| Petition to South Africa: Signers and Comments |
|
2081 Not publicly disclosed, Nesoddtangen, Akershus, Norway Please help to protect these great and beautiful animals! This will help to protect our Oceans! STOP KILLING SHARKS!!!!!2072 Cornelia Kruger, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa We need to be they who makes the difference...love, protect, educate and save our oceans and all its creatures...2071 Carolyn M Turner, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2070 Not publicly disclosed, Falkensee, Brandenburg, Germany 2069 Andrew Riggs, St. John's, NL, Canada 2068 Kidder Victoria Gowen, Newport, RI, USA 2067 Katie Adams, CM, NJ, USA Finning is about as inhumane as it gets. This practice must be stopped. It is disgusting in the present, but the future is even worse for sharks as well as humans and the entire ecosystem if this is not taken care of immediately. 2066 Not publicly disclosed, Regina, SK, Canada Stop being greedy assholes and leave the sharks alone!2055 Rebecca Cooper, Springfield, OR, USA 2054 Not publicly disclosed, Flanders, NY, USA 2053 Nancy Sombilon, Vancouver, BC, Canada 2052 Christie Driscoll, Charlotte, NC, USA 2051 Not publicly disclosed, Bronxville, NY, USA 2050 Alma S, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2049 Mathias Olofsson, Staffanstorp, Skne, Sweden 2048 Vincent Maida, New York, NY, USA 2047 Not publicly disclosed, Vancouver, BC, Canada Please see the movie Sharkwater, and encourage all of your friends to see it too.2046 Marilyn Roding, Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands 2045 Sarah McGiven, Muswell Hill, London, UK 2044 Not publicly disclosed, Paracuellos de Jarama, Madrid, Spain 2043 John Richter, Bauple, QLD, Australia 2042 Katherine Wearne, Bauple, QLD, Australia 2041 Erica Parke, Miami, FL, USA 2040 Nico Meun, Munich, Germany 2039 Not publicly disclosed, Nouma, New Caledonia 2038 Tim Whiting, Bellingen, NSW, Australia 2037 Not publicly disclosed, Bellingen, NSW, Australia South Africa is known for its wildlife including sharks. Many people are interested in sharks and diving with them; kill the sharks and you will kill the tourism, and sharks are a crucial part of the marine ecology, SAVE THE SHARKS!2036 Not publicly disclosed, Galway, Ireland 2035 Wendy Bunker, Lakewood, WA, USA 2034 Not publicly disclosed, Gordes, France 2033 Not publicly disclosed, Nouma, New Caledonia Pour la protection des requins en Afrique du sud, il y a des choses crees que l'homme de doit dtruire. Respectez la nature. Merci.2032 Chalaine Prinsloo, Scottburgh, KZN, South Africa All things were created for a purpose in life. It's like a brick in wall. The more you take away, the more unsafe and unbalanced it gets, until all is removed and the wall falls on the floor. Save our sharks. Thank you, Chalaine, 11 years of age.2031 Not publicly disclosed, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2030 Richard Melville Ballerand, Longboat Key, FL, USA I have many relatives resident in South Africa who also feel this action to be a significant step forward which the country needs to take.2029 Michineau Nicolas, Gueberschwihr, Colmar, France Stop the massacre.2028 Natalie Gaynor, Camberley, Surrey, England 2027 Adriana Yamileth Aguilera, Managua, Nicaragua 2026 Sarah DeGraves, Solomons, MD, USA 2025 Christine Anne Montgomery, Beverly Hills, CA, USA 2024 Not publicly disclosed, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, Netherlands 2023 Alyson Katz, San Diego, CA, USA 2022 Allain Derenne, Namur, Belgium 2021 Laura Marie Megraw, Kingston, ON, Canada 2020 Diana Berdichevsky, Toronto, ON, Canada Please do the right thing for everyone who breathes on this earth.2019 Edmund Philip Wardle, London, UK 2018 Dennis Moore, New Paltz, NY, USA Having had the privilege to dive with the Tiger Sharks in the Aliwal Shoal MPA, I urge the Minister to preserve these beautiful animals and protect them from senseless slaughter. The survival of sharks is critical to the survival of the entire underwater ecosystem.2017 Not publicly disclosed, Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada 2016 Not publicly disclosed, Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada 2015 Pedro Mendes, London, UK 2014 Cedric Bourdeaud\'hui, Chapelle a Wattines, Hainaut, Belgium Notre responsabilit est de prserver la biodiversit pour l'quilibre de notre plante!! Et les requins y ont une place trop importante pour les laisser se faire massacrns!!!!2013 Megan Ihrig, Ridgeway, ON, Canada 2012 Not publicly disclosed, Saint Denis les Bourg, France Arrtons immdiatement le massacre de celui qui est sur Terre depuis 350 millions d annes. L homme a le pouvoir de le protger car si le requin venait disparatre les consquences en serait dramatiques. Il serait judicieux d interdire sa pche l o sa frquentation dans nos mers est la plus importante afin que sa reproduction- l une des plus longues chez les animaux- se fasse et retrouve une valeur moins inquitante2011 Michael Liles, La Fayette, GA, USA 2010 Jeanne Degois, Rabat, Maroc 2009 Ian Au, New York, NY, USA 2008 Julie van Niekerk, Grasland,Ten Acres, Gauteng, South Africa Dear Mr van Schalkwyk. I signed a petition for our sharks to be protected but deep in my heart I know you will do nothing as usual.2007 Dominikus Bernhard Martin Marberger, Augsburg 86169, Bavaria, Germany Protect sea life immediately!!!! 2006 Nicole Shumway, North Palm Beach, FL, USA 2005 Nicolas Dieu, Brussels, Belgium 2004 Not publicly disclosed, Val Therese, ON, Canada 2003 Not publicly disclosed, Oakville, ON, Canada 2002 Anthony Earthen, San Diego, CA, USA Support is needed immediately for our sharks. We can only hope that we haven't completely lost our stewards of the seas, to our greed, already.2001 Jessica Grai Negrey, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2000 Jennyne White, Washago, ON, Canada Be educated on your decision Make the right decision. Then you will be able to sleep knowing you have made the right decision to fight our ultimate demise.1999 Not publicly disclosed, Merida, Venezuela 1998 David Touye, San Francisco, CA, USA Please protect the remaining shark population. It's the only one we have.1997 Vicki Haynes, Crouch, Nr Sevenoaks, UK As a diver, these sharks should remain a tourist attraction and any illegal killing should be penalised severely.1996 Claude Henri Tremblay, Vancouver, BC, Canada Sharks are an integral player and the pulse of an healthy planet, we need to act now as the millions of sharks killed every year is jeopardizing our future.1995 Lindsay Sharp, Toronto, ON, Canada It's time to do what's right for our planet. The killing of sharks in South Africa is irresponsible, cruel, destructive, and unnecessary Let's protect these remarkable animals and our marine ecosystems. Clearly, the enforcement of shark protection laws is inadequate. There has to be a better/humane way to create profit and the numbers show there is! - shark diving.1994 Emilee Morin, Langley, BC, Canada 1993 Not publicly disclosed, Sutton, MA, USA 1992 Magdalena Strom, Uppsala, Sweden 1991 Ville Perint, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland 1990 George Myers Fairer, Boulder, CO, USA 1989 Stuart Rumbelow, London, UK Please do something about this.1988 Not publicly disclosed, Aarhus C, Aarhus Kommune, Denmark 1987 Robin Orford, Burnaby, BC, Canada 1986 Lisa Marie Schierholt, Carlsbad, NM, USA 1985 Graham Mitchell, Florida City, FL, USA 1984 Jean Lawson Saint Hill, San Dimas, CA, USA 1983 Ashley Michelle Ordecki, Toms River, NJ, USA 1982 Mark Elliott, Holts Summit, MO, USA It is amazing that we as the dominant force on this planet also happen to be the most self-serving and ignorant. And in the end, if things continue, we will dominate ourselves into extinction. A fitting epitaph!1981 Erwan Veille, Langoelan, Bretagne, France 1980 Sabrina Bizon, Nantes, France 1979 Beatriz Molano, Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia Please take conscience.1978 Not publicly disclosed, Vienna, Austria 1977 Gianmarco Ruffatti, San Salvador, El Salvador Live and let live! Peace!1976 Melissa Christensen, Wildwood, NJ, USA 1975 Sean Anthony Jordon Brower, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1974 Not publicly disclosed, El Guarco, Cartago, Costa Rica 1973 Ingrid Arevalo, Burzaco, Buenos Aires, Argentina 1972 Germn Figurelli, Burzaco, Buenos Aires, Argentina Natural resources are one of the few treasures that poor countries (like South Africa or mine: Argentina) have. We who live there MUST protect our environment.1971 Fernando Eduardo Nez, Concepcion, Chile WE MUST SAVE THE SHARKS.1970 Stephanie A. Rouiller, Montevideo, Uruguay 1969 Not publicly disclosed, New York, NY, USA 1968 Not publicly disclosed, Wakoshi, Saitama, Japan 1967 Kristen Kernaghan, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1966 Arvin H Panganiban, London, Lambeth, England Stop the slaughter of all sharks! This is not right! It is destroying the balance in the ocean which will have a drastic effect to us above. Sharks have survived longer than any other creature and we should respect them not only for that achievement but for maintaining the role they play in keeping the ecosystem in balance. Having decimated 90% of their population is not only stupid but god knows how that will impact us in the (near) future! STOP KILLING SHARKS!!! SAVE THE SHARKS!!! SAVE THE WORLD!!!1965 Kerry Marais, Broadstairs, Kent, UK I am a South African, a Veterinarian, and a very enthusiastic diver, I have been diving in South Africa and all over the world since 1993. I have dived in Aliwal Shoal many times, and have recently ie: 6 weeks ago returned to the UK after a holiday with my parents in Cape Town and yes, all 4 of us went to Gansbaai to see the Great White shark and I went cage diving with them. I can only describe the experience as spiritual to be with these awesome graceful creatures and yes, I felt proudly South African to know we are protecting them, I was also surprised at how many we saw as I thought that, like everything, we had decimated the population and that we would be lucky to see one, well we were blessed to see 4, but we must do more to protect all the other species of sharks. I do alot of diving in Sodwana Bay and regularly go to dive with the ragged-toothed sharks there, they are a huge tourism earner and I am desperately saddened to read that they are not protected by us. It is so rare to see sharks and I really question what we are doing to this planet, it is sinful, may god forgive us!1964 Mel McAdam, Prestatyn, Wales, UK 1963 Emily Herdman, Kelowna, BC, Canada 1962 Not publicly disclosed, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1961 Not publicly disclosed, Boston, MA, USA 1960 Meg Wozny, West Van, BC, Canada SHARKS! :)1959 Not publicly disclosed, Marennes, France 1958 Fernando Viana, San Salvador, El Salvador 1957 Jacky Oppendinger, Colmar, Alsace, France STOP finning the sharks ! Your world is also OUR world !1956 Sonia Mabel Anglada, Paran, Entre Ros, Argentina 1955 Not publicly disclosed, Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina 1954 Julie J. Winston, Westmont, IL, USA 1953 Patti Pecoraro, Paramus, NJ, USA Please protect these wonderful creatures before its too late!1952 Not publicly disclosed, Koh Tao, Suratthani, Thailand 1951 Gary Gilgannon, Glasgow, Scotland, UK 1950 Shane Donnelly, Newark, DE, USA Please, I traveled all the way from the States just to swim with your sharks. Pass these measures to secure what should be considered your national treasures.1949 Anne Leschallier de lisle, Brest, France 1948 Kimberly Maguire, Coral Springs, FL, USA 1947 Not publicly disclosed, Chandler, AZ, USA 1946 Not publicly disclosed, Miami Beach, FL, USA 1945 Adriana Yamileth Aguilera, Managua, Nicaragua 1944 Cecile Avart, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, Belgium 1943 Adan Isias Iriarte, Mexico City, Mexico 1942 Roxanna Whitney, Langley, BC, Canada 1941 Alessander Botti Benevides, Vitria, E.S., Brazil 1940 Tristan Guennec, Rungis, Val de Marne, France Save the shark.1939 Maria Teresa Padovan, Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina Basta de asesinatos, los asesinos deben ser castigados con duras penas. Matar mas animales es matarnos a nosotros mismos. Por favor traducir al castellano lo que esta en ingles.1938 Ana G Solorzano, Caracas, Miranda, Venezuela 1937 Trekka Scoppetto, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 1936 Sara Klinkhamer, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1935 Martha Roco Preciado, Bogot, Cundinamarca, Colombia Let's help our sharks. Souths Africans, sharks are ours too. I live far from the ocean, but I love sharks, I always think they are the most incredible creatures that live into the sea. Let's save them!!!1934 Not publicly disclosed, Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela 1933 Nicole R Anderson, San Diego , CA, USA 1932 Peter Thomas, Pontypool, Monmouthshire, UK 1931 Not publicly disclosed, Vitria, Esprito Santo, Brazil 1930 Daragh Paul Glynn, Valby, Denmark 1929 Camilla Carstens, Valby, Copenhagen, Denmark 1928 Simon Selim Srour, Farnborough, Hampshire, UK 1927 Not publicly disclosed, Farnborough, Hants, UK 1926 Not publicly disclosed, Kirkwood, MI, USA 1925 Not publicly disclosed, Livonia, MI, USA 1924 Sandra Lsch, Berlin, Germany, Germany 1923 Emily Saxon Kysel, Michigan City, IN, USA 1922 Sylvain Joel Berchtold, St-Luc, VS, Switzerland 1921 Rachel Ursula Williams, Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia 1920 Sara Abrahamsson, Sandviken, Gstrikland, Sweden 1919 Marcela Carolina Rodas. Santa Ana, El Salvador 1918 Not publicly disclosed, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1917 Krystina Boyko, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Please protect our sharks!! They are beautiful animals and we must take care of them.1916 David Mervin, Farnham, Surrey, UK 1915 Leanne Miller, Las Vegas, NV, USA 1914 Robin Mochi, West Yellowstone, MT, USA Please do not allow this tragedy to continue.1913 Lynda Anna Marie Harding, Bristol, UK 1912 Jim You, Dallas, TX, USA Ban shark finning!1911 Not publicly disclosed, Hockley, Essex, UK 1910 Kirstin Taylor, Staines, Middlesex, UK 1909 Not publicly disclosed, Paris, Ile de France, France 1908 Not publicly disclosed, Kalgoorlie, WA, Australia 1907 Not publicly disclosed, San Jose, Costa Rica 1906 Federico Touriz, Pando, Canelones, Uruguay 1905 Gabriela Vassallo, Buenos Aires, Argentina 1904 Not publicly disclosed, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia 1903 Not publicly disclosed, Piars, France 1902 Michelle Rae MacNeily, Fredericton, NB, Canada 1901 Kat Heyes, Brighton, East Sussex, UK 1900 Jocelyn Nadine Grosse, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Please ban any killing of sharks and see that this ban is effective immediately. The world is watching, and we hope that your government will help participate in these international efforts of conservation of marine life, as well as to protect biodiversity and to promote a sustainable future for everyone.1899 Shawn Armstrong , White Mills, PA, USA 1898 Andre van Embden, Thoenhill, Ontario, Canada 1897 Megan Shea, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1896 Bruna Wihby Ayoub, Santos, So Paulo, Brazil 1895 Not publicly disclosed, Arlington, TX, USA 1894 Not publicly disclosed, San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Honduras 1893 Eduardo Amieva, Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico 1892 Not publicly disclosed, Brooklyn, NY, USA 1891 Jamie Wall, Droitwich, Worcestershire, UK Please protect all species of sharks in South African waters. We all need these creatures. 