ALICE TOWN, BIMINI – Designed by Kent Ullberg, one of the world’s foremost wildlife sculptors, the Hemingway-Lerner Trophy will not only go to the overall winning team at the upcoming Billfish …
GHOF and The Humane Society of the U.S. Team Up with Shark-Free Marina Initiative
21 Oct 20107:36 PM
I am pleased to announce that the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is participating in a new campaign with The Humane Society of the United States and the Shark-Free Marina Initiative that will raise the bar in protecting shark populations in the U.S. and the Bahamas, while also generating awareness of shark conservation on a global scale.
The goal of this campaign is to significantly increase the number of resorts and marinas that are designated “shark-free”, which means they actively prohibit any sharks from being landed at their docks. In support of this program, the Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina, has been officially declared a “Shark-Free Marina”.
To learn more about this program, read the SFMI press release and then visit the SFMI web site to learn how you can help sign up new “shark-free” resorts and marinas.
Cheers!
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![](mailto:?subject=GHOF and The Humane Society of the U.S. Team Up with Shark-Free Marina Initiative&body=I am pleased to announce that the <a title="GHOF web site" href="http://www.guyharveyoceanfoundation.org" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation</a> is participating in a new campaign with <a title="HSUS web site" href="http://www.humanesociety.org" target="_blank">The Humane Society of the United States</a> and the <a title="SFMI web site" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/" target="_blank">Shark-Free Marina Initiative</a> that will raise the bar in protecting shark populations in the U.S. and the Bahamas, while also generating awareness of shark conservation on a global scale.
<a href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-181" title="SFMI Logo" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sfmilogo.jpg?w=280" alt="" width="196" height="210" /></a>
The <a title="Mission of the SFMI " href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/about/about-us" target="_blank">goal of this campaign</a> is to significantly increase the number of resorts and marinas that are designated "shark-free", which means they actively prohibit any sharks from being landed at their docks. In support of this program, the <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina</a>, has been officially declared a "Shark-Free Marina".
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/biminibiggameclub"><img class="size-medium wp-image-183" title="The Cleaning Station at the Bimini Big Game Club's "Shark-Free Marina"" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/cleaning-station-shark-free.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>The Bimini Big Game Club's cleaning station proudly displays the "Shark-Free Marina" sign
To learn more about this program, read the <a title="SFMI press release" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/news/sfmi-news/602-october-campaign" target="_blank">SFMI press release</a> and then visit the <a title="SFMI web site" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/" target="_blank">SFMI web site</a> to learn how you can help sign up new "shark-free" resorts and marinas.
Cheers!
<a title="SFMI Press Release" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/news/sfmi-news/602-october-campaign" target="_blank">SFMI Press Release</a>
<a title="SFMI Advisors" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/about/board" target="_blank">List of SFMI Advisors</a>
<a title="Celebrity Endorsements" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/about/board/celebrity-endorsements" target="_blank">List of Celebrity Endorsements</a>
<a title="SFMI web site" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/" target="_blank">SFMI web site</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/ghof-and-the-humane-society-of-the-u-s-team-up-with-shark-free-marina-initiative/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bimini Mysteries & Legends: Flight 19: The "Lost Patrol"&body=Today is the 65th anniversary of the disappearance of <a title="Wikipedia entry for Flight 19" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19" target="_blank">Flight 19, the US Navy's infamous "Lost Patrol"</a>. On Dec. 5, 1945, five <a title="Wikipedia entry for Avenger torpedo bombers" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TBF_Avenger" target="_blank">TBM Avengers</a> were on a routine training mission from their <a title="Wikipedia entry for NAS Ft. Lauderdale" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Fort_Lauderdale" target="_blank">base in Ft. Lauderdale</a> when they disappeared after a practice bombing run. No trace of the crews or their planes were ever found.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/f191.png"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-315" title="Artists Rendering of Flight 19, the "Lost Patrol"" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/f191.png?w=250" alt="" width="250" height="300" /></a>
The case of of the "Lost Patrol" is one of the 20th Century's great mysteries, and is another chapter in the very colorful history of <a title="Islands of the Bahamas web site" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Fort_Lauderdale" target="_blank">Bimini</a>, the tiny islands in the <a title="Wikipedia entry for the Gulf Stream" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream" target="_blank">Stream</a> that seems to have more than their fair share of mysteries and legends. You see, shortly before disappearing forever, Flight 19 had just completed a bombing run on the <a title="Wikipedia entry for S.S. Sapona" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Sapona" target="_blank">S.S. Sapona</a>, a shipwreck just off the coast of Bimini and only a short trip north from the <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Big Game Club</a>.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/sapona.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-316" title="The Wreck of the S.S. Sapona" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/sapona.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>
So what happened to the "Lost Patrol"? No one really knows, but some believe Flight 19 was a victim of the <a title="Wikipedia entry for Bermuda Triangle" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_Triangle" target="_blank">Bermuda Triangle</a>, the area where ships and planes have disappeared for centuries without explanation. Many theories have been given for the strange occurrences in the Triangle, from aliens to the paranormal to some type of interaction with the <a title="Wikipedia entry for Atlantis" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis" target="_blank">Lost City of Atlantis</a>. For those that believe in the Triangle, Atlantis is the most plausible explanation for the disappearance of Flight 19. Why? Because Bimini also happens to be the home of the reputed <a title="Wikipedia entry for the Road to Atlantis" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimini_Road" target="_blank">Road to Atlantis</a>. Coincidence??
