Just a few weeks after we celebrated a soaring victory for sharks on the U.S. West Coast, Colombian authorities have reported that as many as 2,000 hammerhead, Galápagos and silky sharks may have been slaughtered in Colombia's Pacific waters.
According to the Colombian president’s top environmental adviser, divers saw 10 Costa Rican trawlers illegally entering the Malpelo wildlife sanctuary. When the divers swam down to the ocean floor, they found a shocking amount of sharks without their fins.
The Malpelo sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site, provides an ideal habitat for threatened sharks. Unfortunately, the high concentration of sharks in the sanctuary draws illegal fishing boats from nearby nations.
It’s sad day for sharks, but we'll continue working to stop illegal fishing and shark finning. You can help by supporting our campaign to protect our ocean’s top predators from extinction.
Sometimes our supporters point out organizations that are doing inspiring work for the oceans around the world. Thanks to supporter Joanna Adler for alerting us to the great work of an organization in Costa Rica called CIRENAS.
The Center of Investigation for Natural and Social Resources, or CIRENAS, is an organization that co-manages the Caletas Ario Nature Reserve, which is located on one of the last undeveloped stretches of coastline on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula.