1890 Kelli Paun, Muswellbrook, NSW, Australia Please end this now. 1887 Marc Gaskins, Cumming, GA, USA We need to do some...quickly!1883 Courtney Cameron, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada 1882 Liam Coleman, Gabriola, BC, Canada 1881 Lindsay Kae Roscoe, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 1880 Candace Woods, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1879 Not publicly disclosed, Atherton, Queensland, Australia 1878 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1877 Not publicly disclosed, White Hall, MD, USA 1876 Nina Hollington, London, UK 1875 Ana Rosa, So Bernardo do Campo, So Paulo, Brazil 1874 Not publicly disclosed, Montreuil, le-de-France, France 1873 Richard Watts, Denver, CO, USA I did a shark dive in that location and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had.1872 Not publicly disclosed, North Vancouver, BC, Canada1871 Daniel Zelenka, Reno, NV, USA I have dove in the waters of South Africa to see the sharks and would love to return and see them again in their same numbers if not more... 1870 Philippe Malenfant, Chartres, France Let's save sharks people! 1866 Amy Britten, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Please protect these beautiful and amazing creatures and help stop the destruction of our remarkable seas that are home to such a fantastic array of living creatures and organisms. Sharks play a vital role in our ecosystems and enhance the environments in which they live. Our world and seas would be much poorer without them. They need protecting and that needs to happen immediately. We owe it to sharks and also to our children and future generations to conserve and to protect both sharks and our rich seas so that they too can appreciate and treasure this beautiful underwater world. Please make a difference by helping to save our environment and not furthering its destruction. Take a stance and do something amazing today, in an act that your children will be eternally grateful to you for. 1862 Tyler Darden, Grand Forks, ND, USA Wake up! Save the sharks! Without them, goodbye plankton and O2. 1860 Davinia Rodrguez Elzo, Las Palmas GC, Las Palmas, Spain Esto es inhumano! Salvemos a los tiburones basta ya de maltrato al oceano!1859 Michel Romeo Beaulne, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada PLEASE help save our planet! 1858 Valerie Nisoli, Le Mayet d Ecole, Allier, France Stop killing sharks! 1857 Brian Lange, Victoria, BC, Canada Please stop the killing of sharks in your country. You are destroying our world in exchange for profit! 1854 Not publicly disclosed, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Please let justice be done! 1846 Sandra Wachowski, Boynton Beach, FL, USA I think this will be a step backward if we allow this to pass. I will lose faith in us. 1844 Sarah Stephenson, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Help to save the world...Help the next generation who live in your country...It's not complicated...Just one move. 1841 Emanuel Drolet, Sherrington, Quebec, Canada Please protect the sharks of South Africa. Urbanization and development is taking away lands from our land animals. Further invasion into the ocean life cycle only damages our future. 1828 Anna Roginska, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Stop this insane business. Sharks are under pressure worldwide and should be protected1815 Shayne McGinn, Lake Cowichan, BC, Canada 1814 Toby Liddiard, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK Please take steps to protect sharks within South Africa. I am looking to come diving annually within South Africa and will be able to provide my support to your country due to my tourism. Economics is important and the ability to protect sharks and other marine species will ultimately provide a greater benefit to an economy as it will provide a sustainable source of income of generations, rather than a quick buck in the short term.1813 Not publicly disclosed, Chandler, AZ, USA 1812 Faycal Benchergui, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Save the sharks!1811 Not publicly disclosed, Laval, Quebec, Canada 1810 Jerry Pollett, Toronto, Ontario, Canada What would God do?1809 Not publicly disclosed, Stratford, Ontario, Canada 1808 Lori Beattie, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1807 Not publicly disclosed, St Joseph de Sorel, Quebec, Canada 1806 Kven Binette, Cookshire, Quebec, Canada I know that the numbers are telling for themselves. Yes, a shark that is alive is worth much more money than a dead one. But do not think just about money, think of the future. I do not want live in an apocalyptic world like some of the sci-fi movies. Maybe you think that this is no business with the protection of sharks but it is. It is the protection of all things. Why not start with the sharks?1805 Not publicly disclosed, Mercier, Quebec, Canada 1804 Not publicly disclosed, Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada 1803 Not publicly disclosed, Marseille, Marseille, France 1802 Not publicly disclosed, St Anne, Manitoba, Canada 1801 Alexandre Cousinier, Ruelle sur Touvre, Charente, France 1800 Ismal Neiva, Hurigny, Bourgogne, France 1799 Maria Jose Royo Martin, Paris, Ile de France, France 1798 Alanna Devolin, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 1797 Lee Baron, Clifton, NJ, USA 1796 Junias Dag, Sdertlje, Sweden 1795 Not publicly disclosed, Munich, Bavaria, Germany I would never allow my family and friends and business partners to make a trip or do business with a country that does not use all the tools it has at its command to save the world it is a part of. Please act responsibly and help to save the planet.1794 Not publicly disclosed, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway 1793 Morten Torchalla, Neu-Anspach, Hessen, Germany Don't destroy what has lived over 400 million years. Sharks are the reason we live on the Earth today. I hope that we reach our aims to forbid the shark fishing before it is too late...1792 Steven Leach, Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK Dear Sir, please protect these beautiful and amazing creatures and help stop the destruction of our remarkable seas that are home to such a fantastic array of living creatures and organisms. Sharks play a vital role in our ecosystems and enhance the environments in which they live. Our world and seas would be a much poorer world without them. They need protecting and that needs to happen immediately. We owe it to sharks and also to our children and future generations to conserve and to protect both sharks and our rich seas so that they too can appreciate and treasure this beautiful underwater world. Please make a difference by helping to save our environment and not furthering its destruction. Take a stance and do something amazing today in an act that your children will be eternally grateful to you for.1791 Ophelie Holleville, Nice, PACA, France 1790 Erica Ojermark, Washington , DC, USA Though sharks do bring in a lot of tourist dollars, I think that seeing sharks and presenting them as a natural resource is where trouble often starts. Why can't people protect sharks because they are an integral part of the ecosystems that make up 75% of our earth? And because they are magnificent, resilient and ancient creatures that deserve our respect? 1789 Brbel Menzi, Barntrup, NRW, Germany When you don't stop such things, no tourists come to you. Think about that! 1783 Connie Tamara Heidt, Regina, Sask, Canada I was born in Johannesburg, my family immigrated when I was two years old. I am pleasantly surprised that in addition to being rich in minerals & wildlife (among other things), another one of South Africa's attributes to boast about are their sharks. Please keep SA's shark population safe. With so much hopelessness, corruption, greed and hatred around the world right now, especially in Africa and slowly creeping into South Africa, savour one scarce commodity for its beauty and fierceness. Take care of the animals in the water, the same way you take care of the animals on your lands, it's right thing to do!1779 Juliette Murray, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Save the sharks! 1778 Erin Kristoff, Saddle Brook, NJ, USA Simply put, if you understand the concept, if the sharks are gone, the divers won't come and the money stops there! Get it? 1776 Jos Bruynooghe, Torhout, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium It's about time all this nonsense stops. 1774 Tara Ajandi, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada It sure would be nice if someone would listen and start making positive changes for our planet. 1769 Kevin Clement, Denali Park, AK, USA Look at what it is doing to our oceans and what it will do to the future of the planet, it's wrong and you know it. Stop the slaughter. 1765 Not publicly disclosed, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Stop this barbaric crime. 1763 Lisa Rowley, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Having grown up in East London, I'm only too aware of the presence of sharks off this coast. I'm also very aware of their beauty and the need to learn more about them. For the sake of all sharks in SA waters and for our future generations to be able to enjoy these amazing creatures, PLEASE afford them more protection. 1759 Bonnie Jeanne Snider, Jacksonville, FL USA Save us...save sharks. 1755 Barbara Berlin, Germany Please do something to save the sharks! 1750 Amy Baratko, Old Lyme, CT USA Please help these animals... 1749 Mai Le, Toronto, Ontario Canada Yes, stop being stupid. Excess of anything is stupid. There is a balance in life, keep it that way. Sugar is sweet and delicious, and even that too in excess can kill you. But at least it's only affecting you, and not everyone. 1748 Not publicly disclosed, Boise, ID USA Please help save the sharks! 1747 J Hardwick, Port Dover, Ontario Canada Please read the petition and act accordingly. I beseech you to strengthen and improve protection of all sharks within South Africa's territorial waters. 1741 Not publicly disclosed, Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada Just stop the massacre and all that SUFFERING! 1739 Jacqueline Turcotte, Oshawa, Ontario Canada Protecting sea lions would also be good idea. 1735 Not publicly disclosed, No. Hollywood, CA USA Save the sharks! 1734 Tom Prosser, London, Surry UK Stop it. We're just harming ourselves. 1733 Not publicly disclosed, San Diego, CA USA Stop killing sharks. 1731 Richard Mitchell, Toronto, Ontario Canada Sharks are vital, magnificent creatures. Stop pointless slaughter! 1729 Brittany Stief, Toronto, Ontario Canada Sharks are on the verge of extinction, which means our own extinction. Without sharks controlling the food chain of our oceans, there would be chaos, diminishing oxygen, and life on earth as we know it. This is seriously scary stuff, folks. 1726 Not publicly disclosed, Lasalle, Quebec Canada Is all you care about money? Sharks are living creatures just like humans. But no, you would not kill a human for its arms and throw it back into the ocean to die. 1723 Jen Albert, Ajax, Ontario Canada Please - sharks are worth way more to your bank account alive than dead! Be smart, and STOP shark slaughter. Frankly, I know two couples that are going to your country with a view to shark photography (underwater and alive!). 1715 Juanita Waller, Timberlea, NS Canada We have to protect our ocean and stop the killing and extinction of all the other species on earth! Please stop shark finning!! 1705 Megan Cartier, Toronto, Ontario Canada Sharks are a critical part of marine ecosystems. 1702 Not publicly disclosed, Santos, So Paulo Brazil We must stop this senseless slaughter! 1698 Not publicly disclosed, Whitehorse, Yukon Canada This is horrific! What are you waiting for? Do something, while you still can! 1690 Not publicly disclosed, Victoria, BC Canada Stop the abuse! Save the sharks! 1687 Not publicly disclosed, Montreal, Quebec Canada Protect South Africa's sharks. 1683 Kristine Mariana Longer, Burlington, Ontario Canada Sharks are extremely important and by not establishing enforced protection laws for them, you are helping them come to extinction! 1679 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, Ontario Canada Please stop the brutality of cutting fins from sharks. 1676 Not publicly disclosed, Okotoks, AB Canada BAN SHARK FINNING! 1668 Francesca Payne, Bristol, UK No more shark fishing. It may already be too late. 1664 Shannon Dawn Bakeman, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Please protect the sharks now! 1657 Not publicly disclosed, Treviso, Italy I am more than concerned about the effect that fishing sharks to low numbers will have on the human race's ability to exist on this planet. I must also voice my disgust about the barbaric way and conditions that these "gods of the sea" are being slaughtered. When will we realize that all the money in the world cannot and will not deliver us our precious breath, oxygen? Only nature can do that. Please do everything in your power to sustain the harmony between sharks and humans. Stop the madness. Start the love healing bond. 1653 Stephanie Peters, Toronto, Ontario Canada A healthy, protected environment has indescribably more value than the caught fishes! Think about that. 1627 Not publicly disclosed, Pasadena, CA USA This is crazy! We need to stop before it's too late. We're slowly going to wipe everything out until there's nothing left. It's disgusting. 1625 Justin Martin, Welland, Ontario Canada Protect South Africa's sharks! 1622 Not publicly disclosed, Greenfield Park, Quebec Canada Help reduce/ban shark finning in international waters, because although there are people out there wanting and trying to save sharks, we may be too late by the time we have achieved the ability to make a difference. The time to act is now!! 1618 Michael Pelosi, Toronto, Ontario Canada Time for action is now. I spent time diving with sharks off the coast of Hermanus and it was quite literally one of the greatest experiences of my life. This was because we got to watch and enjoy the beauty of live white sharks, not dead ones. People love your country for so many reasons; shark admiring is one of them. Please act now and protect South Africa's sharks to ensure future generations the pleasure of viewing and appreciating sharks. 