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/bimini_road.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-318" title="The Road to Atlantis" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/bimini_road.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>
NOTE: The S.S. Sapona and the Road to Atlantis (AKA the Bimini Road) are two of Bimini's most popular dive sites. For more information on scuba diving these famous sites, as well as Bimini's other underwater adventures, contact <a title="Dive Bimini's web page" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com/dive-bimini.htm" target="_blank">Dive Bimini, a Guy Harvey Outpost Dive Center</a> located at the Bimini Big Game Club. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/after-65-years-flight-19-remains-the-lost-patrol/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Walking in Darwin’s Footsteps on Guy Harvey Outpost Galapagos Expedition&body=When you embark on Guy Harvey Outpost's Galapagos Islands photo expedition May 4-12, you will be the envy of scientists from all over the world. Visiting five different islands in this remote eastern Pacific chain about 600 miles off Ecuador, you will observe and capture images of species found nowhere else on earth such as the Galapagos sea lion; Galapagos tortoise; and the marine iguana.
The unique animals that inspired naturalist Charles Darwin to lay out his world-changing theory of evolution in "On the Origin of Species" in 1859 are still revealing themselves to science in 2017 and you could be there as these revelations unfold.
In 2015, scientists discovered a new species of giant tortoise on Santa Cruz Island. For more than 150 years, the long-lived land animals on the eastern and western portions of the island were believed to be the same species, but genetic studies found the two populations were distinct. The eastern population became the 15th known tortoise species in the Galapagos, four of which are extinct.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DSC_1201.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4618" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DSC_1201.jpg" alt="DSC_1201" width="5008" height="3032" /></a>
One prominent geneticist who is itching to conduct DNA research in the islands is Dr. Mahmood Shivji, head of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University near Fort Lauderdale. Shivji visited there several months ago on a trip with Guy Harvey Outpost President Mark Ellert and the company's Ecuadorean development partners. The scientist discussed possible avenues of research with officials of the Galapagos National Park.
"We hope to study movement patterns and migrations of a variety of animals-- sea lions, land tortoises, boobies, frigate birds, white marlin--in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park Service and scientists from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in the Galapagos," Shivji said.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DSC_8051.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4620" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DSC_8051.jpg" alt="DSC_8051" width="5008" height="3336" /></a>
There are lots of procedures to undergo for anyone wishing to conduct scientific research in the Galapagos; proposals must undergo several levels of government review before any permits are issued. And park officials expect scientists publishing their findings to share them with the park.
Shivji, who has made some breakthrough genetic discoveries surrounding sharks and billfish, can hardly wait.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DSC_7083.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4619" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DSC_7083.jpg" alt="DSC_7083" width="2100" height="1095" /></a>
"DNA contains an amazing amount of information on the current and past status of species and populations. There's still lots of discoveries to be made," Shivji said. "In addition to generating basic knowledge of how animals evolve, that information also is essential in helping the Galapagos National Park inform their policies for conserving these amazing iconic species in this unique place."
So it's possible that as you hike and snorkel around these islands taking photographs with your guide, Sports Illustrated veteran Ron Modra, you could be capturing images of a bird, reptile or mammal destined to up-end modern science.
To book your Galapagos expedition, go to <a href="http://www.GHOGalapagos.com">www.GHOGalapagos.com</a> or call our reservations desk at 800-513-5257.
