2013-05-24T08:41:01-04:00 January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=january-jones Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for January Jones Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1925296 2012-09-29T13:54:18-04:00 2012-11-29T05:12:01-05:00

January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/ Jaws in 1975, with the specter of the man-eating great white shark forever imprinted in our collective imagination, we've been wading into the water a bit more tentatively. But it is, in fact, the sharks that need to worry, particularly those in the waters just off the west coast of the United States. These famous white sharks spotted up and down the California coast are reputed to be some of the largest in the world, and they are in dire straits.

With scientific estimates of fewer than 350 adult great white sharks and a significantly smaller number of reproductively capable females, this genetically distinct population is staring down extinction. As we've said before, we should be scared for sharks (rather than scared of them) and we should be really scared for this irreplaceable population of white sharks.

That's why news this week that NOAA Fisheries -- the federal agency that regulates fishing in our seas -- is considering the species for protection under the Endangered Species Act comes as such a welcome, if overdue, development. The announcement comes in response to petitions filed by Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity and Shark Stewards, and WildEarth Guardians.

Over the last 30 years, Southern California fishermen have voluntarily reported catching white shark pups in gillnets, however, the full extent of this incidental bycatch in California and Mexico remains unknown. Gillnets pose a unique threat to the future of this population of great whites, as these massive mesh walls used to target halibut, white seabass, thresher sharks and swordfish regularly scoop up multiple juvenile great whites -- whose survival is essential for the continued existence of these animals. The solutions are to ramp up independent observer coverage of these fleets, put in place reasonable, precautionary management to cap and reduce this bycatch, and ultimately further our scientific understanding of great white sharks.

This iconic, ecologically critical group of animals is on the precipice. A single man-made or natural catastrophe could be enough to permanently extirpate them. The alarm bells are ringing and we need to take action now to address the bycatch of great white shark pups in West Coast fisheries.

The loss of the great white shark from the West Coast would not be an isolated tragedy. As research is just starting to uncover, the loss of an apex predator in a marine ecosystem can have cascading, unpredictable and ecologically-devastating consequences. It is therefore in the fishing industry's own best interest to make sure that the great whites stick around. Without a natural predator to keep seal and sea lion populations in check, there could be devastating consequences to commercially and recreationally valuable species of fish like rockfish and salmon. Ultimately, a healthy food web is in everyone's best interest, and great whites are an essential component.

Despite its ubiquity in popular culture, the great white, and the Northeastern Pacific great white, as this population of white sharks is known in scientific literature, is remarkably poorly understood. Scientists believe that since venturing from Australian waters during the Pleistocene 200,000 years ago, the West Coast population has been isolated, becoming both genetically and behaviorally distinct from the rest of the world's great white populations. Scientists are only beginning to understand the peculiar migrations from the California Coast to the Hawaiian Islands to the so-called White Shark Café, an area of open ocean more than a thousand miles from shore where the animals congregate every year. The "Café" was discovered only 10 years ago. What happens there remains largely a mystery to scientists, as it is still unclear whether they are feeding or breeding there. But what we do know about their biology is discouraging for their future prospects. Great whites are slow growing and give birth to few young, making their conservation even more urgent.

Within the next year, NOAA Fisheries will conduct an in-depth analysis of the Northeastern Pacific great white shark population and make a final determination whether to list it as threatened or endangered. If Oceana's petition is successful and these great whites are added onto the Endangered Species List, they would, as a result, need to be granted greater protections from gillnets and other human threats. These protections could include transitioning these fisheries to cleaner fishing methods that are less likely to catch the juvenile great whites, increasing observer coverage to ensure that we know how many sharks are being caught, setting hard caps, or limits, on the amount of white sharks that can be caught as bycatch and creating protected areas for white sharks.

Sharks have been around for almost a half a billion years. The idea that the great white shark could go extinct on the West Coast in the coming decades is obscene. Let's hope NOAA Fisheries ultimately makes the right decision.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1789163 2012-08-16T10:00:15-04:00 2012-10-16T05:12:28-04:00

January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/ showed less than 350 adult great white sharks left in the population found off the US west coast, putting this important great white population in serious danger of going extinct. The famous white sharks of the Farallon Islands and Guadalupe Island could disappear completely.

White sharks, some scientists believe, first migrated to California from Australia almost 200,000 years ago. They stayed put, and through that geographic isolation became genetically unique from the Australian population and other great white shark populations around the world.

Little is known about how great white sharks reproduce or where they give birth. But we do know that every pup is very important to the future of the species because great whites grow very slowly and have very few pups over their lifetime. And, we also know that soon after the sharks are born they tend to congregate around underwater canyons off the Southern California Coast and across the border into Mexican waters. These canyons are rich with fish and serve as a nursery for the young to grow up in. A newborn great white shark is born ready for the ocean -- about six feet long with rows of razor sharp teeth and powerful jaws. They differ from adult great whites in that they primarily eat fish, as they are not big enough to eat seals or sea lions.

