Celebrating and Recognizing AAPI Contributions to Conservation- May Newsletter

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate our rich cultural heritage and contributions. However, it also provides an opportunity to address challenging topics within our communities including racism, and cultural insensitivity. Working in and among Asian and Pacific Islands, we value the cultural and ocean connections we share, with a united purpose to protect sharks and ocean habitat.

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Pacific Islander and Asian American Heritage Month – A Hawai’i Perspective

May is recognized as Pacific Islander and Asian American Heritage Month established to recognize the history, contributions, achievements and importance of Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans. With mixed Asian- Hawaiian blood, I represent two island peoples, both who have suffered from discrimination, but also two races who are close to ocean. In recent years I have learned about Hawaiian cultural values like pono (wisdom ) and malama, (care) for the ocean has been recognized by the state of Hawai’i.

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Celebrating AAPI Month by Demanding Change

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate our rich cultural heritage and contributions. However, it also provides an opportunity to address challenging topics within our communities. Rooted in culinary tradition, the shark fin trade is a particularly problematic practice that has had devastating impacts on shark populations and marine ecosystems. 

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Final Public Comment Ends to Support the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary

One third of all sharks including the Oceanic Whitetip and Scalloped Hammerhead are imminently threatened with extinction. Join us at a film screening, volunteer, and help us save sharks from overfishing, and protect their habitat. 
Learn more, and sign our petition to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission to reduce shark bycatch below.

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Support the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary Designation

Papahānaumokuākea is a sacred place with deep cosmological significance to Native Hawaiians who have a genealogical relationship to all living things in the Hawaiian archipelago.  The Monument is a  mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Site.  It preserves sacred places, stories, artifacts, and strong Polynesian cultural ties to the land and seas, dating back more than a thousand years.

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New Study Attempts to Reveal Deep Secrets of the Sleeper Shark

Little is known about this slow moving, smiley-faced cold water shark. Most observations have come from specimens as unwanted bycatch on commercial fishing vessels. New genetic evidence suggests that the Pacific sleeper shark is one single, largely distributed stock in the whole Pacific Ocean. Previously. it was believed to consist of a complex of several species.

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We Can Learn From the Kahu Manō  

We are proud to share our new documentary Kahu Manō a film on sharks, culture and traditional conservation.
Our next screening will be at the Dana Point Film Festival May 4 where we will be hosting a panel, and at the Inter-American Pacific Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) meeting May 20, where we will be advocating for gear changes to reduce bycatch of pelagic sharks and retention of endangered species.

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Singapore Trades in Endangered & Protected Shark’s Fins

A 2023 study of shark fins in Singapore using DNA bar-coding technology has revealed a large deficiency in accurate labeling of shark fins, and an alarming presence of protected and endangered species in the Singapore market. Accurate labelling and better accountability in the supply chain can protect endangered sharks and protect consumers from toxic metals.

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