1617 Rob Engels, Edmonton, Alberta Canada Protect South Africa's sharks now. Educate the population. Eat now and die sooner. If we destroy the ecosystem we destroy ourselves. 1613 Cara E Reeve-Newson, Port Colborne, Ontario Canada As a world traveler and seeker of adventure, I certainly assess a country before deciding to explore a destination. You need to appreciate the importance of preserving your natural land and waters for ecotourism to retain and further attract tourists for your country to continue generating revenue for years to come - instead of one time kills for quick sale of God given stock. If you invest in maintaining a safe and healthy environment, you reap the rewards for generations to come. 1612 Sheri Goulet, Manotick, Ontario Canada I am horrified by what humanity is doing to the environment for profit. This has to stop! 1603 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, Ontario Canada The wildlife of Africa is its greatest resource, and to kill it off to extinction is just so short sighted. There are people all over the world who want to experience these animals, not eat them. Why are you selling your culture and habitat to another? When it is gone what will you have? Money will not replace what you have taken. You can only farm a renewable resource. If you don't replace what you take, you will kill yourselves. 1601 Desmond Vincent Prout-Jones, Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa I am dismayed at the decline of our shark species since 1957. I am at present writing a book presenting information as to why the sharks should and must be left to get on and do what they are intended for. What would happen if all land and avian predators were exposed to the same decimation that the sharks suffer? We would live in a desolate world. We need a healthy, clean sea that abounds in marine life that in turn would sustain us. 1600 Jennifer Lucas, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada Your sharks and ours are a precious part of the ocean ecosystem and are worth more alive than dead. Please protect these beautiful creatures in your care. 1598 Daniel Leventhal, Thornhill, Ontario Canada Speaking as both a South African and Canadian...This is a REAL issue and poses a REAL danger to humanity. There is so much misinformation and stupidity regarding "being green" and preserving nature... Such as the idiocy of "carbon taxes"... It is hard to know what to fight for and what to support. If we unbalance and lose the plankton populations of the oceans, life itself will cease...at least any life that needs oxygen. 1597 Not publicly disclosed, North Vancouver, BC Canada I strongly urge and challenge the ban of all shark hunting, killing, and finning in South Africa. Please consider their place in the balance of all life on Earth. As noted, the value of a living shark (in money terms) to South Africa is much more profitable to the economy than a dead shark. I have hope that South Africa has appreciation for this amazing animal alive. We all must stand tall and push back on the thugs that see dollar value on this priceless creature. 1593 Not publicly disclosed, Loughborough, Leicestershire UK Please help protect your shark population. 1586 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, Ontario Canada Save the sharks! 1581 Laura Anne Marin, Munno Para West, South Australia Australia Please, this is one of the most obscene, inhumane, cruel acts of greed and exploitation, it has to be stopped. 1580 Annette Virtue, Toronto, Ontario Canada I would hope you will take my letter seriously as I have been recently educated in how sharks are being legally and illegally harvested for their fins by line fishing in some countries in South America and on the outskirts of the Galapagos Islands. Virtually millions of sharks are being slaughtered for profit and sold to Asian countries. This is only to preserve a misinformed myth that the consumption of shark fins can cure ailments and disease such as cancer. Millions of sharks are being killed and slaughtered for nothing but for a sham. This industry must stop and be banned. Not only for the fact that it is outrageous that this practise is abominable, callous, and grotesquely upsetting, but for the simple fact that these creatures are still living for days after their fins are severed from their bodies and then dumped in the ocean to bleed out and then die at the bottom. This practise is disruptive to the natural order of the ocean to maintain marine ecosystems and marine life cycles. That the killing of these marine creatures will ultimately upset the balance of life as we know it on earth, regardless of any TRUE knowledge of what sharks do to maintain our earthly habitat. Sharks are misunderstood creatures that tales have been used to make the species look highly confrontational and aggressive of which they are neither and are only basing their actions on instinct. We are scared of the unknown so please educate yourself on why one of the greatest predators in the ocean should not be made extinct by poachers that are ultimately raping the planet. I would also like to add that I would like the illegal poaching and illegal propagation of endangered wildlife to stop infiltrating into the black markets of China and Asia. That currently the exportation and harvesting of animals is putting a great strain on the worth of life both human and animal. We must conserve the many species that rely on us for their protection from extinction and the greed of man. Hopefully knowledge is gained from the grievously misunderstood before we ultimately loose the wisdom they may give us without suffering and the end of life. Please feel free to contact me for further discussion on this topic. Thank you very much for your time. 1579 Marie-Christine Hbert, Otterburn Park, Quebec Canada It has always been one of my biggest dreams to swim with sharks...please don't take that dream away. 1571 Not publicly disclosed, Pointe Claire, Quebec Canada Please save the sharks! 1568 Velka Laubscher, Bloemfontein, Freestate South Africa Please, please, please make a difference Mr. van Schalkwyk! We place our trust in you. 1567 Michael Norwood, Kingston, Ontario Canada We know better than this, there are better ways to go about without the expense of a shark being slaughtered. 1564 Marilyn Idle, Christina Lake, BC Canada Shark fins are not needed for human wellness in this advanced century. (They are contaminated with mercury.) Shark populations are decreasing too fast. Sharks are needed to keep the oceans eco-balanced, producing the oxygen we breathe. What will the shark hunters work be after all the sharks are dead and earth is sick with little breathable oxygen? 1563 Stephanie Marie Kersey, Dawson Creek, BC Canada Imagine watching a person being captured and having their arms and legs cut off and then thrown into a dumpster. 1558 CaroleAnn Leishman, Powell River, BC Canada Please help save South Africa's sharks before it's too late. 1557 Graeme Rae Pugh, Surrey, BC Canada Make a deposit in your Karmic bank account. Save the sharks, and all the other creatures that depend on their existence. 1553 Not publicly disclosed, Vancouver, BC Canada Everyone looks at the shark as a monster or a killer, humans need to look in the mirror and think who the monster might be. 1549 Trevor Shaw, Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada No sharks = No oxygen. 1548 Not publicly disclosed, Kelowna, BC Canada ENOUGH is ENOUGH ... Let's please stop before it's too late. Please and thank you. 1545 Not publicly disclosed, Corsham, UK Please protect the sharks NOW! Please ban all shark fin related products & industry. 1543 Natasha Grove, Centurion, Gauteng South Africa It is time to fight for the oceans and its creatures. We are too passive about the whole thing. It is time to take action and let our voices be heard. 1542 Not publicly disclosed, Singapore Save the sharks! 1541 Keith Malek, Brooklyn, NY USA This is disgusting! Sharks have been around for 400 million years, and now they're on the brink of extinction, thanks to human beings! Appalling! 1540 Not publicly disclosed, Ottawa, Ontario Canada SAVE THE SHARKS!!!1535 Eric MacDonald, Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada 1534 Not publicly disclosed, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada 1533 Kelley Dalberg, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA 1532 Not publicly disclosed, Anola, Manitoba, Canada 1531 Not publicly disclosed, BTFD, ON, Canada 1530 Not publicly disclosed, Cheserex, Vaud, Switzerland 1529 Not publicly disclosed, Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada 1528 Not publicly disclosed, Nottingham, UK 1527 Nilton Costa, Toronto, ON, Canada 1526 Toby Powers, Carrollton, IL, USA 1525 Not publicly disclosed, London, ON, Canada 1524 Genevive Dillon, Hull, Quebec, Canada Would you like it if someone caught you, cut off your arms and legs and then let you bleed to death? I wouldn't. Stop shark finning!!1523 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, ON, Canada Please put a stop to this!1522 Kika Kuenzle, LaHave, Nova Scotia, Canada 1521 John Tonkinson, Hatboro, PA, USA 1520 Calvin Humby, Auckland, New Zealand 1519 Nicole Ryan, Dania, FL, USA 1518 Sarah Walls, Derby, Derbyshire, UK 1517 Candace Woods, Vancouver, BC, Canada I will not buy South African products until you protect sharks.1516 Laura Butorac, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada I hope you will really think about this. Many millions of sharks have already died because of man's greedy heart. Please, do the right thing. Thank you, Laura1515 Julien Beltzung, Coolum Beach, Queensland, Australia 1514 Not publicly disclosed, Elkridge, MD, USA 1513 Not publicly disclosed, Columbia, MD, USA 1512 Sandra Melita Nikolic, Koh Tao, Suratthani, Thailand Do the math, boys! A live shark generates more revenue than a dead one & saves a lot more money (the environmental devastation & costs to related industries that will shortly follow their disappearance). Get it together!1511 Diana Carolina Guerrero Ochoa, Madrid, Alcorcón, Spain 1510 Mike Halk, ON, Canada 1509 Erin Margaret Whitehead, Toronto, ON, Canada 1508 Marja Indarjit, Toronto, ON, Canada 1507 Greg Roderick, Toronto, ON, Canada 1506 Martin Berta, Toronto, ON, Canada 1505 Ignacio Soler Carbonell, Barecelona, Catalonia, Spain Save all species !!!!!! Save the earth !!!!! Save us !!!!!1504 Neyla Carballo Fernandez, Pola de Laviana, Asturias, Spain 1503 Not publicly disclosed, Haldimand, ON, Canada 1502 Hollie Ainley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK 1501 Janine Redko, Maple, ON, Canada The killing of sharks must stop now!1500 Rebecca J Maggio, Deep River, ON, Canada 1499 Not publicly disclosed, Kingston, ON, Canada 1498 Janice Davis, Toronto, ON, Canada Please help us protect our fragile oceans and stop the slaughter of sharks in South African waters. I urge the people of South Africa to encourage local Chinese restaurants in their communities to remove shark fin soup from their menus.1497 Anne Ellis, Toronto, ON, Canada 1496 Not publicly disclosed, Wyoming, ON, Canada 1495 Not publicly disclosed, Orleans, ON, Canada 1494 Jason Foucault, Ajax, ON, Canada Knowledge is power, a cliche yes, but this does not make it less true. We have shown ourselves capable of compassion and understanding once we have been educated on the true nature of a species and its role in the world we share. So it has been displayed with efforts to save the dolphins, whales and seals to name some of the more popular causes of our oceans. Sharks are important to maintain the delicate balance of the oceans ecosystems and deserve the same protection as all animals that have been threatened by man's irresponsibility.1493 Not publicly disclosed, Dryden, ON, Canada 1492 Robin Leeanne Yates, Oshawa, ON, Canada 1491 David Anthony, Petersham, NSW, Australia 1490 Not publicly disclosed, Denver, CO, USA 1489 Nancy Dalfovo, Koumac, New Caledonia, Canada 1488 Pierre Stephanie, Six Fours les Plages, Region PACA, France 1487 Collin Keith Robertson, Edmonton, AB, Canada 1486 Sarah Crawford, Edinburgh, Lothian, UK SAVE THE SHARKS!1485 Brett Kenneth Olson, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 1484 Nicole Coates, Sydney, NSW, Australia 1483 Jesus A Robles, Irving, TX, USA 1482 Lorna Hirst, Solihull, West Midlands, UK 1481 Marcia McDuffie, El Sobrante, CA, USA Please protect the sharks in South Africa!1480 Irene Pozzolo, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1479 Marc Valade, Lachute, Quebec, Canada Misery is starving for compassion. All Africa is starving for compassion from North to South and West to East. But this misery extends to it's reef down to the abyss. From there it clings to all the other continents and finally feeds on us all! If we wish for compassion we have to stop our inner cruelty in every action that we do starting with the most serious: hunting, fishing and feeding. Otherwise we never will deserve any compassion at all from our Creator or from each other. Africa is already a pioneer in feeding the many from rice. Keep on going body!1478 Sabrina Moucadeau, Barbentane BDR, France 1477 Diana Nymand, Bonn, NRW, Germany South Africa is indeed famous for its sharks! If I ever had the money to travel there, I'd want to see them. This country should feel blessed to hold such a unique treasure of nature, and do anything in its power to protect the sharks - which are severely endangered worldwide! Once South Africa's sharks are lost, all hope will be lost for them, and for us.1476 John Langley, New York, NY, USA Stop the Bloodshed!!!1475 Nick Ian Van Tromp, Hove, East Sussex, UK 1474 Not publicly disclosed, Bronx, NY, USA 1473 Not publicly disclosed, Toulouse, France 1472 Tracy Davidson, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 1471 Gabriel Anguiano, London, UK 1470 Amy Harlib, New York, NY, USA 1469 Nicholas James Landy, Harrison, NJ, USA 1468 Jeannette Devlin, Marblethorpe, Lincolnshire, UK 1467 Tatiyana Devlin, Marblethorpe, Lincolnshire, UK 1466 Frederic Nauleau, Toulouse, France 1465 Rose Griffin, Cortland, NY, USA 1464 Summer Thorn, Lake Charles, LA, USA 1463 Elaine Hendrix, West Hollywood, CA, USA 1462 Lisa Koehl, Brooklyn, CT, USA 1461 Laura Grossman, London, UK Please go an extra step to save these essential and magnificent creatures.1460 Ashley David Rowlan, Thatcham, Berkshire, England 1459 Jamey Giangarlo, Portland, OR, USA 1458 Donnalee Hill, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada 1457 Not publicly disclosed, Mestetten, BW, Germany 1456 Karen Kirk, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Sharks are amazing creatures that have been around for centuries, virtually unchanged over time. They play a key role in ecological balance of the oceans. Please help us protect them so that generations to come can know the oceans in their beautiful state.1455 Patsy Anna-Maria Poeppmann, Gympie, Queensland, Australia Saving all Sharks is paramount not only for Africa's Economy, the Galapagos, the Cocos and the Great Barrier Reef but vital for everyone's survival on Earth. We all need to take action now!1454 Joyce Frohn, Oshkosh, WI, USA 1453 James Ashman, London, Essex, UK 1452 Erica G Dawkins, Winter Park, FL, USA The only draw I have to visit Africa is to dive with sharks. I have no other reason to go. Please help protect them.1451 Not publicly disclosed, Vancouver, BC, Canada How dare we take the life from a helpless creature. Humankind gave themselves authority over the land, seas and every living organism and we are nowhere near deserving. Please stop the destruction of these beautiful animals by any means you can. I'd love for a chance to swim with the sharks in the wild, and hate the idea that my children and grand children may never have that chance.1450 Peter Greenwald, Denver, CO, USA 1459 Grigoria Malkotzoglou, Athens, Greece 1458 Shane Gross, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada 1457 Denise Glass, Perris, CA, USA 1456 Alexis Zubko, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1455 Nicholas Coston, Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK 1454 Pchelka Amelia, Paris, Ile de France, France 1453 Sarah Bulckens, Shanghai, China 1452 Monika Toth, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1451 Katja Foenss, London, England, UK 1450 Mari Claire Sturgeon, Ajax, Canada 1449 Sabrina Camarena, Marseille, Provence, France 1448 Not publicly disclosed, Madrid, Spain 1447 Debbie Smith, Orange, CA, USA 1446 Staci Tyrrell, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 1445 Emmanuelle Buono, Strasbourg, Alsace, France