In Southern California, gillnetters catch California halibut, yellowtail, white sea bass, thresher sharks and swordfish. Gillnets can be anchored in place or drift with ocean currents. Some drift gillnets can reach nearly a mile long, and are designed to catch fish by entangling them. The fishermen catch the white sea bass and swordfish this way but they also incidentally catch other fish -- including young great white sharks who swim into the nets when migrating or chasing after a meal. Once caught in the net the sharks often die. Of the reported fishery interactions in the past 30 years, there have been an average of at least 10 white shark interactions per year and over 80% of the great white sharks caught in their nursery grounds are caught by these gillnetters. However, these are only reported interactions, and the actual bycatch is likely much higher. Fishermen are not allowed legally to target or sell these sharks; but, there is no law prohibiting gillnetters from setting their nets in great white nursery grounds, nor are there limits on the bycatch of white sharks in U.S. or Mexican fisheries.

Great whites have survived for millions of years, surviving mass extinctions and rightfully earning their top spot as apex ocean predators. But unless we increase protections for them, they may not survive much longer.

In an effort to save these sharks, Oceana, Center for Biological Diversity, and Shark Stewards filed a petition last week to list this important population of great whites as endangered species. The classification would bring with it protections and additional research dollars for this dangerously low population and Oceana is collecting signatures in support of this petition to help secure a victory. Although California does have rules against catching and selling great white sharks and has recently banned the shark fin trade (thanks in part to Oceana), they haven't done enough to stop this capture of young great whites as bycatch. And, this new listing would help.

Shark Week is a great time to get involved. Tune in on August 16th to see actor and Oceana board member Ted Danson narrate Great White Highway a show about the mysterious lives of great whites in California and find out more about how you can help protect them at www.oceana.org/sharkweek.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1214206 2012-01-18T15:42:57-05:00 2012-03-19T05:12:01-04:00

January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/
A recent expedition and new documentary demonstrate the stark contrast between these two islands -- and the need for new conservation measures in Easter Island to protect its sharks and marine life.

Last year, Oceana and the National Geographic Society, in an unprecedented collaboration with the Chilean Navy, launched a scientific expedition to the waters that surround Salas y Gómez Island and Easter Island, over 2,000 miles west of the Chilean coast.

The expedition was the team's second; the initial journey brought back such powerful scientific and photographic evidence of its ecological value that the Chilean government created a marine reserve around Salas y Gómez.

The team found a glaring difference between Easter Island and Salas y Gómez. Although the two islands have identical environmental conditions, years of overfishing around Easter Island has taken a toll -- the team found that Salas y Gómez has approximately three times as many fish as its neighbor, and many more sharks. Sharks in particular are a key sign of a healthy marine ecosystem as they indicate that there are enough fish to support the apex predators.

Diving in Salas y Gómez was like going back in time in Easter Island -- before the damage was done. The team found an incredible amount of marine life in the marine park, including scores of Galapagos sharks, large amberjacks, huge lobsters, and colorful corals that covered the sea floor. We have been working around the world to protect and restore shark populations, and the discovery of abundant sharks around Salas y Gómez was a hopeful sign.

While the divers discovered healthy corals near Easter Island, they found very few fish; Enric Sala, Explorer in Residence of National Geographic and co-leader of the expedition, compared it to "a perfect house that no one lives in."

As Easter Island's overfishing problem became clearer, so did the solution: expand the marine park to give the ecosystem a rest and allow the fish and sharks to come back. Broadening the current borders of the Salas y Gómez Marine Park would also ensure the protection of the seamounts between the two islands, which are extremely important habitats for a variety of marine life.

Oceana and National Geographic have formally proposed the expansion of the marine reserve around Salas y Gómez Island, both to Chilean President Sebastian Piñera, and to the indigenous Rapa Nui community on Easter Island. We're hopeful that our expedition will pave the way for a brighter future for the Rapa Nui people and their waters.

Be sure to catch the expedition documentary "The Lost Sharks of Easter Island" on Nat Geo WILD on Thursday, January 19 at 8 pm.
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January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/ new report released this week by Oceana, less than 1% of the highly migratory sharks reported caught in the Atlantic Ocean are protected from overfishing by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the group that's charged with protecting them.

And what's more, the report indicates that three-quarters of the highly migratory shark species being caught in ICCAT fisheries are classified as threatened in parts of the Atlantic by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

That's a heck of a lot of neglected sharks.

Some sharks, like tunas, travel long distances across the oceans, so their populations can't be effectively managed by any one country. That's where ICCAT comes in. Although ICCAT is the appropriate body to manage sharks in the Atlantic, Oceana's new report shows that current efforts are grossly insufficient.

