to see that Adelaide has responded en masse. But this is not the end of the matter. It will be brought to the attention of a wider audience which expected to express its dismay in a huge way." Dive Log magazine & SportDiving magazine have offered to make a stand against the Mail's thoughtlessness in promoting both the restaurant and the meal. The page 24 article can also be read at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/food-wine/soup-of-the-day-for-450/story-e6fref5u-1225854379693. Be sure to study the numerous responses to the article.

Great white shark sets world record for deepest dive

April Fool? A New Zealand great white shark has apparently set a world record for the deepest ever known dive of 1200 metres. It was reported in the media (papers & Internet) on 1st April. New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) says that the biggest great white shark that they had ever tagged (4.8m long) has also dived to the deepest depth that they have recorded. Details can be found at
http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/oceans/news/all/great-white-sharks-are-taking-tropical-winter-holidays-too. Film footage can be found at ftp://ftp.niwa.co.nz/niwamedia/white%20sharks/PAL_niwa_white_shark.mov

LEMON SHARKS ADDED TO FLORIDA'S PROHIBITED SPECIES LIST

Last year, a petition to protect Lemon Sharks in Florida was instigated by a coalition of scientists, divers and shark conservation groups. The petition received 5560 signatures and the campaign was a success. On 18th February the Commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously to add Lemon Sharks to Florida's Prohibited Species List. This means that the harvest of lemon sharks - commercial and recreational - is now prohibited in Florida State waters.