1444 Moreau Audrey, Bruxelles, Belgique
1434 Allison Shurr, Austin, TX, USA 1433 Hadeel Bilal, London, England, UK1432 Kim Reid, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada 1431 Craig Peters, Ajax, ON, Canada 1430 Cherida Hivale, New Delhi, India 1429 Not publicly disclosed, Cancale, Bretagne, France 1428 Deanne Reinerth, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1427 Paul Pedrego, Tucson, AZ, USA 1426 Ann Young, Sandy, UT, USA 1425 Brenda Piccich, Voghera, Pavia, Italy 1424 Amy Marie Dovey, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada 1423 Andrew Rowe, Prahran, Victoria, Australia To make a country great it needs great leaders. Elected Government officials can either turn up to work each day to collect a pay slip, or become great leaders and made a difference to the country they serve. 1422 Not publicly disclosed, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Save our sharks. 1417 Verstraete Cecile, Roubaix, Nord, France Sharks are such beautiful animals and have survived for such a long time. They should not die out now just because of humans. 1413 Natalie Yonan, Saint Augustine, FL, USA These sharks must be protected if we want to save our oceans and ourselves.1406 Pauline Bate, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 1405 Cyril Mahieu, Baugnies, Hainaut, Belgium 1404 Not publicly disclosed, Wilmington, NC, USA 1403 Emilie Anne Litsinger, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA 1402 Paige Miller, Brick, NJ, USA 1401 Not publicly disclosed, Victoria, BC, Canada Please act now not later! I support the ban. 1400 Battistelli Delphine, Palinges, Bourgogne, France Stop killing sharks, my children may thank you one day ... 1399 Peter Kirk, Lancaster, PA, USA Please ban shark finning in your waters. Your local fisherman rely on sharks keeping their fish populations healthy whether they know it or not. Without sharks you won't have a fishery. 1398 Alexandra Albert, Victoria, BC, Canada I've been to South Africa and we were going to go see sharks but I was to scared but now after watching Sharkwater I know I had no reason to be scared. And we should keep these beautiful fish that do no harm to us in the water with all their fins and nothing cut off them. 1395 Not publicly disclosed, Arvada, CO, USA Please help to save the shark population and to maintain the ecosystem of our oceans! 1390 Gary Smith, Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand Je viens ici suite au film.....horifiant ...... jai 21ans et je plonge depuis lage de 8ans.... je projete incessament sous peu daller plonger en affrique du sud avec un pote que a qui jai donner la passion de ce sport fabuleux...... lui es fan des requins depuis lenfance.....il ma a son tour rallier a sa passion......l'une dans lautre de toute facon cela ne pouvai que marcher... ca fou la haine de voir ca......ya pas a dire nous sommes pire que des betes..... je vous passe les pensees sombres ki parcourent ma tete en smoment mm..... si l'on pouvait......... 1383 Jami Kirk, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Please save our precious sharks, without them, we may not survive! 1381 Reggie Sanford, Damascus, VA, USA We all need them to keep ocean in balance besides alive sharks provide good Eco tourism. I hope that when I have chance to go South Africa there still be enough sharks to see. 1377 Tami Spice, Warren, Manitoba, Canada The sharks belong in this world. 1374 Not publicly disclosed, Calgary, Alberta, Canada I am about to take my scuba diving certification. I'm already researching where I will travel to. I'm very interested in seeing healthy reefs and shark populations. Places that show this kind of respect for the natural populations are very appealing. 1373 Anne Koch, Portland, OR, USA Leave the sharks alone, protect our future and our children's future...WAKE UP over fishing is going to lead to our demise. 1363 Not publicly disclosed, Cancale, Bretagne, France I fully support this cause, and I hope that many more will...------SAVE THE SHARKS------- 1361 Not publicly disclosed, Ecully, Rhone, France My South African friend love's sharks. Please don't support their murder! 1353 Amy Rose, Lawrenceburg, IN, USA Sharks should not be killed in any way, ever. How sad if they were to all vanish. Not only would that be devastating to the ecosystem but to not be able to enjoy such a beautiful creature would be a sad, sad thing. 1345 Cecilia Patrice, Paris, Ile de France, France SAVE SHARKS!! 1344 Not publicly disclosed, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland Any additional protection these sharks can be given will be a step in the right direction. 1329 Sarah Whittaker-Gilbey, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK Please help to protect the shark!! 1327 Not publicly disclosed, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada I have dived with sharks for 4 years; they recognize you... Please stop killing them and instead learn about them and spend time with them in a controlled environment. You won't want to harm them anymore. 1323 Gina Hodges, Matthews, NC, USA I visit SA, from the UK, every year as the diving is so rewarding, and there is no jet lag! You simply have a fantastic natural resource, and one which needs to be protected to ensure the economic prosperity of your tourism industry. 1320 Danielle Joy Lowy, Los Angeles, CA, USA Shark fishing and finning are not a legacy that South Africa should leave behind. 1319 Not publicly disclosed, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada Stand above the savages and protect the sharks. South Africa is better than this!! 1315 Jamie Trahair, Adelaide, SA, Australia Inhumane, when they cut off fins and vacuuming the oceans. So hard to oppose a hungry profit driven killing machine........ 1302 Not publicly disclosed, Jullianges, Haute-Loire, France Please act! 1290 Not publicly disclosed, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada "More than 100 million sharks are taken from the seas each year. For a group that has been around for the past 400 million years, sharks cannot survive this onslaught because most large sharks reach sexual maturity only at seven years, and then give birth to only a few pups each year. Research on the potential effects of the disappearance of sharks from selected ecosystems suggests that the consequences could be devastating for commercially and nutritionally important fishes. In the Hawaiian Reefs model, the removal of tiger sharks resulted in a crash in populations of tuna and jacks, due to a marked increase in seabirds, the shark's primary prey. In Chinese banquets, over 40 per cent of the meal cost comes from shark's fin soup. The challenge is to find restaurateurs who would take on the responsibility of saving sharks by sourcing an alternative dish which still allows them to sustain banquet profits. With China's 1.2 billion people gaining in affluence and holding to the tradition of shark's fin soup at celebrations, I don't give the 453 remaining species of sharks much of a chance." 1287 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Agree with EACH proposal listed; must be enforced. 1283 Christopher Corsi, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1282 Jennette Boone, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada1281 Sarah Malo, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1280 Rebecca Burrill, Ajax, Ontario, Canada YOU MUST DO SOMETHING NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. 1279 Not publicly disclosed, Jacksonville, FL, USA I plan on making a trip to South Africa to dive with Great Whites. I hope to be able to see them and many other species as well. Please do something to stop the illegal killing of sharks. 1277 Le Thanh Quyen, Bien Hoa, Dong Nai, Viet Nam Do the right thing & protect all sharks. 1275 Ashley Timlin, Barrie, Ontario, Canada Shark fishing is not sustainable and has extensive waste and is excessively cruel. 1272 Kevin Neil Burrowes, Clarence Park, SA, Australia Shark fishing is cruel, unsustainable in the long term and provides no critical food resource and has extensive waste of by product. 1271 Line Bergeron, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada ***Stop shark fishing and shark fishing industry!******Mettons fin la pche aux requins et son industrie!*** 1270 Stephanie V. Lopez, Huntington, NY, USA I adore the ocean and to save sea life is a major goal in my life. 1269 Annie Nolin, Quebec, Canada I'm a PADI Instructor and am well qualified to tell you that ignoring this issue will hurt your dive tourism, and will hurt it far more in the future. 1267 Mandie Burns, Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada These shark species deserve to exist on this planet just as much as our own; why should the human species be more valuable than all others?! Please ensure the best possible protection for these magnificent sharks before it is too late! 1264 Stanley Bruce Dow, Norman, OK, USA Dear Sir, I have admired your policies concerning the great white shark. These make you leaders in the world. Please extend these important protections so the world can continue to enjoy these magnificent creatures. Signed: an avid scuba diver with a whole family of divers!!! 1263 Not publicly disclosed, Paris, Ile de France, France That made it before it is too late. 1262 Fabrice Barand, Lagny sur Marne, France Sharks are graceful creatures. They have their place in the circle of life just like us. They don't live to die they live to swim in the wide open oceans. 1252 Dawn Kazanecki, Center Moriches, NY, USA I am a scuba diver, and am looking forward to one day diving with sharks in South Africa. I am also deeply concerned by the effect on the world eco system the fishing of sharks will have. At the top of the food chain, they hold a key role in maintaining the whole eco system of the ocean, without them other species which are naturally culled by sharks will overpopulate and the plankton will be ultimately destroyed, plankton is the worlds oxygen supply going. Please don't kill sharks! 1245 Not publicly disclosed, Perth, WA, Australia A move towards eco-tourism with sharks at the centre will greatly benefit the country as well as set it at the forefront on the battle to save the environment. 1241 Not publicly disclosed, Cologne, NRW, Germany I just recently finished watching 'Sharkwater' and I am still amazed by some of the things I saw on that movie. How could people be so cruel? Yes, I am against shark hunting, and I will gladly donate and sign petitions in order to show so. 1237 John Stevenson, Keith, Moray, Scotland Please protect our sharks! We need them in our oceans, they are vital to our oceans. They need our protection. 1233 Lauren Ker, Durban, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa As a scuba diver, I would like to travel to South Africa myself and dive in the waters to see these magnificent creatures. There are many others like myself who travel just for this reason. You would lose a lot of tourists like myself if these animals were to disappear.1224 Natalie Van Leekwijck, Hoevenen, Antwerpen, Belgium 1223 Travis J David, Richmond, TX, USA it is sad what is happening to sharks.1222 Tracey Ann Church, Dagenham, Essex, UK Sharks are vital to our oceans and our eco system and should not be killed for any reasons. Laws should be put in place to protect them.1221 Not publicly disclosed, Ashville, NY, USA 1220 Not publicly disclosed, Paris, Ile de France, France 1219 Heather Demers, Dover, NH, USA Please help save these BEAUTIFUL creatures that have been around since the dinosaurs!!1218 Amber Spitzer, Hanover Park, IL, USA Please help us stop killing and finning for all sharks. This species of animal has been around before all have. Who are we to say who or what gets to live or die. We are killing off a life long species and eventually we will be killing ourselves.. If you care about our future and the future of 400 million year old species or for gods creations you will stop this now before there are no more sharks left. Please help us protect these beautiful animals, please.1217 Not publicly disclosed, Perth, WA, Australia 1216 Not publicly disclosed, Mountain Home AFB, ID, USA 1215 Heidi Liebwein, Chicago, IL, USA 1214 Leanne Chadwick, Perth, WA, Australia 1213 Not publicly disclosed, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1212 Marcia McDuffie, Martinez, CA, USA What is everyone going to do when there are no more sharks???? Not a pretty picture, is it?1211 Jessica Urquhart, White Rock BC, Canada 1210 Sylvie Bourg, Villemomble, France 1209 Not publicly disclosed, Austin, TX, USA In order to protect and follow the guidelines that have been put in place you should enforce the laws and policies put in place to to the fullest. If individuals know that nothing will be done to them but a slap on the hand if they kill sharks then who is to stop them from spreading the word and more and more individuals will be doing the same. If you are to have policies in place then make people listen to you and enforce them.1208 Not publicly disclosed, Fremont, CA, USA Shark populations are dwindling worldwide, please help protect them. Thank you.1207 Ashley L Simpson, Barrie, Ontario, Canada 1206 Troy Joseph Bolt, English Hr. East, Newfoundland, Canada 1205 Adam Turner, Seattle, WA, USA 1204 Frank D Phelps, Longmont, CO, USA 1203 Carol Horvath, Columbus, OH, USA 1202 Lindsay Elizabeth Alger, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1201 Kaitlyn McKee, Kapaa, HI, USA 1200 Miranda Bell, Davis, CA, USA 1199 