EUROPEAN SHARK WEEK 2009 SHARK ALLIANCE, PROJECT AWARE AND PADI join forces

PADI would like to draw your attention to this year's European Shark Week, 10 – 18 October. Most European shark populations are declining from overfishing. This event is a unique opportunity for shark advocates and European citizens around the world to demonstrate their support for shark conservation and effect urgently needed changes.

PADI and the Project AWARE Foundation have been members of the Shark Alliance for many years contributing to the coalition’s great successes for shark conservation. Project AWARE is a member of the coalition’s Steering Committee since 2009.

The Shark Alliance currently counts 72 members and is more than ever before committed to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving shark conservation policies.

At the beginning of 2009, the European fisheries ministers debated over the European Commission's Plan of Action for sharks and adopted it thanks in large part to support from Shark Alliance Members including PADI divers and Project AWARE supporters who took action during last year's European Shark Week.

European Shark Week 2008 saw the collection of more than 100,000 signatures. This was a huge success for the Shark Alliance and more importantly for shark conservation not only in Europe but worldwide.

Let's make European Shark Week 2009 even bigger to ensure European Fisheries Ministers follow through on the Shark Plan's initiatives and truly safeguard sharks. This year's European Shark Week petition is calling on Spain's Prime Minister Zapatero (Spain takes over the EU presidency from January 2010) to promote sustainable shark fisheries management including urgently needed revisions to the EU finning ban.

Shark Facts:

• Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year
• Most European shark populations are declining from overfishing
• 1/3 are threatened with extinction
• Even the world's fastest shark, the shortfin Mako, can't out-swim fishing fleets on the high seas
• The lucrative market for shark fins is estimated to be increasing by 5 per cent each year
• Restrictions on international trade are in place for only three shark species - basking, whale and white sharks
• Europe includes some of the most important shark fishing nations in the world
• In 1997, Spain reported the world's largest catch of sharks (followed by France, the UK and Portugal)
• There are no limits on the amount of blue sharks taken in European or international fisheries