It's that time again. You've been silently preparing for weeks, stocking up on the snacks, making sure your couch is extra-comfy, and probably watching Jaws for the fiftieth time.
I know, because I've been doing it too. It's time for Discovery Channel's Shark Week which will begin on Sunday, August 12th. And, for those of us who have been uncertain about Shark Week's role in shark conservation over the past few years, we can ease our guilt for watching so ravenously this year, because Discovery Channel is taking on some pretty great partners to help spread the message of conservation.
This year, Discovery announced that it now supports Shark Savers, Oceana, and PEW Charitable Trusts as partners in shark conservation (each of those names is a hyperlink to their site or to their online petitions regarding shark protection. Take a minute and check them out!). This action suggests that the programming on this year's Shark Week will aim at promoting the protection of sharks since it has become more and more obvious that they are extremely vulnerable to overfishing. Ideally, it will also draw attention to the plight of shark suffering at the hand of the shark finning industry, where the sharks are often mutilated by having their fins removed and then thrown back into the sea to drown. The only way to stop the slaughter is to raise awareness, not only to create marine sanctuaries to protect them but also to make the sale or trade of shark fins illegal, as it already is in California, Oregon, and Illinois.
I know, because I've been doing it too. It's time for Discovery Channel's Shark Week which will begin on Sunday, August 12th. And, for those of us who have been uncertain about Shark Week's role in shark conservation over the past few years, we can ease our guilt for watching so ravenously this year, because Discovery Channel is taking on some pretty great partners to help spread the message of conservation.
This year, Discovery announced that it now supports Shark Savers, Oceana, and PEW Charitable Trusts as partners in shark conservation (each of those names is a hyperlink to their site or to their online petitions regarding shark protection. Take a minute and check them out!). This action suggests that the programming on this year's Shark Week will aim at promoting the protection of sharks since it has become more and more obvious that they are extremely vulnerable to overfishing. Ideally, it will also draw attention to the plight of shark suffering at the hand of the shark finning industry, where the sharks are often mutilated by having their fins removed and then thrown back into the sea to drown. The only way to stop the slaughter is to raise awareness, not only to create marine sanctuaries to protect them but also to make the sale or trade of shark fins illegal, as it already is in California, Oregon, and Illinois. |
| Thanks, National Geographic! |
Shark Savers and Discovery Channel have some pretty great ideas for Shark Week viewers and non-viewers alike. Check out their list of 25 Ways to Help Sharks, which offers some practical tips on actions you can take. Learn more about sharks and their role in the life of the ocean on Discovery's "Shark Facts" page. And if you're a Jaws lover (and let's face it, who isn't?), check out their special on "How Jaws Changed the World" or one of their other great shows. And, of course, sit back, relax, pop some popcorn and get in your couch groove, because it's going to be a great week to watch television.
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