Raffaella Milito, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 1198 Cdric Alexis Tolck, Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland The Sharks survive is a message, if Humans kill all the Sharks ---> Humans must die and at first Shark Killers should be killed. Humans is the worst things in the earth, so do the minimum to save the oldest animal.1197 Not publicly disclosed, Aix, France 1196 Toby Kaan, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK 1195 Julia Coffey, Wellington, New Zealand 1194 Not publicly disclosed, Alexandria, Ontario, Canada 1193 Christy Douglas, Albany, NY, USA 1192 Not publicly disclosed, Mnchen, Bavaria, Germany 1191 Mark Bolotenko, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 1190 Alejandra Freund, Madrid, Spain 1189 Amaya O'Duir, Vancouver, BC, Canada We must do as much as we can to protect our ancient sharks from man-induced extinction-our own survival depends on it.1188 Aleks Wetzlich, Sydney, NSW, Australia 1187 Marie-France Ampleman, Burlington, Ontario, Canada 1186 Anthony Vaccaro, Davenport, FL, USA 1185 Not publicly disclosed, Apple Valley, MN, USA 1184 Cyndi Byrum, Austin, TX, USA 1183 Michelle Robbins, Chicopee, MA, USA 1182 Nicole C Coates, Edgeworth, NSW, Australia 1181 Jason Nylund, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada As an environmentalist and a traveler, my family and I were planning a vacation to Capetown, and also planning on returning for the Worldcup 2010.. Seeing that the government of S.A. is not concerned with the welfare of its oceans, and species within the oceans is very disconcerting We no longer live as uneducated barbarian's on this earth, and with all S.A. has been through in the last 25years one would think that you would be the forerunner in making a stand. I guess my family and I will be taking our money to a country that is willing to make a stand. In the long run we both loose.1180 Yorick Hocking, Paris, France Shark is life. 1179 Kevin Tronel, Paris, Ile de France, France 1178 Ralph Morris, Groveland, FL, USA 1177 Suzanna van der Voort, Maastricht, Zuid-Limburg, Netherlands "If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals." --Albert Einstein--1176 Caroline Geno, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1175 Megan Kara Livingston, USA 1174 Emanuela Susani, Rimini, Italy 1173 Jeff Phillips, Canada PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY! From an economic point of view, you will gain much more in the long run by protecting the sharks!!!1172 Alice Tolan, UK Please do all you can to protect the sharks. Once they have gone then that is final and also the balance of the eco system is affected.1171 Not publicly disclosed, USA 1170 Olivier Arnaudet, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1169 Not publicly disclosed, Akron, OH, USA 1168 David Peterson, USA 1167 Erin Wipf, Canada 1166 Not publicly disclosed, Canada 1165 Not publicly disclosed, Canada 1164 Alexandra Richards, Australia 1163 Krista LePak, USA 1162 Sandy Rusch, USA 1161 Timothy Counihan, UK 1160 Ilaria Ricchi, Casagiove, Italy 1159 Not publicly disclosed, Versailles, France 1158 Not publicly disclosed, Lahaina, HI, USA Be the CHANGE you wish to see in the world....save the sharks....save us! 1157 Jessica Merrick, Oakland, CA, USA Save the sharks, don't be greedy and use them for your financial gain! They are beautiful creatures, and they are essential to our survival. Shame on anyone who fishes or takes fins from our oceans creatures! 1156 Graham C Burdett, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Money isn't worth all this. 1155 Mason O'Dell, Point Clear Bay, Essex, UK Please don't let these beautiful creatures become extinct! We must all take responsibility and not let greed destroy sharks, and then ultimately us! go to www.sharkwater.com and watch the documentary PLEASE! 1145 Not publicly disclosed, France I was coming to dive South Africa specifically because there are sharks there. If there were no sharks I wouldn't come...pass and enforce the laws to protect them! 1138 Not publicly disclosed, St Brieuc, Cotes d'armor, France I've been diving for many years and seen a lot of beautiful things in the oceans but the dream I have is to come and dive with the great white shark in a cage in South Africa. I hope the day I do this trip, it won't be too late. Sharks have such an important role in the oceans, PLEASE PROTECT THEM, my heart is bleeding when I hear about this shark finning business! 1137 Laetitia Ait Kaci, Juvisy-Sur-Orge, France I'm an experienced diver and visited South Africa last year for the sole purpose to dive with ragged tooth sharks and tiger sharks. I plan to come back later this year to dive with these amazing and fascinating sharks once again. As an apex predator these sharks have such an important role in controlling the balance of the oceans. I only hope laws can be passed to protects these animals from fisheries to make the oceans a richer place for future generations to marvel at. 1130 Jamie Goodreau, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada Save the sharks! 1128 Yolandi Muller, South Africa Meneer, ek hoop jy het die fliek 'Sharkwater' gekyk want dit is absoluut skokkend wat die mense op hierdie aarde doen in die naam van geld. Ek hoop ons land sal seker maak dat die mense in die Ooste nie hulle 'shark fin' sop kry nie! 1127 Tania Hynes, Canada Respect All Life! 1126 Natalie Skipworth, London, England, UK Be a man, do the right thing. 1123 Not publicly disclosed, Cessy, France I dived 15 years ago on the Aliwal Shoal along with sharks. It was my first time. I will never forget it. 1122 Shital Patel, USA Sustainable fishing has to be enforced if we are to save our oceans. 1120 Ester Jackson, Germany Have empathy like a real human should have and stop the suffering and cruelty. 1119 Lotte Ronja Zester, Denmark Save the sharks kill the greedy fisherman!! 1112 ALastair Sweetman, UK Please help to conserve our oceans and everything in it. 1108 Not publicly disclosed, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Believe in the laws you have put in place or else there will be no sharks left. 1091 Not publicly disclosed, Canada You'd be off your head not to protect these sharks!! 1090 Not publicly disclosed, New Zealand I saw the movie Sharkwater. I fully support Rob Stewart and Sea Shepard crew. 1088 Tracy Robichaud, Canada Knock it off, South Africa!! 1082 Brittany Roccamante, Australia Protect the great white shark in S. Africa and all around the world. 1074 M Katherine Browning, Vail, AZ, USA You can choose!!! Think about it!!!! 1072 Not publicly disclosed, Tibas, San Jose, Costa Rica Even though I am from a landlocked state in America we have the largest number of divers in the US. I am on the mailing list of two dive travel and training sites myself. We have a love for the sea and it's diversity. Please protect the sharks for the tourist dollar as well as the life in the sea. 1070 Trish Gargano, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada When will people learn? 1069 Not publicly disclosed, North Vancouver, BC, Canada Shark finning and fishing is not only ecologically damaging, it is extremely CRUEL! 1066 Christian Brandt, Sweden As a Padi-certified diver, I promise to ban our trip to South Africa until the sharks are protected in your territorial waters. 1058 Not publicly disclosed, Canada Just watched the movie 'Sharkwater' it was super good! 1056 Bordier Jean-sbastien, Blois, France Arrtons le massacre. Maintenant! 1055 Not publicly disclosed, USA Protect sharks means also protect marine ecosystems and protect life on Earth, OUR life! 1052 Not publicly disclosed, New York, NY, USA I visited South Africa just under 4 years ago. One of the most amazing experiences of my life was going Great White Shark cage diving. I'll never forget the beauty of watching those amazing animals swim silently by. I have encouraged many people to visit South Africa specifically for this adventure. If these animals are not protected not only will South Africa lose it's much needed tourism, but many people will lose an opportunity of a life time. 1050 Kaitlyn Alyse Warren, Rockford, IL, USA I love sharks and I hate that they are being killed. I mean people need to realize that the one thing that we fear the most is the one thing that we can't live without. Those who are killing sharks are just helping to destroy the earth. People need to wake up and help. I'm going to help in any way that I can. 1049 Nicola Banks, Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, Scotland I would fully support a South Africa that takes the action of protecting sharks, and would plan to Dive in South Africa should the legislation be passed. Think of our children. 1043 Jason Sperling, Edmonton, Canada Sharks are highly endangered worldwide and in dire need of protection. South Africa is famous for the sharks off its coast and should therefore be obliged to lead as a shining example in their protection! I think South Africa carries great responsibility for these magnificent creatures! 1029 Not publicly disclosed, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada The murdering of sharks needs to stop right now! These creatures have been around for billions of years and we came and took over their home. They need their space, they need our respect and they need our help. I will do everything in my power to stop the fishing of sharks. It is murder. "Man should not fear shark, shark should fear man" PLEASE SAVE THE SHARKS. 1028 Stephanie Younger, USA I think your shark population is very important to the tourism industry. That's what got me interested in your area. Leave my fishies alone! 1025 Jocelyn Bates, Overland Park, KS, USA Stop this disgust at once before your country is to blame for the extinction of these animals!!! You and your peoples are a disgrace to the human race!!! 1020 Not publicly disclosed, USA Fishing for sharks is unethical, especially to harvest their fins. The fishing practices are brutal, they undermine a beautiful group of animals and they negatively impact our very important ocean ecosystems. Please stop doing this now! 1014 Janette Rose, Reading, Berkshire, UK I live in 1 of the most talked about SHARK ATTACK/BITE Territories. We blame ourselves not the Sharks! We are in their territory. Also we have the St. Johns River flowing into the ocean, where they like to feed ON FISH, CRABS, SQUID, and occasionally SHRIMP! Please stop killing SHARKS, we will LOSE a whole ecological system, which we do NOT fully understand, YET. WE do understand this, we will STARVE without them..... 1008 Ilias Duyck, Limoges, France Save sharks, save humanity. 1007 Naomi Dutch, Ridgecrest, CA, USA As a diver, lover of the ocean and human being who is willing to share this planet, let's stop this killing.. 1003 Robert Wrn, Sweden Save the sharks, kill the poachers and those who eat the fins! 1000 Lisa Michelle Winnett, Fort Worth, TX, USA Sharks are some of the most beautiful creatures in the world. And I want to see them still here in the future. 999 Vasseur Gwladys, France
985 Mathias Wellstrm, Stockholm, Sweden
977 Tyhson Banighen, Tappen, BC, Canada
975 Larksana Rowe, Los Angeles, CA, USA
971 Jean-Francois Marie, Ahetze, Aquitania, France
970 Lillia Hanks, UK
968 Laura Spiegel, Canada
967 Bjorn Heide, Sweden
960 Not publicly disclosed, Jamaica
955 Nigel Broghan, Dublin, Ireland
954 Not publicly disclosed, Aurora, CO, USA
952 Signy Fredrickson, Winlaw, BC, Canada
951 Not publicly disclosed, Le Moule, Guadeloupe, France
949 Ursula Pelka, USA
946 Annalisa Nipoti, Italy
943 Christine Lesieur, Paris, France
942 Dora Kassis, Greece
925 Rikke Lizette Christensen, Denmark
917 Wendylle McGrane-Fuller, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
911 Jim Phillips, Sonoma, CA, USA
910 Not publicly disclosed, Canada
900 Gareth Prescott, South Africa
895 Jeremy David Hakes, Golden, CO, USA
894 Nathan McTague, Vancouver, BC, Canada
881 Terra Kitzul, Chatham, ON, Canada
876 Darren Lee Boxer, Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, UK
875 Kendell Planidin, Canada
869 Jennifer Jaeger, Altamonte Springs, FL, USA
856 Andreas Kjallman, Sweden
855 Alex Duce, UK
850 Not publicly disclosed, USA Please stop the shark fishing 2 many sharks are being killed. 848 Not publicly disclosed, Switzerland I am scrimping and saving to come to South Africa and see the Sharks. It’s 8000+taxes and fees just for the plane tickets for my husband and I. That’s the flight alone! Not to mention accommodations for the month I was planning on staying there and the day after day for the duration of the visit spent on a boat swimming with those magnificent creatures. Please, do something about this. Protect them. It’s my dream to see them alive and safe, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.839 Rodica Laura Marhan, Romania Please protect the sharks from finning and ban all products containing shark fins. 838 Paul Martyn, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Please help save sharks 834 Anne-Charlotte Pierre, Saint Martin, France PROTECT THE SHARKS, IT ‘S PROTECT THE EARTH AND SAVE OUR LIVES 833 Tracy Collins, USA It is crucial that more action is done to protect all sharks and needs to be taken as seriously as the detrimental consequences that will eventually occur to our eco-system. 830 Sandrine Andrieux, France Dear Mr. Schalkwyk, I am an avid diver. As a lover of the ocean and sharks, I value visiting countries that protects its environs. If the sharks are gone from South Africa’s waters, I will have very little reason to visit there. Please make all efforts to protect your tourism business by protecting your sharks. Many thanks, Laurie Tran 822 Not publicly disclosed, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Please stop hurting our most precious of fish. As a diver I truly learned they are not only amazing and misunderstood but are curious and intelligent. Once you learn about them and swim with them you’ll wonder how you could’ve ever harmed them. Please learn about them and take that brave step in keeping them alive. They are in need of our help. Don’t share in creating more pain but please share in their protection. Thank you, Sincerely, Karen V Bron 809 Not publicly disclosed, South West Rocks, NSW, Australia For all the children in the world, Please BAN SHARK FISHING! 797 Not publicly disclosed, Auckland, New Zealand Protect these sharks now!!! or lose them forever 790 Not publicly disclosed, Canada Please listen to this. We are all apart of this world, this ecosystem, we are no better then any other species, we all require one another. Take this to your soul. 786 Deborah Prescott, York, UK Please protect the vulnerable sharks within your waters 784 Not publicly disclosed, New Delhi, India By protecting the sharks, we are protecting ourselves. Thanks to Rob Stewart, thanks to all the active people working to preserve our world. 