Blueprint of a Sanctuary

This AustralAsia magazine article by Todd Essick describes the behind-the-scenes activism in the Republic of Palau that resulted in the creation of the world's first national sanctuary for sharks -- an area of 237,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. My involvement is described in the second half of the article.

The positive outcome of the result-driven activism involving Palau can serve as a model of hope for the ocean. It revealed how even a few determined individuals can make a significant difference in combating the relentless predation upon the natural world.

Of note: An inaccuracy in this piece -- perhaps born out of political consideration at the time -- is a depiction that conservation requirements between Palau and the U.S. regarding the Compact of Free Association were circulating as an "elephant in the room." Contrarily, my tactic in revealing reciprocal environmental terms from within the Compact demanded discretion, not fanfare. Both the Palau and U.S. Compact Review teams received my document, "Objection to Compact Review Claims" upon the opening day of the review hearings. Only then was an unavoidable "elephant" produced to add monetary leverage towards defeating Palau's legislative nightmares.

A Resounding Cry for Reason

"A Resounding Cry for Reason is Vital at CITES" is my Gulf Times editorial written as a participant at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the UN treaty agreement between 175 nations which met in Doha, Qatar. I utilized the Middle East media to broadcast the case on why the sharks urgently needed CITES protection. Distributed in English, French and Spanish, my preemptive article came out prior to the shark proposals to be voted on throughout the upcoming week.

In a critical proposal for a trade ban on the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna, Japan orchestrated a full-bore campaign to deny any protective status. Japan imports 80% of all bluefins, and has immense freezing capacity to store all they can buy. They're literally banking on this species' extinction, upon which their stockpile of bluefins will greatly soar in value.

Japan's lobbyists colluded with the Chinese-led delegations, flagrantly swapping votes to deny a trade ban for the bluefin tuna in return for Japan's coalition to vote against the protections for shark species. A similar corrupt maneuver took place between several African states and Japan, a swap of "my tuna for your elephant."

Despite overwhelming evidence supporting protection, not only the bluefins, but all proposed marine species were refused trade bans. At least two-thirds of the delegates invariably voted as Japan dictated regarding aquatic species. This profit-driven outcome was the complete opposite of what the CITES' mandate was established to prevent.

On the night before the tuna vote, Dr. Sylvia Earle spoke to delegates at an event where awards were given for shark conservation. She emphasized the critical need to protect tunas, sharks, and all aquatic beings. Dr. Earle said: "We have 10 years, no more, it is happening right now in our time. If we do nothing and continue the way we are, it will be all over. More and more will simply vanish. And it will be our fault."

A Sea of Deceit and Capitulation

Introduction by Carol Muske-Dukes to "A Sea of Deceit and Capitulation," a Huffington Post article I wrote in opposition to the Obama administration's disgraceful attempt to enable the resumption of commercial whaling:

"I'm taking a moment to bring you a statement of urgent import from an environmental activist, protector of international ocean wildlife -- who is making a profound plea to the Obama administration to reverse its cynical and cruel support of the lifting of the ban on commercial whaling -- a "bow" to Japan. Former Senator Barack Obama stated that "As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on international whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable." Yet at the March intersessional IWC meeting, the Obama administration was the chief proponent in encouraging the plan to resume commercial whaling and is encouraging other nations to follow.

Come on. Political compromise (the kind derived from international debt pressure and lobbyists) has become the "theme" of this administration -- selling out on the unethical and indefensible butchering and barbaric torture of whaling, the murder of sentient beings -- is a kind of metaphor for what is happening to liberal ideals.

Here is a statement from Edward Dorson, Director of Conservation Strategies for the Shark Research Institute. Thank you for reading this and following up with a click on the link to the Shark Research Institute's Campaign to Prevent the Resumption of Commercial Whaling."

~ Carol Muske-Dukes; Poet Laureate of California, Professor at USC Dept. of English/Creative Writing

A Victorious Veto in Palau

The veto of Palau's Senate Bill No. 8-50 was, in fact, the most important victory in the campaign to establish a true sanctuary for Palau's waters and for the welfare of the islanders. Along with the U.N. declaration of Palau as the World's First Shark Sanctuary (which removed Palau's notorious Senate Bill No. 8-44 to legalize shark finning), Palau's President Toribiong shortly thereafter vetoed Senate Bill No. 8-50.

