This year delegates and scientists will convene to consider increasing international trade protection for hundreds of species of plants and animals under CITES, a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of international trade. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) entered into force in 1975, and became the only treaty to ensure that international trade in plants and animals does not threaten their survival in the wild. A State or country that has agreed to implement the Convention is called a Party to CITES. Currently there are 184 Parties, including 183 member countries and the European Union.
Read MoreCelebrating and Protecting Manta Rays
September 17 is World Manta Day, a day to celebrate the marvelous mobula rays and how to protect these increasingly endangered rays. Manta Facts Manta rays are relatives of all […]
Read MoreHistory of Human Occupation on the Farallon islands
Looking west on a clear San Francisco day a smudge of jagged peaks can be glimpsed on edge of the horizon. A rugged archipelago of wind and wave-worn rocks form the Farallon Island chain. Located 30 miles from shore, Farallones composed of SE Farallones (the tallest), Middle Rock, the Island of St James to the North, and Noon Day rock, the islands host a history of shipwreck, murder and the birth of millions of seabirds and seals. Known as the islands of the Dead by the native Miwok, who viewed them but did not leave any evidence of visitation, the islands have a rich and sometimes tragic history of human occupation.
Read MoreCelebrating the World’s Biggest Fish: Whale Shark Day
August 30 is International Whale Shark Day! This day was established to raise awareness around the importance of whale sharks to marine ecosystems and their dwindling population numbers, and to encourage conservation efforts to protect these gentle sharks.
Read MoreSperm Whale Death Draws Great White Sharks
Whale attracts a congregation of white sharks near coastal area frequented by surfers, divers. Ocean goers advised to be on alert. On July 29, an adult sperm whale was reported […]
Read MoreIt’s Shark Week. What’s on the Menu?
Sure, the photography is incredible and the content is exciting on Shark Week, but most of us who actually spend our time in the ocean already know that sharks are cool, and humans are the ones to be feared, not the sharks.
Read MoreSharks at Jacks
Join Shark Stewards Kona dive partner celebrate their 41st anniversary with great dive sales, mermaids, kid education and more. Talk on sharks with Shark Research Institute, Deron Verbeck I am Aquatic and David McGuire of Shark Stewards showing images and discussing sharks, and a book signing of Sharks for Kids.
Read MoreEveryday is Shark Awareness Day
Shark Awareness Day, a day created to dispel myths about sharks and to raise awareness about the importance of sharks to the ocean. It is a day to recognize the power and beauty of sharks and their importance to ocean ecosystems.
It is also a day to inspire action and save many species of sharks and rays from their imminent extinction.
COVID, Depression and Suicide-Dive to Stay Alive
To divers and swimmers, there are few things we are more conscious of than our breath. Following a year of isolation, sheltering in place, hunkered down, and hiding during the pandemic, I contracted COVID 19. My case was not severe, but I suffered more from fear of long-Covid, and the long-term effects on my lungs and breathing.
Read MoreProtecting Sharks and Plastic Free Parks
For over one thousand years the Hawaiian People, the Kanaka Maoli, were the original stewards of the Aina and Moana, the land and waters of Hawai’i and the connection between them. Removing plastic from this sacred place at Pu’ukohola Heiau will teach us to rebuild reverence among park and beach visitors and help lead the Plastic Free Parks movement.
Through beach cleanups and direct engagement with the community, we have an opportunity to teach youth and to connect to native cultures and help restore the health of the land and the ocean. Through honoring the legacy of indigenous stewardship and joining our efforts we will ensure that generations to come will inherit a just, healthier, and more sustainable future.
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