As the hands of the clock approach midnight for Sharks,
organizations working for their protection have joined forces
and declared 2009 The International Year of the Shark. The
motion aims to raise global awareness of their imminent
extinction and the oceanic crisis at hand. Recent findings of
the Global Shark Assessment indicate that at current rates of
decline, extinction of the most threatened species of Shark is
forecast in 10 to 15 years. In large regions, species that were
once numerous have virtually disappeared, in a massacre
comparable to that of the buffalo on the North American plains
200 years ago, but on a much larger scale. For example, studies
of oceanic Sharks estimate 80 to 90% of heavily fished species
are gone. Yet these intelligent animals are still fished
intensively, and finned, usually while still alive, for shark
fin soup. As part of the International Year of the Shark, Beqa
Adventure Divers and Shark Reef Marine Reserve have partnered
with local and international organizations to offe