SB No. 8-50, introduced by the president's brother, Senator Joel Toribiong, would have prevented Palauans from receiving export tax revenue for fish catches along with assigning General Santos City in the Philippines as the new transshipment port (presently Palau's Malakal harbor). Without tax collection incentive and with catches avoiding Palau's port, all Palauan regulatory oversight would have been removed...including curtailing the taking of endangered species, preventing the overshoot of catch quotas, and mitigating rampant shark fishing & finning.

SB No. 8-50 never came close to the worldwide attention received by SB No. 8-44. Palau's corrupt fishing concerns along with compromised politicians played a legislative shell game to make everyone think the sole conservation victory was defeating the legalized finning sought by SB No. 8-44. They anticipated the massive outcry against SB No. 8-44, so profoundly detrimental to Palau's underwater oasis tourism image. It served as a slick diversion...once SB No. 8-44 got pulled: sharks OK = Palau OK.

Meanwhile, Palauan fishing firms and their foreign counterparts were already granted several new licenses to fish Palau's EEZ. They were fully committed towards grabbing the most profit with tunas, sharks, and the live reef fish trade. Unabated exploitation, including finning, would have been assured with the stealthy passage of SB No. 8-50. SB No. 8-44 would be "sacrificed" without any real inconvenience to the exploiters.

Appeal to Veto Senate Bill No. 8-56

In tandem with my efforts involving Palau’s marine sanctuary, I targeted Palau’s Senate Bill No. 8-56, a very detrimental bill which sought to allow open seasons for the taking and selling of Humphead wrasse, Bumphead parrotfish, and grouper. Aside from decimating these threatened species, this bill as law would have also severely undermined Palau’s pro-conservation image as the world’s first national shark sanctuary.

This is one of several internet postings of my open letter to Palau's President Johnson Toribiong. My appeal was also concurrently published in Palau's Tia Belau newspaper and broadcast on the Oceania Television Network.

Due in large measure to the massive response of people answering my call to endorse my stance and send their own individual letters of protest to President Toribiong, Senate Bill No. 8-56 was vetoed on November 29, 2010.

Campaign to Prevent Commercial Whaling

This was a critical anti-whaling campaign to kill a plan that would have removed the worldwide ban on commercial whaling.

At the 2010 International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Morocco, the Obama administration took the lead in advancing a scheme to resume commercial whaling and urged compliance from other countries that were previously staunch allies of the whales.

The U.S. position was a drastic departure from then-Senator Barack Obama's campaign promise made on March 16, 2008, when he stated: "As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable."

This sell-out on the world's whales was based solely on geopolitical manipulations and the U.S. debt obligation with Japan -- a scheme devoid of any scientific or ethical consideration.

This campaign achieved its goal in concert with scores of anti-whaling forces worldwide. The proponents of the IWC plan to resume commercial whaling were confronted with a torrent of opposition that ultimately defeated the pro-whaling ambitions of Japan, Norway, and Iceland.

Moai

"Moai" is an example of my large scale public sculpture that can be seen on permanent display in New York City. It's located in the plaza at 160 East 65th Street, the southwest corner of 65th St. and 3rd Ave.

Objection to Compact Review Claims

In this document (linked as "[PDF] Letter to the Editor" from Palau's Island Times newspaper), I detailed the catastrophic nature of Palau Senate Bills' No. 8-44, 8-50 and 8-56.* My "Objection to Compact Review Claims" was sent in July of 2009 to both the US and Palau Compact of Free Association Review participants, as well as to Palau's Congress, newspapers, and relevant civic organizations.

The Compact of Free Association is an agreement wherein the US provides for a 15 year term of economic assistance to Palau. I argued that the 3 aforementioned bills were clearly inconsistent with Palau's claims of achieving "environmental stewardship" and "economic security" in compliance with the Compact's requirements for environmental sustainability and economic self-sufficiency. Illuminating conservation policy breaches within the Compact -- a potential quarter billion dollar funding package for Palau -- triggered inquiry and pressure in terms of unfulfilled treaty obligations.

Along with the Palau-based activism of Dermot Keane and worldwide petitions condemning Senate Bill No. 8-44 (which sought to legalize shark finning), the exposure involving the Compact funding provided necessary leverage to compel Palau to abandon its path towards ecological ruin.