Most shark species in the Atlantic are vulnerable to overfishing because of their exceptionally low reproductive rates. Currently, ICCAT only has protections in place for a few species including hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks, although many other sharks are threatened, including porbeagle, silky, and shortfin mako sharks.

And these sharks are far from man-eating monsters, mind you -- they are top predators that keep the ecosystem in balance. When these sharks are overfished, it affects the entire the ocean food chain -- and most likely not in a good way.

A shocking 50% of ICCAT fishing countries did not report any shark catches at all in 2009. Such massive underreporting of shark fishing makes it extraordinarily difficult to know what impact fisheries are having on sharks.

Oceana scientists are present at the ICCAT meeting this week, and they are calling on the 48 countries that fish in the Atlantic to adopt greater measures to protect these vulnerable sharks.

The fishing countries of the Atlantic can no longer ignore the shark populations they are responsible for protecting. We should be scared for sharks - not of them - and ICCAT must do more to protect our oceans' top predators.

You can help by joining Oceana's campaign to protect sharks.
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January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/ reported that as many as 2,000 hammerhead, Galápagos and silky sharks may have been slaughtered for their fins in the nation's Pacific waters.

According to the Colombian president's top environmental adviser, divers saw 10 Costa Rican trawlers illegally entering the Malpelo wildlife sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site. When the divers swam down deeper, they found a shocking amount of sharks lying on the ocean floor, finless.

Considering that sharks give birth to only a few young each year, the loss of 2,000 sharks is a significant single blow to the ecosystem. But 2,000 is a small number compared to the millions of sharks that are killed each year around the world for their fins. Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health of ocean food webs; when the sharks are removed, the entire system can be thrown into disarray. Many scientists say that you can tell a marine ecosystem is thriving if it teems with sharks.

The Colombian shark massacre is especially shocking as it comes just a few short weeks after we cheered the sweeping U.S. West Coast ban on the trade of shark fins. It's a reminder that while Oceana and our allies have made a lot of progress for sharks over the past few years, they are still being killed for their fins in appalling numbers.

It's also a reminder that the global shark conservation movement is at a critical juncture. An increasing number of nations are recognizing the need to protect the ocean's top predators. Take Chile, which passed a national ban on shark finning this summer. And more recently, Mexico and the Marshall Islands have announced plans for new shark protections. More governments are realizing the value of sharks to the health of their oceans and economies.

It's encouraging to see the tide rising on global shark conservation, but it's also important to note the role of illegal fishing in this tragic incident. Marine sanctuaries are wonderful places, but enforcement is key to keep out the illegal fishermen who aim to capitalize on the wealth of fish and sharks that make these areas so special.

At Oceana we're working on this problem from both angles - we're winning increased protections for sharks, and we're working to curb illegal fishing. You can help by supporting our efforts to protect the ocean's top predators from extinction.
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January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/
We've been working to support the bill since its introduction; we called our legislators and Governor Brown and urged them to protect sharks, and I know many others did, too. Thankfully, our lawmakers listened.

Each year, tens of millions of sharks are killed for their fins, mostly to make shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. In case you're unfamiliar, shark finning is a shocking practice in which a shark's fins are sliced off at sea and the shark is thrown back in the water to bleed to death. Shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters, but the shark fin trade persists.

According to government data, approximately 85 percent of dried shark fin imports to the United States came through California last year, making California the hub of the US shark fin market. But thanks to Governor Brown, this will no longer be the case.

California has joined the ranks of a growing number of governments rallying to protect the top predators in the oceans. Washington State, Oregon and Hawaii have all passed similar bans. And the movement here in the U.S. reflects a global trend. The Pacific nation of Palau created a shark sanctuary two years ago, and other countries have followed suit in shark conservation efforts. As a result of Oceana's efforts, this summer Chile passed a national ban on shark finning. And most recently, Mexico and the Marshall Islands have announced plans for new shark protections.

It's encouraging to see that the momentum to protect sharks is growing around the world. Sharks are magnificent predators that have been on the planet for more than 400 million years. Shark populations around the world are crashing, which has cascading consequences on the marine food web. They play a vital role in maintaining the health of ocean ecosystems, but due to their slow growth rate and low level of reproduction, sharks are especially vulnerable to fishing pressure.

We're glad Governor Brown continued California's leadership in ocean conservation. Thanks to everyone who spoke up to help score this monumental victory for sharks.

Actress January Jones ("Mad Men") is the spokesperson for Oceana's shark campaign. Watch video, see photos, and learn more about why January is scared for sharks.
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January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/ passed a bill that made a big statement: Sharks should be swimming in the wild, not in shark fin soup.

