Who we are
The Shark Coalition is a group of NGOs and individuals from Central and South America and the USA, who met for a shark workshop in Costa Rica in 2006 and decided to work together to conserve sharks in the Americas and beyond.
Since then, more groups and individuals NGOs have joined the Coalition. The group does not have external funding and all the Coalition work carried out by its members is done on a voluntary basis.
Our Mission
To promote responsible and effective shark management and conservation at a national, regional and global level.
Our Objectives
- To support regional collaboration on shark conservation and to ensure that the importance of Latin America to global shark conservation is recognized.
- To use scientific information to educate civil society about the importance of healthy shark populations to ocean ecosystems.
- To discourage irresponsible and unsustainable consumption of shark products.
- To highlight the economic benefits of non-consumptive use of sharks, i.e. through the diving industry.
Our methods
In order to achieve its objectives, the Coalition will:
- Work through the United Nations Law of the Sea to achieve the best possible global policy on shark finning.
- Work through Regional Fisheries Management Organizations to promote best practice in the conservation and management of sharks.
- Collaborate with our governments in influencing regional and global decision-making on sharks.
- Encourage our governments to work together to achieve their common objectives.
- Use the national, regional and international media to promote shark conservation and to discourage unsustainable consumption of shark products.
Our Members
AIDA (Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente) Mexico
Carlos Ormond, Panama/USA
Deborah Chiriboga High, Ecuador
Deep Blue Resort, Honduras
Defenders of Wildlife, Mexico
FUNZEL (Fundación Zoológica de El Salvador), El Salvador
HSI (Humane Society International), USA/Costa Rica
Jorge Eduardo, Brasil*
Malpelo Foundation, Colombia
MarViva, Panama
PRETOMA (Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas), Costa Rica**
TEYELIZ , Mexico
WildAid, Ecuador/USA
Conservation Science Institute (CSI)
IEMANYA OCEANICA
Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC)
Utila Whale Shark Research
* Individual governmental member
**Coalition co-ordinator, 2006 –