Shark advocates and scientists strive for the same cause: protect sharks from their rapid global decrease in population. However, advocates and scientists don't always agree on the methods. Some people want all finning and fishing of all sharks to stop completely. Others feel it's more realistic to have some sustainable shark fisheries and want to ban finning altogether. A current proposed bill in Congress that will ban finning of any kind is testing the relationship among some advocates and scientists.

Debate on the methods of science, conservation and protection is healthy. What is NOT healthy is the personal attacks after heated debates online. Personal attacks do not help move ideas forward. They do the opposite. They further divide the rational line of compromise and agreements.

I discuss this in our second story of this episode because advocates are personally attacking a researcher for their stance on the proposed bill to ban the sale of all fins in the US.

Listen to the podcast and let me know how you feel this issue could have been solved in our Facebook Group.

Also on the podcast: 1) Thousands of fish, including 1,000-2,000 leopard sharks die in San Francisco Bay; and, 2) An alliance is formed to track the distribution line to eliminate illegal fishing in our global seafood market.

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This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world.

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