PHOTO CREDITS: Ron Modra https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/walking-in-darwins-footsteps-on-guy-harvey-outpost-galapagos-expedition/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=New “Freedom Rising” Shirt from Guy Harvey&body=<a href="http://www.guyharveyart.com/Military_Items.html"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1324" title=""Freedom Rising Independence Day 2012" shirt by Guy Harvey" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/1213_13_independenceday_shirteblast.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="875" /></a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/new-freedom-rising-shirt-from-guy-harvey/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=China Bans Shark Fin Soup from Official Banquets&body=<a href="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/soup2.jpg"><img title="Shark Fin Soup" src="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/soup2.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="353" /></a>
Big news from Ground Zero in the battle over shark fin soup and the international shark fin trade! Chinese media is reporting that the Chinese government has banned shark fin soup from being served at all official government banquets. The ban will not be immediate, but the move is a huge victory nonetheless for the anti-shark finning movement. Here's the full story from <a title="CNN web site" href="http://www.cnn.com" target="_blank">CNN.com</a>:
Hong Kong (CNN) -- China is planning to ban shark fin soup from being served at official banquets, in a sign the country may be losing its taste for the expensive delicacy.
According to<a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/718614.shtml" target="_blank"> Chinese media</a>, the Government Office Administration of the State Council said the ban could take up to three years to implement and would help cut the cost of sometimes lavish banquets held for state functions.
The move followed a proposal made during the National People's Congress in March this year.
Bertha Lo of the campaign group<a href="http://hksharkfoundation.org/" target="_blank"> Hong Kong Shark Foundation </a>said the move could potentially reduce the amount of sharks killed given that China is the biggest consumer of shark fin products.
"I think it will have an impact," she said. "The government in China is powerful and if it takes the lead on this issue, I don't see why others shouldn't follow suit."
Between 26 million and 73 million sharks are estimated to be killed each year, according to a 2006 academic study* quoted on the website of Lo's group. Their carcasses are usually discarded and campaigners say the practice is wasteful and cruel.
The <a href="http://www.wwf.org.hk/en/whatwedo/footprint/seafood/sharkfin_initiative/shark_faq/" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund</a> says that 181 species of shark are under threat, up from 15 in 1996.
Shark's fin soup is widely served in restaurants in Chinese communities worldwide and is a dish often served at weddings to mark the importance of the occasion and impress the couple's extended families and friends.
But the custom has become less popular among a younger generation of diners, who are more environmentally conscious, says Lo.
Last year, the operator of the high-end Peninsula hotel chain said it would remove shark fin products from its menus and Shangri-la Hotels made a similar move this year.
In Beijing, the five-star Swissotel has also stopped serving shark fin, according to the China Daily.
Outside Asia, legislation banning shark fin has been introduced in five U.S. states including California, which this month also banned the French duck liver delicacy foie gras on the grounds of cruelty.
In China, the campaign against shark fin products has gained steam following pledges by celebrities, such as former NBA star Yao Ming, not to eat the delicacy.
* The academic study cited in this article was conducted by the <a title="GHRI web site" href="http://www.nova.edu/ocean/ghri/" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Research Institute</a> and Dr. Shelley Clarke. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/china-bans-shark-fin-soup-from-official-banquets/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Supporting New Shark-Free Marinas Initiative Florida Campaign&body=<a href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/florida/submission/submission/"><img class="aligncenter" title="SFMI 2011 Florida Campaign" src="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/florida-campaign.png" alt="" width="285" height="100" /></a>
Converting Florida Marinas Critical to Health of Shark Populations
The <a title="SFMI web site" href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/" target="_blank">Shark-Free Marinas Initiative</a> (SFMI) is reaching out to marinas in Florida to ask for their support in conserving the world’s shark populations. Organized as a cooperative by the <a title="Pegasus Foundation web site" href="http://www.pegasusfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Pegasus Foundation</a>, the <a title="GHOF web site" href="http://www.guyharveyoceanfoundation.org" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation</a> and <a title="US Humane Society web site" href="http://www.humanesociety.org/" target="_blank">The Humane Society of the United States</a>, the SFMI aims to reduce shark mortality worldwide by discouraging the landing of sharks and encouraging catch-and-release of sharks in sport fishing, while rewarding forward-thinking marinas that participate in this program. Supporting organizations include <a title="MML web site" href="http://www.mote.org/" target="_blank">Mote Marine Laboratory</a>, the <a title="PEG web site" href="http://www.pewenvironment.org/" target="_blank">Pew Environment Group</a>, <a title="Fishpond USA web site" href="http://www.fishpondusa.com/" target="_blank">Fishpond USA</a> and the <a title="Fisheries Conservation Foundation" href="http://www.fisheriesconservationfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Fisheries Conservation Foundation</a>.
