This video from Oceana is the best one I have found so far online. If we can’t move some people with the possibility that losing sharks will hurt us all in the long run then maybe the brutality of shark finning will make a difference. Here is the video: Read the rest of this entry »

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The Discovery Channel promoted this year’s Shark Week by sending out media kits that plainly and disturbingly foster a fear of sharks. Here is a quote from a TV Guide article on the media kit and it’s “grisly” contents (see the picture after the quote):

“The Hollywood Reporter’s TV critic, James Hibberd, received what he described as ‘an unmarked box containing a frosted, seemingly rusted jar.’ What was inside the jar? A pair of bloody swimming trunks with one leg chewed off, a boat key attached to a flotation fob and a few other items.”

The creepiest bit? The fake, crumpled newspaper obituary that announced the writer’s untimely demise ‘Monday, July 6, of a grisly shark attack.’ “

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As a father I am very excited about exploring the world through my young son’s eyes. At just one-years-old my boy Zander is a curious little guy with non-stop energy and I think he will be very passionate about protecting the ocean once he learns more about it from his Daddy. Really, I am expecting there is nothing better than educating a child about the importance of nature. The best part is I have an idea on how we can all have fun educating our kids with a dose of baking 🙂

A while back Oceana launched an Adopt a Creature fundraiser where anyone can adopt one of the assorted creatures they have listed for a modest donation. There are a small variety of creatures available but in this case, of course, I will choose to adopt a shark.

The Shark Adoption comes in two formats, the basic donation at $35 and the Shark Gift Pack for $75. In each case you will get a cool shark-shaped cookie-cutter that you and your little ones can use to make some cookies. Better yet, both gifts include a certificate of your adoption of a shark; which I would have loved as a kid! Read the rest of this entry »

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The actress January Jones from the hit tv-series “Mad Men” has stepped up to appear in a number of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) titled “Scared for Sharks.” According to my source article the PSAs will start June 8th and continue through the summer in online, tv and radio features.

“I am so ecstatic to be a face for Oceana’s shark campaign and help make a difference for these magnificent creatures,” said Jones. “After interacting with sharks at such close proximity, I believe now, more than ever, that they carry a stigma with them that is so unnecessary.”

Second to the fact that this PSA should make significant strides bringing attention to the plight of sharks, I love that the PSAs are partly based on the fact that sharks are simply uninterested in humans – a real change in thought for most of us. Here is one of the PSAs with January Jones: Read the rest of this entry »

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