Monthly Archives: September 2007

NGOs Lunch, Shark Presentations, and Discussions

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A week has passed now since the Shark Alliance Conference at the Luso-American Foundation in Lisbon. I had the opportunity and pleasure of being invited by Rémi Parmentier one of the organizers of the event to a lunch prior to the conference. There, I had the opportunity to meet some of the Portuguese NGOs people, also invited due to their proficiency and knowledge on the subject. They also revealed to be very good contacts/sources on whaling matters on the start and get Portugal active on the issue. I arrange to meet some of them this week to see what we can do.
But back to the conference, after a pleasant lunch, we headed for the conference. Good strong presentations, everyone listened carefully and intently. Portuguese Secretary for the Environment, Dr. Humberto Rosa gave a pre-recorded statement to the conference (view video below).

I was quite astonished with some of the facts; the one that stood out more was that Portugal is the third country in EU to kill more sharks. Sharks (much like whales and other mammals) have a slow reproductive cycle and cannot be addressed like a common fish that produces millions of eggs every year. See fact sheet about sharks.

After the last presentation by Rémi Parmentier, the questions and answers part started. This was when the real thing began. At the conference audience were present fishermen, people from the IPIMAR (Fisheries and Ocean Research Institute), that added some spices to discussin. Has Uta Bellion, one of the speakers, pointed out and wisely, this was fantastic because normally we go to conferences and all we do and see is a “priest, preaching to the already converted”, and everyone goes home happy and with their convictions even more reaffirmed. Here we had a good discussion where people spoke and where heard, interacting and searching for answers and ways to address the issue. I think more will come out of this inside the Portuguese community.


video © shark alliance

I also believe this was very positive and now with the Portuguese presidency of the EU there is a momentum for this nation to stand out on environmental questions, shark conservation is only one of them. I hope I may contribute on a positive way to this on my field, whaling. Portugal is to host the IWC (International Whaling Commission) meeting in 2009 at Madeira and I hope we get some historical outcome there.

- Read more about the conference here
- View some photos here (slide show)
- On the TV News SIC

Acreditar

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O texto que se segue é de Mariana Matoso

Nesta Estrada que caminhamos e que nos guia, ha momentos de duvida. Ha intercepcoes, cruzamentos que desconhecemos. Destinos que se nos desvendam difusos e incertos. Nao para nos impregnar com o sabor amargo do escarnio ou para nos embeber no licor azedo da desilusao e da derrota, mas apenas para nos desafiar.
Neste caminho que percorremos, sem saber para onde ou por onde, o que nos guia ‘e um sentir. Um sentir para. Um impulso. Um instinto. Uma vontade. Acima de tudo, a certeza de um chamamento. Porque nascemos com o mundo inteiro dentro de nos e o que nos chama ‘e o lugar pequenino que temos de preencher.
Nem sempre ‘e facil aceitar que esse caminho nos afasta de tudo quanto construimos ou de tudo o que queremos, de tudo o que amamos. Do que queriamos ser?
Nem sempre ‘e facil desistir de uma vida, para embarcar numa viagem que ‘e de muitas vidas. Ha quem nao o compreenda ou respeite, nos compreenda ou respeite. Destinados a sentir o pulsar do mundo com extrema sensibilidade, tudo isso nos destroi por dentro, nos acidifica o coracao e nos deturpa o ser genuino.
Mas… ‘e, o caminho, esse que nasceu connosco e cresceu dentro do nosso berco, por isso temos de prosseguir.
E porque o caminho ‘e uma aspiral ascendente cuja dinamica nao permite o voltar atras, esses momentos de duvida que existem, simbolo da nossa essencia humana, representam, nao o abismo ou a derrota, mas o fortalecimento da conviccao e da certeza. Porque ‘e preciso esquecer o vazio por baixo dos pes e o coracao ferido que ainda sangra, e erguer a cabeca. Encher o espirito de forca e subir um degrau.
Acreditar que durante o nascer da madrugada, o sol voltara a brilhar e que nele encontraremos o nosso reflexo, espelhado no horizonte do amanha.

Por isso… “don’t loose yourself, don’t let yourself be lost”…

‘cause there are stars meant to shine 4ever*

Sharks at Risk: Building an EU Conservation Plan (open conference)

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11th September 2007
Luso-American Foundation
Rua do Sacramento à Lapa 21, 1249-090 Lisboa.
Tel: (+351) 21 393 5800

Sharks, skates and rays are among the most vulnerable and under-protected species in European waters. The IUCN estimates a full third are threatened with extinction due to overfishing. Still, interest in fishing for these species is increasing in the face of inadequate or non-existent limits. Action is urgently needed to safeguard and restore these key components of our ocean ecosystems.
Portugal has assumed the European Union Presidency at a critical time for sharks. The European Commission is formulating its long-awaited Community Plan of Action for Sharks and has pledged completion by 2008.
With its rich maritime history and interest in sustainable fisheries, Portugal is well poised to bring the EU into a new era of responsible shark fishing, recovery of depleted species, and international leadership in global shark conservation.

Click here to download the programme and speakers biographies

Na Estrada – Km 2114

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“Nós nascemos e a Estrada também. É o caminho de muitos mistérios, há quem lhe chame fado, o fado de cada um. Nós caminhamos sem vermos o horizonte, não enxergamos além da curva, nem do monte, nem do rio, caminhamos sobre ctónios, albergados nos segredos da terra, e, sob os deuses igualmente mitológicos dos céus, o caminho fecha-se, abruptamente, ou mantém-se aberto aos nossos passos, deixa que o circulem até á alameda imprévia destinada aos seres superiores. Por aí, não. A estrada desvia-se.
Mas convida-nos a prosseguir, vai-nos tolerando. Nós é que já não a suportamos porque a estrada é cansativa, doentia, venéfica e, muitas vezes pérfida. Quando as engelhas nos sulcam o rosto, as desilusões nos enfraquecem, o corpo exaurido, não nos obedece, a estrada converte-se em degraus, mas já não desafia pessoas, escarnece delas.”

(Homero Serpa in Na Estrada)