The Dorsal Fin

Proposed Shark Fin Ban

A bill that would ban the possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins in the state of Illinois has been proposed by State Representative Sara Feigenholtz, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The proposed bill HB4119 is collaborative effort between Feigenholtz and the Illinois wing of The Humane Society of the United States.

If passed, the bill would go into effect in July 2013. For more information on the proposed bill, check out the Sun-Times article, or head over to the Illinois General Assembly website to read HB4119.

NewzStringer has posted the above video in which Surfwatch Australia’s Michael Brown, an aerial patrol officer, discusses his views on the effectiveness of Sydney’s shark nets and possible alternative options to the net system. Brown suggests that research is needed on sonar-based alert systems and electronic pulse systems.

In related news, the Newcastle Herald recently interviewed shark attack survivor, Lisa Mondy, who spoke out against the use of shark nets. Mondy, who was bitten by a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) last March, told the Herald that the nets were outdated and ineffective at preventing shark attacks. Mondy added that the nets indiscriminately kill various forms of marine life in addition to sharks.

You can check out the entire article at the Newcastle Herald.

WARNING: Video features language that some may find offensive.

YouTube user kairokk posted a video featuring footage shot off Hawaii’s Kaena Point on January 12, 2012. The video shows a large shark circling a fishing boat and features some colorful commentary by the videographer. The shark in question is identified in the video title and throughout the video by the men on the boat as a great white shark, but a quick glance at the YouTube comments shows that there are others who are identifying it as a mako.

From the 2:08 mark until about the 2:15 mark gives about the best close-up view of the shark. So, to all the shark experts out there, is this a mako or a white shark? (My non-expert self is voting mako.)

The video above is the second in a series of footage of the shark, if you didn’t get enough from the clip above, check out the other clip.

Australia’s The Telegraph is reporting that onlookers claim a juvenile great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) was “bludgeoned to death in front of crying children.” The incident reportedly took place at Sussex Inlet in New South Wales. The 2m shark had been hooked by a fisherman and then landed on the boat dock where eyewitnesses claim the shark was beaten to death with a metal pole.

The killing of a white shark in Australia is punishable by a fine of up to $11,000 and a two-year jail sentence, according to The Telegraph.

It was reported that some of the people on the scene claimed that the shark (seen in this photo) was a mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), which is not protected in Australia. A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries, who are investigating the incident, said that thinking the shark was a mako was “not an excuse.”

To read the full article head over The Telegraph.

The past few weeks have generated negative sentiment toward Rosie O’Donnell among some online conservation groups for photos that recently surfaced on Mark “The Shark” Quartiano’s website. A photo featuring O’Donnell and some of her family members posing with a hammerhead shark they caught, recently appeared after Quartiano named O’Donnell “This Month’s Celebrity Angler.”

The shark seen in the photo at the center of the controversy appears to be a great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran). The great hammerhead is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List. Despite the endangered status of the species, it was not until January 1 of this year that it became illegal to kill great hammerhead sharks in Florida state waters.

Until this week the criticism was limited to online social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. However, it seems that the major media has picked up the story this week. Several media outlets based in Miami are reporting on the story, as are a handful of international media outlets.

O’Donnell has responded via Twitter that the photo was “taken years ago” and occurred before the regulations were put into effect banning the killing of hammerhead sharks. Quartiano told Miami’s WSVN-TV that conservationists are targeting the wrong person, noting that as a result of commercial fishing operations “metric tons of sharks being killed daily right outside of our coast.”