776 Cheryl Patterson, Swanton, OH, USA As someone who sends clients to your country purely to see your sharks in their natural environment, I cannot stress to you how important your sharks are to you, if for no other reason than a financial one. For divers, it puts you on the map. When your sharks are gone, so will be the divers and a big part of your tourism income. Please keep yourself on our map, not just as a dive destination but as an environmentally conscious and protected one. 775 Amanda Jean Hoirch, Canada Protegeons ce qui peut l’etre encore, pe,sons au futur!! 771 Heidi Anna Nagtegaal, Canada Save the sharks 766 Not publicly disclosed, Canada Please protect our sharks. 756 Not publicly disclosed, USA What does it have to take to have political leaders stand up and stop taking a blind eye too the very precious world around us. All living things on this earth work in harmony to keep each species living. It is us as humans that are destroying this earth. We are ruining this world what gives us the right to do this? What gives us the right to wipe out beings like sharks off this earth like it wont matter in the end? END funny word because we are on the way there it is real. What would it take to allow my child and his children to live without worry that this earth is falling short to the greed and money that seems more important to the fundamental right to life? I mean breathing, breathing air, do you not see. You have to stand up and see please!!!! They need someone to speak for them. Just by being who they by nature are the help produce the oxygen we breathe for life. What is wealth if you do not have life what will it all mean in the end? They bare the price for our ignoence, one of the only beings on this earth that has been here at the beginning. I think they have it right. We are so wrong, it is us we are the factor that kill, and destroy, dumb enough not to see in the end it will be our selves who will die. I cry for us all and ask myself everyday who the demons are!!!! 753 Noah Schlager, USA Please help 751 Not publicly disclosed, Australia Ban the longliners!! And realize that there are more than 3 species of sharks to protect in our oceans! 748 Tallulah Orcel, USA Many shark species are already on the brink of extinction, now is the time to take action before it’s too late: sharks need to be protected and their killing be banned all over the world, and especially in South Africa which is famous for them! 745 Kate Annabel Watson-Mitchell, Colchester, Essex, UK The numbers are dwindling. We need these creatures to keep our ecosystem in balance. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the last places of refuge for these amazing animals. Do no let it become the nightmare that has taken place in Costa Rica. I appeal to anyone voting on this as intelligent human beings, do the right thing. 741 Mark Bolotenko, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Their environments are their environments we should respect them for that and protect their right to live there 739 Not publicly disclosed, Chelwood Gate, West Sussex, UK We all need to work harder to save sharks and our oceans!!! 732 Not publicly disclosed, France Take a stand. Save the sharks. Save the world. 730 Michael James Thomas, Swansea, UK Watch Shark Water, dive with sharks and see their beauty. Stop their slaughter now. 720 Duncan Carson, Spain Sharks have been around for 400 million years - let’s make sure they survive for another 400 million! 719 Curt Mnch, Storuman, Sweden Please stop the ignorance. Killing sharks, kills the planet. We need them in order to keep a balanced eco system in the ocean and our world. Our planet, your country, its bank account and the business of shark hunting can not survive the impact of what you are doing. Keep allowing fishermen to kill marine life with reckless abandon and you have recklessly contributed to your own death and the death of those you loved. We all need oxygen to survive. Why would anyone ever, ever, ever allow this to happen is beyond me. Please help to stop it today, now! 716 Not publicly disclosed, Canada PROTECT EVERY SHARK AND MARINE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!! 712 Lily Ione Kral, USA Please, help us save these beautiful creatures! Without them, the intricate ecosystem in the oceans will be completely destroyed. People come to South Africa to see the wildlife, providing your economy with money. Without this wildlife, you will loose money, and everyone will loose the beautiful creature, the shark. 711 Erin Miller, Canada Don’t let this happen to our environment. We must protect these animals. Everyone in the global community will be effected negatively if we don’t put a stop to the finning of sharks. 710 Michael Booth, Centereach, NY, USA Please Mr. van Schalkwyk, take the time to consider this petition carefully and think of the power you may have right now to protect these sharks, and our livelihood. I’m sure you are tired of other countries telling you what to do. I don’t want to impose on South Africa’s policies and wellness. I speak from a global perspective and as someone who hopes to make some change happen - however I can. 696 Amanda Simon, Canada Please save the shark of South Africa for all to enjoy and experience. 694 Connie Steger, Hartland, WI, USA We think we are the most important thing on this earth......we kill everything to survive and to make money! When in fact we are not! Without these gracefully creatures we are nothing! But still we do not realise this (most of us anyway). We are killing ourselves buy killing what does NOT belong to us! STOP IT NOW!!!!!!!!! 692 Riccy Katherine Jamieson, Australia I have visited your beautiful country and was so impressed at your respect for nature and the environment. Please continue your efforts and strengthen them so that humans are not taking advantage of nature. I hope that I can recommend South Africa as a travel destination to my friends, and comfort them with the fact that you are doing all you can to support the environment and wild animals. 687 Kimberly Moore, West Warwick, RI, USA Protect shark not only for yourself but for future generations to come! 686 Karine Leblanc, Mauleon-Soule, France YOUR PLACE WAS ONE OF MY NEXT DESTINATION FOR DIVING WITH SHARKS.NOW, DO YOU THINK I WILL COME? NO WAY.I WILL CHANGE MY PLAN AND GO WHERE I KNOW THERE IS NO SHARK FINNING AND WHERE I COULD ENJOY DIVING WITH SHARKS, SUPPORTING A COUNTRY WHICH RESPECT NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT.STILL FOLLOW LIKE THIS AND INCOMING FROM TOURISM WILL BANKRUPT ! 685 David Scott, UK I just got my PADI open water ticket and I want to go and dive in the Ocean and see sharks and so do most of my friends. also The shark is the number one predator in the Ocean and if they die then we die!! 681 Not publicly disclosed, Jacksonville, FL, USA PROTECT SHARKS! Without sharks, the ecosystems of the world are in jeopardy! PROTECT THEM! 679 Not publicly disclosed, Paris, France As a keen diver and Veterinarian I am particularly interested in marine biology and specifically large marine species such as sharks. In order for us to fully understand the marine ecosystem we have to research all aspects of the food chain. If shark fishing is allowed to continue in its current fashion, not only will we lose the opportunity for valuable research but the financial rewards associated with the growing ecotourism market. Countries such as South Africa have the opportunity to reap the financial and ethical rewards of protecting their natural resources before they are gone - they should not waste it. 677 Denis Large, France Just one more thing our government is messing up. What else is new in South Africa? Surely our politicians has more than 3 brain cells? If they sent less time fighting between themselves or think about how to swindle the South Africa public out of money and think for a while, then they will be able to find solutions to a lot of real problems that we have. Then maybe, they will recognise a potential problem before it becomes real. 666 Jaimie Gowatsky, Clifton, NJ, USA Wake up and listen to the planet’s reality! All of this over a soup?!? C’mon...can’t we reverse this logic and promote commerce in areas that actually HELP the planet, not destroy it. Sharks are a valuable part of this balance. Let’s get moving on this issue! 659 Jessica Dawn Dunn, Goddard, KS, USA A live shark is worth more to South Africa than a dead one. Please improve the protection of these admirable species. 651 Not publicly disclosed, Sweden This is Barbaric and needs to stop 648 Not publicly disclosed, Canada We need to save out planet, I do not support the extermination of a species. 642 Not publicly disclosed, Canada As A graduate in Marine Biology and a love of sharks since childhood, any action to protect and preserve these magnificent creatures has my full and utter support! 633 Rosalind Smith, Canada Love the Sharks 627 Caroline Idoux, Noumea, New Caledonia It takes one decision to decide the fate of out planet. Help the sharks live. 616 Dominique Marie Le Bouteiller, Ornex, France Dear Mr. van Schalkwyk, I am planning to visit your country for the next time in 2010 not only to watch the Soccer world championship, but also for diving together with a group of approx. 15 Swiss and German diving buddies (I used to live in both counties). I am signing this, in order to I and my dive buddies WILL BACK OUT of our plan in the event you are continuing your current policy. As we are all quite active in various diving clubs and associations, it is likely that others will be following our example. With kind regards, 614 Jean Willmott, London, UK Protect South Africa’s Sharks 612 Megan Cooze, Canada We need to act now to protect the Sharks before it is too late. Our future depends on this. 599 Not publicly disclosed, USA I come to South Africa regularly to dive with sharks and spend a lot of money doing it its simple no sharks and I’ll go elsewhere along with my friends and money. 594 Susana Vargas, Mexico Sharks are a valuable asset for tourism. Please respect our nature. 588 James Rees, Canada Why shark fin soup? Status. Proof that shark fin products promote health? None. 587 Katherine Babiak, New York, NY, USA Please stop shark fishing. it is cruel and our own survival is at stake. 583 J. N Ashworth, Cambridgeshire, UK Protect all the sharks and natural beauty in South Africa. I may live in the UK now, but I am a South African by birth and love South Africa. So protect it please. 582 Not publicly disclosed, USA What are you thinking South Africa? Sharks are the most profitable source of tourism for you, when I think next year of coming to South Africa I think about coming to visit the amazing sharks you have there, why would you not protect them, they are so important to you. Out of principal if I do not hear of any improvement in the sharking situation in your country I will not visit, and for every person I speak to I will tell them NOT to go to South Africa! Iam planning on Bringing over thirty people with me on one visit one great white will make your country over 6000 usd dollars on cage diving, thats one shark and one days work then think of the tours it creates and the other sources of income created just by getting tourist there! PROTECT SHARKS 578 Not publicly disclosed, South Africa Please make peace with all nature creations, and learn from the animal & plant kingdoms 576 Dominique Taillefer, France I think it is cruel and barbaric. 574 Not publicly disclosed, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa This is shocking. Do these unconscious people not know that all is one and ultimately connected? If our planets resources are ruined , so will we be and cease to exist. STOP THIS MADNESS IMMEDIATLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 572 Carlos Rosendo-Arranz, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa I fully support this petition. These are our children and their children’s legacies, let’s ensure that they are able to enjoy the same ‘wild life’ privileges we have. If we continue to allow indiscriminate slaughter of these sharks and other wild life who knows what the actual economic & environmental long term impact will be. Let’s start taking action & responsibility for our planet. 569 Not publicly disclosed, South Africa I strongly support the protection of sharks and any other endangered species, I believe this is a very worthy cause. 565 Mika Zoe Johnson, Vancouver, BC, Canada One of my dream trips is cage diving w/great whites in South Africa. please protect them. 562 Antonia Salm, Southampton, NY, USA Mr. van Shalkwyk, Please help save these majestic species, and be an example to the world! 70% of the Earth’s oxygen comes from the ocean. We are killing sharks faster than they can regenerate and they are endangered. If they die out, the ocean balance will be compromised and our oxygen supply could fall drastically. We must join Captain Paul Watson, and patrol the seas, to protect and cherish the marine world. Peter Benchley, who wrote JAWS said "The shark in an updated Jaws could not be the villain; it would have to be written as the victim, for, world-wide, sharks are much more the oppressed than the oppressors.”] Please, follow your instinct--put the Earth and its creatures and oceans FIRST, and you can never go wrong. If everyone made decisions based on this, it would be a better, safer and abundant world. Please help save the sharks, and set an example to the world! Thank you, Antonia Salm 561 Kaela Gwynneth Ann Fields, Blenheim, Ontario, Canada Thank your for attention and save our future. 559 Vincent Lipatoff, Champigny sur Marne, France STOP, laissons les requins tranquilles.. 553 Carole Petit Pierre, Marcilly le Hayer, France Please protect our Marine Life from being decimated and please stop fishermen from hauling live sharks up, paralysing them by breaking their tails, cutting off their fins and throwing them back, defenseless and bleeding - into the sea. 550 Not publicly disclosed, Verona, NJ, USA South Africa could be a world leader in shark conservation. I hope you’ll support conservation efforts. 547 Elke Jack, Richmond, VA, USA Watch Sharkwater 546 Nathalie Baumann, Switzerland Protect the sharks for Eco-tourism not Eco-terrorism! 540 Amy Turner, Canada Please protect the shark! I would like to have these wonderful animals to be around swimming peacefully in the ocean. And I would like to be able to tell my children in the future that the shark survived! 537 Simon Ashworth Wood, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Let’s care for every living creature :) 535 Izabela Kaszuba, Poland Please start protecting instead of aiding the killing 531 Elizabeth Yagunic, USA Please protect one of your country’s national treasures. 526 Julienne Spencer, Canada Are you a honest and intelligent person that cares for the environment of the oceans? I am waiting to find out. 522 Cheryl Virtue, Vancouver, BC, Canada If sharks die, we all die. 521 Not publicly disclosed, France As a Doctor of Veterinary medicine, I work with these magnificent creatures daily. The magnitude of loss, if we were to eliminate any of these species by fishing, is equal to the impact of acid rain and global warming. Is there a greater crime? Stop the fishing and make a difference on our planet. 