Shark Awareness Week: 9 - 15th September
Shark Awareness Week 2013 - highlights!
Shark Awareness week was a great success with fantastic turnouts at all events. This confirms our changing attitudes and how much Kiwis now care about sharks and the important role they play within our oceans.
Check out this great video of highlights of Shark Awareness week!
Highlights from the event at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium!
Video's by Steve Hathaway
Shark Awareness week was a great success with fantastic turnouts at all events. This confirms our changing attitudes and how much Kiwis now care about sharks and the important role they play within our oceans.
Check out this great video of highlights of Shark Awareness week!
Highlights from the event at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium!
Video's by Steve Hathaway
Jamie McDell
Singer/Songwriter
"I've grown up on and around the ocean my entire life and have developed a real love for the creatures that live there. I've been diving since I was 14 but my real fascination with sharks started about 3 years ago when I started to wonder why I'd never had an issue with these beautiful animals we were taught to fear. My research lead me to the brutal practice of shark finning. People protect what they love, for me the ocean is something thats given me so much and now its time for me to do what I can to help protect it."
Singer/Songwriter
"I've grown up on and around the ocean my entire life and have developed a real love for the creatures that live there. I've been diving since I was 14 but my real fascination with sharks started about 3 years ago when I started to wonder why I'd never had an issue with these beautiful animals we were taught to fear. My research lead me to the brutal practice of shark finning. People protect what they love, for me the ocean is something thats given me so much and now its time for me to do what I can to help protect it."
Cameron Jones
Shortland Street
There is nothing that I find more disgusting than the unnecessary slaughter of animals. Shark finning is a totally unethical and unsustainable practice that needs to be stopped. It is no different to someone going around cutting off dogs paws for a 'dog paw' market. If such a thing existed I doubt any Government would let it happen, so it baffles me as to why our 'clean green' Aotearoa is one of the few remaining countries to let the practice of shark finning go ahead in our waters.
Sharks, despite pop culture and films, are not evil creatures who seek out humans to kill. For every human killed by a shark, 100 MILLION sharks are killed by humans. They have more to fear from us than we do of them. We do not require a shark fin market to support our daily lifestyles, or economic growth. Like the whale meat, and dolphin trade, it is an old, brutal industry that should have been left behind in history with slavery.“
Shortland Street
“I feel a strong connection to water and our oceans. Growing up on the East coast meant not a day went by when I wasn't swimming or surfing in the ocean, so I feel strongly connected to it and its inhabitants. Our oceans give us life, and we can not exist without some form of harmony with it and the creatures that dwell in the deep.
There is nothing that I find more disgusting than the unnecessary slaughter of animals. Shark finning is a totally unethical and unsustainable practice that needs to be stopped. It is no different to someone going around cutting off dogs paws for a 'dog paw' market. If such a thing existed I doubt any Government would let it happen, so it baffles me as to why our 'clean green' Aotearoa is one of the few remaining countries to let the practice of shark finning go ahead in our waters.
Sharks, despite pop culture and films, are not evil creatures who seek out humans to kill. For every human killed by a shark, 100 MILLION sharks are killed by humans. They have more to fear from us than we do of them. We do not require a shark fin market to support our daily lifestyles, or economic growth. Like the whale meat, and dolphin trade, it is an old, brutal industry that should have been left behind in history with slavery.“
Emmett Skilton
Almighty Johnsons
Emmett is passionate about sharks and believes they need adequate protection and that shark finning should be banned, especially in a country with an environmentally green reputation such as New Zealand. Having recently been on a shark diving trip to swim with Great White Sharks, he is excited about raising public awareness during NZ Shark Awareness Week and is proud to be named as a shark ambassador.
Almighty Johnsons
Emmett is passionate about sharks and believes they need adequate protection and that shark finning should be banned, especially in a country with an environmentally green reputation such as New Zealand. Having recently been on a shark diving trip to swim with Great White Sharks, he is excited about raising public awareness during NZ Shark Awareness Week and is proud to be named as a shark ambassador.
Riley Hathaway
(Youth ambassador)
Even though Riley's only 12, she's no stranger to the ocean. It's always been a huge part of her family's life...her dad's an underwater cameraman!
She loves snorkeling and checking out the marine world
"Since I was little I've loved watching sharks on TV, they're such beautiful animals. Even though I'm a little scared I want to swim with sharks in the ocean this summer with my dad and see them up close...but not too close. I think shark finning should be stopped - It's horrible!"
Photo credit: Roger Grace
(Youth ambassador)
Even though Riley's only 12, she's no stranger to the ocean. It's always been a huge part of her family's life...her dad's an underwater cameraman!
She loves snorkeling and checking out the marine world
"Since I was little I've loved watching sharks on TV, they're such beautiful animals. Even though I'm a little scared I want to swim with sharks in the ocean this summer with my dad and see them up close...but not too close. I think shark finning should be stopped - It's horrible!"
Photo credit: Roger Grace
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