“Shark populations worldwide have suffered severe declines due to over-fishing,” says world renowned artist, angler and conservationist, Dr. Guy Harvey, “Marinas in Florida can now do their part to help conserve these ecologically vital animals by joining the SFMI.”
Sharks are currently being killed at an unsustainable rate. A scientific study published by Imperial College, London estimated that the fins of from 26 million up to 73 million sharks per year were being traded through the world’s fin markets as of the year 2000, mostly for shark fin soup. In addition, the U.S. government estimates that recreational fishing killed an average of more than 200,000 sharks along the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coast each year between 2004 and 2008.
“Many sharks species have declined because of overfishing, which recreational fishing has contributed to in the U.S.,” notes Dr. Robert Hueter, senior scientist and director, Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research. “Sustaining these species is in the interest of recreational anglers as well as marine conservationists.”
Marinas in Florida can help reduce the number of sharks being killed by joining the SFMI and preventing dead sharks from being brought back to their docks. "There is no state more important to the success of this initiative in the United States than Florida, the sport-fishing capital of the world," says Luke Tipple, managing director of the SFMI. ""Because of the number of shark species off Florida, and the sheer number of nursery grounds and migratory routes located there, protecting Florida's sharks is critical to maintaining the health of Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters."
<a href="http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/"><img title="SFMI Logo" src="http://guyharvey.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/sfmilogo.jpg" alt="" width="324" height="347" /></a>
SFMI supporter John Land Le Coq, co-founder of Fishpond USA, agrees. “Sharks are the guardians of the ocean and play an essential part in the health of the ocean. Most anglers I know are very concerned about the status of sharks. I hope every marina in Florida joins this important program. ”
According to Dr. John Grandy, senior vice president, The Humane Society of the United States, “Thousands of dollars in prizes are offered in shark tournaments that the government itself acknowledges are poorly monitored. Kill tournaments and misinformed media support the antiquated concept that the only good shark is a dead shark. This has to change.”
There are two different levels of commitment for an interested marina. It can either become a “Shark-Free Marina” that completely prohibits the landing of all sharks on its docks or a “Shark-Friendly Marina” — a facility that discourages the killing and landing of sharks and does not promote any activity that could harm sharks.
“The SFMI works in tandem with businesses and fishermen to increase the awareness of the need to protect our sharks and oceans,” says Barbara Birdsey, founder of the Pegasus Foundation. “This is a voluntary program that will prevent the needless killing of these ecologically and economically vital animals.” Each marina will also receive recognition around the world as a partner in this growing initiative.
Dr. Harvey summarizes: “I encourage recreational fishermen everywhere to join with me and SFMI to help protect sharks and our oceans. Our world needs sharks.”
Facts
The U.S. government estimates that, on average, more than 200,000 sharks were killed annually off the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coast by sport fishermen for each year between 2004 and 2008.
In 2009, close to 2,000 shortfin mako sharks were killed in recreational and commercial fisheries in the U.S., leading the National Marine Fisheries Service to declare that shortfin mako sharks are “overfished.” Despite asking fishermen to voluntarily release these sharks unharmed, tournaments targeting makos have continued.
Today the dusky shark population in the northwestern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico is estimated to have lost 80-85 percent of its population since the mid-1970s, according to research cited by a 2011 NMFS report. The NMFS prohibited recreational fishermen from possessing duskies starting in in 2000, but they can be difficult to identify and some sport fishermen still catch and release them.
Forward thinking anglers have already created new fishing tournaments that help conserve sharks and support marine research. For example, in 2011, the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge, an annual Catch and Release Tournament in SW Florida awarded $10,000 in prizes for research related tagging, while the Ocean City (Md.) Shark Tournament awarded $30,000 in prizes in its Catch and Release Division.
The Shark-Free Marina Initiative is a program of The Humane Society of the United States. It is strongly supported by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Fishpond USA, Mote Marine Laboratory, Oceanic Defense, The Fisheries Conservation Foundation, the Cape Eleuthera Institute and the Pegasus Foundation.
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-ocean-foundation-supporting-new-shark-free-marinas-initiative-florida-campaign/){kind=link}
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