Divers at DEMA 2019 Have Spoken - Jordan K. Synder

THEY WANT A WIN FOR FINS IN FLORIDA!

            Shark Allies made a huge splash at DEMA 2019, the world’s largest dive convention. At DEMA they were able to not only show a global audience the importance of passing the Shark Fin Ban legislation in the state of Florida, but they gained wide support of Floridian divers, charters, and various ocean businesses there to sign the petition to get this bill passed.  Shark Allies is a grassroots, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the conservation of sharks and rays. Their current campaign is to get the State of Florida to pass SB 680 and HB 401, which would ban the trade and sale of shark fins. It comes as no surprise that those present at DEMA vehemently want this piece of legislation to pass!

            Some may wonder, “why do we need this bill? I thought shark finning is already illegal in the United States.” And this is true to a certain extent; under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the act of cutting a shark’s fins off at sea and tossing the shark back into the water is considered illegal. But this does not stop commercial shark fishermen from bringing the whole shark back to port to cutoff and sell the fins, as well as the shark meat. This is a loophole in the law that has allowed Florida to maintain being an unknown aid in the shark fin industry to the general public. Also with the state’s proximity to Central and South America, as well as many other coastal states having shark fin bans, Florida has become the hub of the U.S. shark importation to later be sold internationally. The passage of this piece of legislation will not only mako a huge impact on the biggest industry that is decreasing shark populations, but also show that the State of Florida cares more for healthy reefs and sustainable businesses over short-term profits.

            Thanks to Shark Allies’ advocacy, they brought the importance of this bill to DEMA attendees’ attention. By the end of the convention, nearly every dive operator owner, dive shop manager, and ocean apparel company at DEMA came to the Shark Allies booth to sign a petition that will be sent to legislators to show their support for Florida to ban shark finning; over 50 Florida based businesses are taking action. NAUI Green Diver Initiative has pledged to help raise awareness of this issue amongst its members and help bring the dive community's voice into this discussion.

            Further attention to this cause was given through supporters of Shark Allies and various press outlets. Native Floridian and Shark Week cinematographer, Andy Casagrande, filmed a PSA to gain support for the ban of shark finning in Florida; which can be found on social media. As an ambassador for GoPro, Andy also gave a colorful speech on this bill and why people should support it by calling their representatives to support it at the GoPro booth. Throughout the convention, Deeperblue.com, SportDiver, and other media outlets sought out Shark Allies founder, Stefanie Brendl, for insight into the bill and thoughts on how it will progress through the legislature.             

            This is the second time that the ban on the trade of shark fins in Florida has come up, but the support and the growing necessity to conserve our oceans is making this bill seem more commonsensical than ever before. The real work in Tallahassee begins right on the heels of DEMA, meeting, calling, and writing to our legislators to ensure they support the cause. And with all the support coming from DEMA, Shark Allies has enough confidence to believe that it can be done!