The bill bans the trade of shark fins in the state, and if signed into law by the Governor, will mean a complete West Coast ban on the trade of shark fins -- a monumental victory for sharks in the Pacific. Oceana, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Humane Society of the United States and WildAid all played a big part in supporting this legislation.

Each year, tens of millions of sharks are killed for their fins, mostly to make shark fin soup. Shark finning is a horrific practice in which a shark's fins are sliced off at sea and the shark is thrown back in the water to bleed to death. Thankfully, shark finning is illegal in U.S. waters, but that doesn't stop the shark fin trade.

Shark populations around the world are crashing, which has cascading consequences on the marine food web. Sharks keep marine ecosystems in balance; we need sharks to maintain healthy oceans. This bill protects the at-risk shark species that are being targeted in unsustainable and unregulated fisheries worldwide.

Oceana has been working to protect sharks around the globe for years, and this legislation builds on our momentum to increase shark protections, including the U.S.'s shark finning ban passed last year, and a national ban on finning in Chile passed this July. The California bill adds to similar legislation passed this year in Washington and Oregon, and last year in Hawaii.

These majestic predators have been swimming the world's oceans for more than 400 million years, and we should keep them where they belong -- in the wild, with their fins firmly attached.

If you're a California resident, you can help. Ask Governor Brown to pass this bill, AB 376, by Oct. 9 in order to become law. You can reach the Governor's office at 916-445-2841.
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January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/ more than 30 million Americans will tune in to watch Discovery Channel's Shark Week. It's easy to understand why: Sharks are some of the most amazing, powerful animals in the world. But as you sit transfixed by high-definition images of sharks, keep in mind that sharks aren't the scariest predators in the oceans. Humans are.

Tens of millions of sharks are fished from the ocean every year, mainly for their fins. As a result, some shark populations are crashing, which has devastating consequences for ocean ecosystems. For example, some U.S. hammerhead populations have dropped an alarming 98 percent in recent decades. As apex predators, sharks keep the ocean food web in balance.

If you think watching a shark on TV is cool, try looking one in the eye. Over the past few years I've dived with Caribbean reef sharks in the Bahamas, and more recently with whale sharks in Belize, filming public service announcements with Oceana. I'd love to continue diving with sharks -- but at the rate we're going, Shark Week could become the only way to see these beautiful predators.

Back in 2009 I traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers about shark protection. Our hard work paid off: In January, the Shark Conservation Act, which Oceana and I were campaigning for, was signed into law. The law ensures a prohibition on shark finning in U.S. waters.

While the U.S. is a leader on shark finning, there's a lot more to be done to protect sharks from extinction. For instance, endangered shark species such as scalloped and great hammerhead sharks are allowed to be caught by U.S. fishermen in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Take action for sharks -- tell the U.S. government to protect vulnerable shark species such as tiger, hammerhead and thresher sharks.

If even just a fraction of all Shark Week viewers took action to protect sharks, it would equal millions of people speaking up for the ocean's top predators. We shouldn't be scared of sharks, we should be scared for them.

In 2009, actress January Jones joined Oceana's shark campaign. Watch video, see photos and learn more about why January is scared for sharks.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.800173 2010-12-22T10:08:34-05:00 2011-05-25T18:20:30-04:00

January Jones http://www.huffingtonpost.com/january-jones/
Shark finning is the brutal practice of slicing off a shark's fins, often for use in shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. The shark -- sometimes still alive -- may be thrown back into the sea to bleed to death. Each year, commercial fishing gear kills more than 100 million sharks worldwide, including tens of millions for just their fins.

Having swum with sharks large and small, I can tell you, they are magnificent creatures, and they don't deserve to be killed for a bowl of soup. They have been on the planet for more than 400 million years and as apex predators, they play a vital role in maintaining the health of ocean ecosystems. But due to their slow growth rate and low level of reproduction, sharks are especially vulnerable to fishing pressure.

Many shark populations have declined to levels where they are unable to perform their roles as top predators in the ecosystem. In fact, sharks now represent the greatest percentage of threatened marine species on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

The Shark Conservation Act, which now goes to President Obama's desk, improves the existing law originally intended to prevent shark finning, and it also allows the U.S. to take action against countries whose shark finning restrictions are not as strenuous.

Without the fins attached, many sharks are difficult to identify, which hinders proper management. Landing sharks with their fins still attached allows for better enforcement and data collection.

I traveled to Capitol Hill last year to meet with members of Congress about the Shark Conservation Act, and I'm pleased to see that they have supported this vital piece of legislation. The passage of this bill demonstrates that the U.S. is a leader in global shark conservation.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- we shouldn't be scared of sharks, we should be scared for them.

In 2009, actress January Jones ("Mad Men") joined Oceana's shark campaign. Watch video, see photos, and learn more about why January is scared for sharks.
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