515 Marie-France Zamblera, France Please take action to protect now, or later you will be forced to take action for damage control both to sharks and humanity. 503 Amanda Page, WA, Australia Sharks are being killed in your Marine Protected Areas? Your government can’t find another solution to the slowly-replenishing numbers of elephants? As news of these failures spreads, be prepared for negative impacts to tourism bookings and revenues because the wildlife of your countryside and waters are more compelling than your vineyards. 500 James Roger Haviland, Concord, NC, USA Homo sapiens is the only species that can actually commit global suicide intentionally. Would it not be better if the other species were allowed to live without our having killed them, prior to killing ourselves? 499 Nancy Gregory, USA Brilliant cause. Film brought a tear to my eye 492 Amy Harlib, New York, NY, USA Preserving biodiversity saves the planet - that’s that. lease use your intelligence and help protect the sharks and the future of our oceans! 485 Twyla Douaire, Harwood, Ontario, Canada I strongly support this petition and hope very much that you will, too. 482 Joseph Arthur Cavanaugh, Key Largo, FL, USA South Africa like Australia has a lot of pressure on it to fold into commercial demands, these demands are not sustainable we need to create a future for everyone on this planet and not make a few people rich for the demise of all. He who dies with the most money still dies. 471 Tim Whiting, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia The killing of the top predator in an ecosystem, by removing its fin, is beyond barbaric and cruel, it’s also stupid 470 Not publicly disclosed, Switzerland Sharks are imperative to the Earth’s ecosystems. Please do all that you can to protect them. 468 Not publicly disclosed, Northern Mariana Islands I think what is going on right now is a disgrace to humanity. 463 Bryan Southard, Milwaukie, OR, USA PLEASE STOP DESTROYING OUR SHARKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 462 Sandra Ellen Laight, Dulwich Hill, NSW Australia I’m a PADI Rescue Diver. I want to visit South Africa and dive with the sharks found there. If you destroy the natural wildlife that is your country’s greatest asset, you will lose the tourism that supports it. Move immediately to protect all sharks in your waters. 458 Crystal Knysh, Carlsbad, CA, USA The killing of any animal is an outrage to our own freedom. 454 Dominic Poulin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Please do something right, right now 452 Not publicly disclosed, France I have been to South Africa twice in the last 2 years to dive with sharks. The only reason I came was to dive with sharks. Remove the sharks and I stop coming to South Africa. You do not need to be an economics genius to work out that a live shark is worth a lot more money than a dead shark. All the best shark guides are either ex-spearos or ex-fisherman because they know all the best places to find the sharks. Stop people from killing sharks and they will make a much better and sustainable living showing people the amazing marine environment that you have. Allow the slaughter to carry on and pretty soon there will be no more sharks to look at and no reason for people like me to come to South Africa. You should be setting an example in conservation for the rest of the world to follow and thereby leave a legacy for future generations of South Africans to enjoy and benefit from. 442 Pedro Alves, Portugal Horrid! Sharks are wonderful creatures and we need to save them! 427 Not publicly disclosed, UK "Our task must be to free ourselves.... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures, the whole of nature and its beauty"- Albert Einstein - Wise and bright men will always protect our oceans and all sea life for now and forever without any hesitations. 421 Chris Corabi, Los Angeles, CA, USA STOP KILLING SHARKS!!! 417 Not publicly disclosed, USA Some of my favourite photos are of the great whites swimming off the coast of South Africa and it is my dream to one day make the journey to dive with them. How is that going to happen if you don’t protect them? 411 Amanda Petra Barratt, South Africa I’m horrified by the killing of three tiger sharks off the Aliwal shoal and the countless others who are not mentioned. I and my children have a right to witness the magnificence of these creatures and to educate others about them and we will not stand by and watch as South Africans justify this as way to feed their families and as sport. There is nothing competitive, manly or humane about suffocating an animal and disrespecting its right to live and breed. We will not stand anymore, for our oceans to be raped in this fashion and we need the voice of our government that we put in place to act on this now. The recent killing of tiger sharks has merely highlighted a daily occurrence in our water. We need to respect the diversity of the ecosystems of our oceans, and the apathy and ignorance towards shark killings will essentially result in our oceans’ delicate balance being put into further disarray. 410 Kaarina Solar, Canada My partner and I have recently traveled to South Australia to dive with Great Whites. Rodney and Andrew Fox have been cage diving for 30 years and people come from all around the world to see them. Not only are they valuable in terms of the tourist dollar but what is their value to the planet? Can we afford to loose them? 406 Yliana Rojas, Calgary, Alberta, Canada This legislation is necessary and the only real alternative! 398 Not publicly disclosed, Granite City, IL, USA Someone once told me that to harm any animal that person has something mentally wrong with them. We put people away for life for killing another human. But when people slaughter millions of animals nothing is done about it. And to think humanity comes from human. I think not. 394 Not publicly disclosed, USA Given the grim outlook for sharks everywhere, all sharks should be protected. Please adopt AOCA proposals. 391 Not publicly disclosed, UK Save the shark and save your people. Let the world visit your country to be close to the shark. There are billions of shark lovers out there so dont kill the Golden Goose just for that one and only golder egg... 385 Not publicly disclosed, Quebec, Quebec, Canada It’s time to do something! 384 Not publicly disclosed, USA Stop killing the sharks 374 Blair Niewoehner, USA Ninety percent of all sharks have been exterminated worldwide. Stop the insanity! Do good, not evil. 371 Carine Martinez, Tulsa, OK, USA What is wrong with the world today, when money come before what is right; right for not only the sharks, and other animals, but for the entire planet? 369 Not publicly disclosed, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Please do something. 368 Denise A. Wilson, Lake Elsinore, CA, USA The world will be shocked by your archaic and short-sighted thinking. Can a modern representative of the people really be so backward in an increasingly environmentally world? Your tourism and your children will curse you for your decision-making. 366 Keri Rodger, Calgary, Alberta, Canada To save the ocean we need to save the sharks 364 Erica Palmer, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, USA Please protect sharks. How can humans be so ignorant when we are aware that sharks are key species and have so much ecological value that without them, the ocean is dead. Once the ocean dies, what do you think will happen to Earth and human? 360 William Max Fink, League City, TX, USA ALL RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL FISHING FOR ALL SHARK SPECIES SHOULD BE BANNED WORLDWIDE... 359 Lucy Jacqueline Boogaard, Hengelo, THE NETHERLANDS Please ban all shark fishing immediately. Please consider more sustainability, our oceans are being over fished, mismanaged and decimated, please do the right thing and protect sharks, before it’s too late! 352 Christine Kamradt, USA PEOPLE OF POWER HAVE GREATER RESPONSIBILITY. REMEMBER THAT.THE PEACEMAKER WISELY INSTRUCTS THEM TO TAKE THEIR DECISIONS SO THAT THEY BENEFIT LIFE SEVEN GENERATIONS FROM OURS. THINK ABOUT THAT. Your decision may fatally affect the lives of the future generations of people on this planet.Have you seen the movie Sharkwater? 346 Quentin Josset, France We CAN make a difference!Keep up the great work! 336 William M. Buff, Woodbury, NJ, USA Please help us protect sharks - they are beautiful creatures and deserve a place in this world. Who are we to kill them? This must stop NOW! 326 Not publicly disclosed, Goodyear, AZ, USA Please help save the South African sharks. Remember, extinction is forever and for all. These beautiful animals can earn you much more money as an ecotourism attraction than they can by fishing and slaughter. Once they are gone, they are gone for good. There is no bringing them back. They are at the top of the ocean’s food chain and if they dissapear, the consequences are staggering. Please help save sharks! Thank you. 324 Kirsten Grish, Reston, VA, USA Sir, if you are a diver you would know that our oceans and its inhabitants are in deep, deep trouble. Sharks are in hugely deep trouble and they are the apex predators, created to be so. We are upsetting the delicate balance in the oceans by constantly putting sharks last in the thought process. The consequences of this is unthinkable. What about the revenue that a live shark has within this country vs. a dead one. Do you have any idea how many tourists visit this country to view these sharks because their own waters are dead and empty??????? Do you have any idea of the value of live sharks to tourism? Surely we should show the world that we can be leaders in conservation? We were the first country in the world to protect the Great White shark and look at how favourable ocean conservationists worldwide looked at us. We have to protect this valuable part of our oceans. We as humans were never designed to spend so much time in the water. We belong on land. Why is it then that we feel we can make all the decisions on behalf of those that have a real place to fulfill within the oceans, have a real role and purpose and sadly, cannot speak for themselves. We are a sick race us humans and someone has to stop the destruction of our oceans and ocean life NOW. 311 Manuel Leonetti, Madrid, Spain I have been diving every year in South Africa for 4 years now and intend to continue. But the only reason I am there is to dive with Sharks. I’m sure that this is the same for most divers visiting SA. If these sharks are not there, we will not come. Sharks are worth more alive than dead to the SA economy. Please think long and hard about what is best for your country and your people for the future. 310 Debbie Smith, Umkomaas, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa Urgent action & education is required to protect all these species of sharks in our waters. We are upsetting the delicate balance in our oceans and the consequences are going to be unthinkable!! We have to show that we are leaders in conservation & education and that we care about the future of our oceans and what is in them. Look at how much revenue an alive shark is bringing into South Africa vs a dead one for it’s meat & fins. Look at how much employment is being created within the diving industry, guest house & hospitality industry within this country, how much is being derived from the shark diving industry. Come on....... please do your homework and know that we have to protect our living oceans. 308 Robert Coy, Redditch, Worcs, UK Save the planet ! 304 Anastasia Parmson, Strasbourg, France Please please please protect what little there is left. 284 Kelvyn Parkes, welshpool, Powys, UK Please stop this horrific act against these sharks who can’t speak for themselves and mankind needs to take action to stop this. 277 Michael Lawrence, North Port, FL, USA While some may consider sharks to be either a menace or an annoyance, they are not. Disturb the top level of the food chain and all else will follow. Please do not allow any disruption of the natural cycle of life. 276 Shawn Heinrichs, Longmont, CO, USA Please end the slaughter of our last great predators! 272 Denise H Glass, Perris, CA, USA It is becoming increasingly recognized that sharks are not the universal menace that popular fiction and movies have made them out to be. We need to study and preserve them, not indiscriminately kill them, so that they do not go the way of the dodo and other extinct species. We have to be conservators and protectors of marine and other wildlife for now and the future. If we don't, earth will be an empty shell and much the poorer. Thanks for your efforts to save sharks. 269 Not publicly disclosed, Orland Park, IL, USA Please protect the future of sharks from human greed with laws that work. 259 Carrie Lisa Davis, Bega valley, NSW, Australia If we can only start to really value our environment then we may start to understand our own value as humans. 258 Dmitry Miroshnikov, Moscow, Russia I am a recreational diver and I would one day like to dive with sharks. The sharks need to be there. Of course! 251 Rick Morton, Australia Please protect our sharks! 246 Not publicly disclosed, Bryn Athyn, PA, USA Please, please introduce strong laws to protect all shark species. Ninety percent of species have been decimated by mankind. Sharks are crucial in the oceans health so it is most important to us that they are protect. Thank you so much. 241 Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals, Quickborn, Germany Sharks are really important to the oceans’ eco-systems. If sharks were gone, it would affect everybody, even people on the other side of the world. Sharks need to be protected! 235 Not publicly disclosed, Australia Please stop allowing the killing of these endangered animals. They are both beautiful and vital to the process of life in the ocean. This is a species that has been alive for countless years and is very important. It is a animal that needs to be kept for future generations to know and for ocean life to maintain itself. Sharks are a fantastic part of the world and they must be protected. 233 Amanda Parisi, San Jose, CA, USA I visited South Africa to dive with ragged toothed sharks and may do the same thing again in the future. No sharks, no visit, no cash injection into local economies. Live sharks are worth a lot more to South Africa in the long term than dead ones. 228 Kevin Crupi, Negaunee, MI, USA Sharks have thrived in the world’s oceans for millions of years. The undeserved bad reputation these animals have earned as killers does not justify their slaughter and looming extinction. 227 Malte Lenhart, Herdecke, Germany Biodiversity on our planet is important, sharks play an important role in the marine environment 220 Not publicly disclosed, East Brisbane, Queensland, Australia We are destroying the ocean. 