On Sept. 25, 2009, Palau's President Johnson Toribiong designated his nation's 237,000 nautical square miles of ocean as the "World's First National Shark Sanctuary" before the UN General Assembly. Senate Bill No. 8-44 was immediately withdrawn and, although passed by Palau's Congress, Senate Bills' No. 8-50 and 8-56 were later defeated by presidential veto. Palau now has strengthened its long-term economic prospects by preserving its priceless natural heritage and remaining an increasingly rare marine oasis.

*An in-depth summation of Senate Bills' No. 8-44, 8-50, & 8-56 can be found in "Summation of Palau Bills" under the "Commentary" category, above.

Shark and Awe in the U.S. Senate

"Shark and Awe in the U.S. Senate" is a Huffington Post piece on the legislative mauling of the U.S. Shark Conservation Act. With this article, I sought action to stop political maneuvering from killing the vitally needed Shark Conservation Act.

These excerpts from the opening and closing paragraphs serve as a brief description of this travesty and what I asked people to do:

"The U.S. Shark Conservation Act of 2010, a bill that offered a critical lifeline for sharks, has recently been blocked by a dysfunctional U.S. Senate. If not rapidly passed, the Act will have no purpose once sharks hit their impending point of no return. Resurrecting this legislation is urgently needed for both the preservation of sharks and our nation's fading conservation ethos."

"The U.S. Shark Conservation Act of 2010 is urgently needed, but corruption, ignorance, and political maneuvering has now precluded wise action by our Senate. People don't have to remain idle while the Senate stagnates. Citizens should write or fax their senators and demand they reintroduce and pass the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 (S. 850) at the next session of Congress along with rejecting the arcane filibuster and "hold" procedures that are strangling it. We mustn't bow to any destructive tradition, be it for soup or senators."

Thousands of personalized protests were sent in to keep this bill alive. The U.S. Shark Conservation Act was finally passed on 12/22/10, the last day of the lame duck session of the 111th Congress. This marked a substantial victory for the oceans, for ourselves, and for future generations. My deepest thanks to all who contributed by writing in to demand passage for this urgently needed law.

Sharks -- A Multiplex of Crisis & Hope

This article in PangeaSeed, a Japanese-based shark organization, begins by introducing the enduring stigma of "Jaws" upon the public psyche:

"How is it that a movie made in 1976 continues to traumatize viewers worldwide while forever stereotyping and demonizing sharks? Peter Benchley’s fictional story and Steven Spielberg’s movie adaptation of a mammoth man-eating shark that stalks innocent humans as they enjoy a leisurely summer swim has led the world to subscribe to the philosophy that the only good shark is a dead shark."

"A Multiplex of Crisis & Hope" presents real life accounts that help make the case for the preservation of sharks. It takes the form of several vignettes, each with a sub-title suitable for the marquee of a multiplex theater.

The last of these, "Shark Wars Episode 4: A New Hope," describes the creation of the world’s first national shark sanctuary in Palau. While this account of the sanctuary's creation is described with a very broad brush, the article adds a welcome insight to the critical importance of the sanctuary's role in creating a new movement for shark conservation:

"Since the declaration of the sanctuary, the decision has rippled through coastal and island communities around the world and has been instrumental toward the recent global movement to protect sharks. Within the last year similar declarations and legislation to protect sharks have occurred in the Maldives, Honduras, Indonesia and Hawaii. And most recently in January in the United States, President Obama signed into effect The Shark Conservation Act of 2010 which will stiffen the ban and close loopholes in existing shark finning laws. Note that similar legislation just became a law in Saipan, Guam and Washington state."

Stop the Harvest of Goliath Grouper

This article comes from Dive Photo Guide. It presented a bogus proposal by sport fishing and spearfishing groups in Florida to enable the hooking and spearing of 800 Goliath Groupers over a 2 year period for the purpose of "scientific research."

My petition letter (at the bottom of the article) revealed this scheme's similarity to Japan's deceitful use of the International Whaling Commission's scientific research loophole in order to justify their wanton slaughter of whales. The attempt to slaughter these endangered Goliaths was ultimately denied by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Ocean Reglitterized

"The Ocean Reglitterized" was a recent exhibition of over 30 of my images shown at the Pelham Art Center in September and October of 2011.