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<P>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 14, 1999</P></B><B><FONT size=5>
<P align=center>Shark Conference 2000</P></B></FONT>
<P><B><FONT face="Times New" size=5>A</B></FONT><FONT face="Times New">s a
result of the a growing international concern for the management of shark
fisheries and efforts to eliminate the practice of shark finning, the world's
first international shark conservation conference will be held in Honolulu,
Hawaii February 21-24, 2000.</P></FONT>
<P><FONT face="Times New">Fishery managers, scientists, government
representatives and other interested parties from the United States, South
America, South Africa, Europe and Asia will attend the Conference in Honolulu to
discuss a variety of issues that could have a significant impact on shark
management internationally.</P>
<P>WildAid, the Hawaii Audubon Society and the Western Pacific Fisheries
Coalition will be presenting the Conference which has set an agenda that will
discuss a variety of issues that we hope will assist in furthering management of
these fisheries. According to FAO statistics over 100 million sharks were caught
last year. However, since bycatch is not recorded, this is likely to be a
significant underestimate. Sharks are increasingly used as a food source,
predominantly in developing countries, as other fish stocks collapse Shark
fisheries are generally poorly documented and poorly regulated, and in many
cases appear to be unsustainable even in the short term. </P>
<P>The goals of the conference would be: 1) to bring together key activists,
conservationists, scientists, fisheries management experts, marine enforcement
experts under one roof. 2) to give a state of the planet review of sharks and
current problems in their conservation. 3) to foster cooperation in progressing
shark issues and to develop strategies. 4) to give donors a chance to assess the
various areas of potential investment in shark conservation and research. 5) to
raise public awareness of the true nature of sharks and shark conservation
issues in Hawaii and globally and of the economic and ecological value of
sharks. </P>
<P>Speakers will present their papers and take questions (see agenda). With the
first CITES listings proposed for sharks and a number of countries considering
stricter management, 2000 may be a crucial year for shark conservation. </P>
<P>Some of the topics that will be covered will include:</P></FONT>
<P><FONT face="Times New">...........Why are sharks in trouble and why should we
protect them? </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New">...........An Overview of the Biological Status of
Shark Species</P>
<P>...........A review of international legislation and fora to protect sharks:
CITES, FAO, Barcelona & Bonn Conventions, UN Law of the Sea: How could they
help sharks ? </P></FONT>
<P>............Shark tourism: the benefits and problems</P>
<P>.............An overview of the world trade in sharks and shark products with
special reference to meat, fins, oil and cartilage.</P>
<P>.............The use of, and attitudes to, shark fin in east Asia how can we
reduce consumption? </P>
<P>..............Sharks in longline fisheries </P>
<P>..............Programs in the Pacific with comments on Pacific Ocean
distributions and the effects of live finning</P>
<P>..............The bycatch problem and how to reduce it</P>
<P></P><B>
<P>For more information, a complete agenda or to register go to <A
href="http://209.133.10.132/sharkcon/">http://209.133.10.132/sharkcon/</A></P>
<P>There is limited seating and reservations are on a first come, first serve
basis.</B> </P>
<P>This Conference is being sponsored by:</P>
<P><FONT face="Times New">The <B><I><STRONG>Barbara Delano Foundation
</B></I></STRONG>The <B><I><STRONG>Homeland Foundation </B></I></STRONG>The
<B><I><STRONG>David & Lucile Packard Foundation </B></I></STRONG>The
<B><I><STRONG>AVINA Foundation</P></B></I></FONT></STRONG><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>
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