214 Clarke Fullerton, UK All I know is if I had an environmental position in government, and I didn’t do all I could to protect the flora and fauna of my country, then I’d be very afraid of getting fired for lack of interest and competence. SAVE THE SHARK! 213 Jill Keller Tew, Melrose, FL, USA Sharks are a beautiful and essential part of our ecosystem - we eradicate them at our massive detriment. Ask any diver - seeing a shark is always a, massive highlight. 209 Hope Nguyen, Australia Please help protect sharks. The beautiful wildlife of South Africa is a major tourist attraction, and conserving sharks can only be in everybody’s best interests. 208 Jonn Lovick, Canada Please watch a copy of Sharkwater - or even just the 2 minute trailer on www.sharkwater.com. If you aren’t moved by it and awed by its beauty and message, and have your eyes opened by its truth it would be a sad day for us as South Africans who live in such a beautiful country with such a rich natural heritage. Lloyd 205 Sophie Szeferowicz, Lille, France Protect South Africa's Sharks !! 204 Ken McMurray, San Francisco, CA, USA Stop this senseless act of cruelty and wastefulness 194 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Please consider the future and our children’s generation. Sharks and other species will not survive if we do not protect them. This is a global issue, but I ask you to please take action in South Africa now. 193 Elisabeth Karcher, France I will boycott any country &/or restaurant that supports this disgraceful, cruel practise. How can this still be occurring these days? 189 Peter Simpson, Sydney, NSW, Australia South Africa needs to (as all countries do) stop allowing their oceans to be plundered by short sighted individuals, who’s only concern is lining there pockets!!!! 188 Fiona Herron, Australia At some point in the future, I would like to go to South Africa to dive with the sharks. Please don’t destroy your sharks along with the hopes and dreams of divers worldwide who long to visit your country. Thank you. 180 Not publicly disclosed, France Please stop greed and over-exploitation over the world, for our own survival and a chance to admire diversity for a long, long, time. Please remember that no one, not even the rich and powerful, will be spared if large scale catastrophe happen. Natural disasters don’t discriminate! 179 Mike Vandervoort , Stouffville, Canada Stop this madness 178 Olum Morgan, Burlington, WA, USA Stop killing sharks for their fins!! We need sharks and they are worth more alive to us than dead! Shark fin soup is ridiculous...sharks aren’t disease free gods that live forever and eating that soup won’t make YOU live any longer yet I guarantee you that if you kill off sharks and kill the ecosystem in the ocean then we will lose the oxygen that we breathe and no amount of your precious soup will save you then!!! 166 Paul Costa, New York, USA Please consider these proposals to save the ocean’s most important predator. Without this predator - the ocean’s whole ecosystem will be in jeopardy. 162 Not publicly disclosed, USA A live shark is worth more to South Africa than a dead one. 161 Nemo A. Hoffman, Brooklyn, NY, USA In 2001, I came to South Africa as a shark tourist. I spent many thousands of dollars to see Great White Sharks off Gansbaai, Ragged-Tooth sharks off Aliwal Shoals, and Bull Sharks off Protea Banks - it was worth every dollar. In 2007, when I expressed interest in coming to South Africa again, this time for your amazing and unique Sardine Run (where sharks are key players), I was told not to come by dive experts because shark populations off South Africa have been decimated by overfishing. Please understand that your increased shark protection efforts will directly translate into increased tourism revenue - there are a lot of people such as myself who will pay top dollar to see your country’s sharks up close. If they are fished out, we will not come. Please also understand how important sharks are to the health of your waters; they keep the oceans healthy by taking the diseased and unhealthy. Sharks need your protection and without your help, the world will likely lose one of its oldest and most needed animals. Thank you. 159 Fabien Meunier, France STOP INSANITY. 155 Dana Rubin, USA We must protect our ocean’s top predators!! Their loss would have more effect on humankind than most people could ever dream of! 148 Not publicly disclosed, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Please stop killing the sharks. You are upsetting the ecosystem. We need the sharks to keep the ocean from overpopulation of other animals. Take Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra if you want better sex. I do and it’s great! :) 137 Frederick Lawrence, Venice, CA, USA These beautiful and majestic creatures must be protected. Keep up the good work! 133 Jonatan Nyberg, Finland Please legislate protection for these majestic animals. Ignorance and fear has given humans the "bloodlust" to eradicate them and it will be to the detriment of all species (including humans) by altering our ecosystem. There is so much we can learn from sharks and they are so rare in number already. Please do your best to protect them!! Thank you! Charity 123 Trisha Stone, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA Please join us in helping these magnificent animals! 120 Ulla Sommer, Stockholm, Sweden It’s a catastrophe that the top of the food chain is vanishing from our oceans! The more we can study and learn about the shark, the better we can spread information and call attention to this threatening imbalance... 119 Jennifer Nolan, Falmouth, ME , USA There is great wisdom in realizing the gifts from Mother Earth are truly gifts. Reverence for sharks will not just help the sharks, but will have far reaching benefits for all the generations to come. What will our excuse and regret be if in years to come there are no longer sharks roaming the great seas. Let’s wake up now to the reality that there is much to be learned from these great creatures and they have every right to be protected and celebrated. Thank you. 118 Not publicly disclosed, USA Lets all do what we can to help the sharks . I work in the Motion Picture Industry and if you would like to do a project together let me know. 115 Kevin Andrew Oeler, McLean, VA, USA Please protect these animals! 112 Nathan Andrew Meadows, Republic, MO, USA Please please please, do whatever you can to protect the sharks!!! 108 Terry L. Green, Lewes, DE USA Sharks aren’t as cute as seals, or as impressive as whales, but they also need our protection to survive. They are an important part of the ocean ecosystem and I have traveled to many different parts of the world to experience diving with them. Please enforce these laws! 106 Not publicly disclosed, USA Sharks are too important to the health of the oceans to take for granted. I am not in support of taking away anyone’s livelihood, but rather in favor smart and responsible management of all shark species that ensure healthy populations of these important creatures for generations to come. The ideas in this petition seem to be a step in the right direction. 105 Not publicly disclosed, Madison, WI, USA I grew up and learnt to dive on the shoal, with the sharks being the main reason that I have continued diving and arranging trips from the UK to my home country for the Brits to enjoy similar experiences. Many of which beg me to arrange more trips - therefore no sharks = no tourism in my point of view. 90 Kathy Hoyt, USA Worldwide, the ocean ecology is at risk from ignorant people who kill sharks or who support shark fishing. Shark diving is not only exciting, it is educational. Who could eat shark’s fin soup or wear shark skin products after swimming with these wonderful creatures. 86 Not publicly disclosed, USA Please, protect the sharks! They are the joy of the Sea and also a necessary animal for the health of the oceans! Don’t let those incredible animals be killed wantonly and for no reason worth killing them for! They are worth more alive than fished! Thank you! Alfredo Barroso Ruiz 82 Not publicly disclosed, USA Please Join Us To Protect These Beautiful Animals. The Do Not Deserve To Be Killed At Random. Killing The Great And Beautiful Animals Is A Trajadey. Please Stop 80 Not publicly disclosed, Vigo(pontevedra) Galicia, Spain We have much bigger and more important reasons for keeping them alive than we have for killing them. Even "accidental" killing should not be tolerated by large fishing fleets 76 Stefan Kapuz, Bavaria, Germany It really is awful killing sharks only for eating the fins and the meat both beeing so unhealthy for the mankind. 70 Lisa Kreischer, Egg Harbor TWP, NJ, USA Please help protect these beautiful creatures. They are worth far more to you alive then dead! 66 Julio A. Borras, North Miami Beach, FL, USA Please help save sharks. 65 Guy Fisher, London, UK Stop the killing before it’s too late.... 63 Marie Cachera, Brest, France Shark diving should not be banned anywhere, divers are grown adults who can decide whether or not to dive. We cannot be told what to do, it’s our lives, let live, let us dive in peace.It is one of the most amazing experiences you may ever experience. 58 Greg Thorpe Schubert, Springfield, MA, USA "Bitten By Sharks" keeps me abreast of the South Africa situation. 57 Angela Tai, Boston, MA, USA Please protect the dwindling numbers of sharks. Although South Africa is a beautiful country for many reasons, one huge reason we came was to see the great whites in False Bay. 56 Not publicly disclosed, USA All sharks must be protected. Shark finning is wiping out the World’s sharks because poachers will kill any species of shark for their fins to sell. Protect All Sharks Wordwide! 54 Christopher Weaver, Upton, NY, USA Shark dives help to make people more aware that sharks are magnificent creatures that are a necessary and wonderful part of life on this planet. Humans currently are slaughtering them in huge numbers. Banning shark dives will only ensure a more rapid extinction of various shark species. We must be able to see them up close and personal in order to understand them. 45 Not publicly disclosed, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia The world’s sharks need our protection, our support and our respect. To deliberately destroy even just 1 of these magnificent creatures is barbaric and deplorable. 37 Robin James Tomes, London, UK I went to South Africa in 2002, only to see the Great White shark. During my trip, me and my wife spent a lot of money, and because of the weather, we couldn’t see the great white, so we want come back to your wonderful country, but not if there aren’t any sharks... 31 James Black, Bridgeville, PA, USA Andre Hartman, Michael Rutzen, and Walter and John from African Watersports are friends of mine. They have proved time and again that the sharks of Africa are not the killers that they are perceived to be. The sharks do what they do ...no less than the lions in Kruger. The tourism numbers and money gained to come see the sharks should be enough impetus to continue to protect the sharks...and further the facility of these people mentioned to bring the sharks’ plight to the public.... and to show them to the people that want to see them. JIM BLACK 30 Not publicly disclosed, USA Sharks must be protected at any cost........Long live a species that has been around for millions of years. And brought to near extinction in a couple decades..........19 Not publicly disclosed, USA Dear Mr. van Schalkwyk:Greetings. I just wanted to let you know that even though I live in America, protection of sharks in South Africa is important to me. I have been to South Africa twice to scuba dive with sharks, and I would like to return. But if the sharks are gone, I will not be coming. And my tourism dollars will not reach your beautiful country. Please do everything possible to protect sharks. Thanks for your time.18 Jean-Pierre Botha, Gansbaai, W Cape, South Africa 17 Tony Hodges, USA 16 Alec Connah, UK 15 Not publicly disclosed, USA 14 Heidi Coluzzi, New York, USA Stop the slaughter of sharks! 13 Not publicly disclosed, Falmouth, Cornwall, UK 12 Sijmon de Waal, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa Mr Minister its about time you did something about protecting South Africas marine treasures.11 Not publicly disclosed, South Africa It is vital that people wake up and acknowledge sharks’ value worldwide and stop the negative media hype surrounding these majestic creatures...10 Roger Mark Horrocks, South Africa 9 Philippe Horinecki, Marchin, Lige, Belgium 8 Mark Addison, Umkomaas, KZN, South Africa 7 Janet Kirkpatrick, Bronx, NY, USA Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health of our oceans; the loss of this apex predator can have devastating consequences on the marine ecosystem. It is truly a privilege to observe any shark within its natural habitat, and one which I hope future generations will also have the opportunity to appreciate. Please put more bite into your current laws so that these magnificent creatures may be better protected and survive mans callous and ignorant actions.6 Jean-Francois Avenier, Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa 5 Lisa Blecker, Brooklyn, NY, USA 4 Wolfgang Leander, Cochabamba, Bolivia Aliwal Shoal without sharks would not attract one single diver from abroad - not one. The tiger sharks, all sharks, need to be protected, and the respective laws have to be enforced mercilessly3 Thomas M. Sergent, Rockford, IL, USA Ecotourism and Shark diving are vital to the conservation of apex predators such as sharks. A long term aggressive campaign by your government to protect sharks must be adopted to insure their survival2 Julie Andersen, Brooklyn, NY, USA To paraphrase one of my own personal role models (Rob Stewart) "People need to shift their thinking about sharks; it is the bears, tigers and pandas - the seemingly cute cuddly creatures that garner public support". Senseless acts like this are our call to action. They should not be tolerated and people need to know about them, as the awareness on this issue is still low globally. As shark advocates, all of us need to vocally and continually reinforce our mission. We need people to realize sharks are not dangerous but rather in danger. To allow people to realize what is going on and remove the barriers so they can start caring. To unite conservation efforts and continue the grassroots movement started in Sharkwater. We are losing ground quickly on the few last remaining places on earth... look at Cocos and Galapagos. We have got to act now.We must come together and fight to ensure our sharks are protected in Africa, in the Bahamas wherever our precious and disappearing sharks need our help.1 Michael Skoletsky, New York, NY, USA We strongly encourage you to protect the sharks. There are few places in the world where they still congregate and where divers can go to experience them. You have responsibility over one of the most important of these locations. We would support your efforts to strengthen the protection of sharks. |
