With Shark Allies I hope to create an entity that can serve as a meeting place for non-profit organizations, volunteers and activists that are working in shark conservation.

With so many outstanding organizations already in existence, I wanted to create something that would not duplicate or compete, but rather bring something new to the equation that would complement the groups.

My goal with Shark Allies is, on one side, to change the way we are doing business amongst ourselves, and on the other, to design and pursue projects that draw on the tremendous creativity and expertise that is available within our circle of friends and colleagues.

Groups may differ in opinion in certain respects and at times there can be a degree of competition, but in the end there is one cause that finds all of us in agreement:

We MUST stop shark finning. We MUST stop shark fin soup.

And on that common ground we can create coalitions and support each other in a focused effort to advance campaigns and bring unprecedented momentum behind legislative efforts.

My wish for Shark Allies is to be a place where we can unite and discuss ALL efforts, where we can honestly and objectively report on the status of everyone’s projects, and where we can keep a tally on the total progress.

One section that I look forward to developing is the “Allies to the Sharks”.

I have met so many amazing characters that have dedicated their lives to ocean conservation. They may be popular or controversial. They may have been invisible (because they don’t have the time to talk about their accomplishments) while others may have been receiving just a bit too much credit based on little more than their name. Its not always fair. But what really counts is how each of them helps to further the cause and what parts they contribute to the greater whole.

An extension of that area will be Shark Allies TV (sharkallies.tv), where I hope to have a series of short documentaries about the activists and projects of the shark conservation world.

A few disclaimers straight from the start:
I will do my best to be objective, but I will probably be a bit biased towards the people that are the most helpful and that have left an impression. If someone is left out, its not because they didn’t do great work, but it is because I am either not aware of it, or, while doing a million things at once, wasn’t thorough enough in transcribing notes.

Everyone in SharkAllies has real jobs and/or works full time on conservation issues. The time I can dedicate to Shark Allies and this site is limited and sporadic.

I reserve the right to not have all the facts at all times. Updates will not always be timely.

Everyone is welcome to contribute and make this a better site!