Target: Rick Spinrad, Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Goal: Develop blimp shark surveillance program that does not harm sharks or other marine life.
Although shark attacks are rare in nature, popular culture has helped turn them into a flashpoint of fear. As a result of these concerns, harmful preventive measures like shark nets and culls have become commonplace. In many cases, other marine life are collateral damage of attempts to control sharks. A new approach is needed to curtail deadly overreactive actions and to save the sea’s marvelous living beings.
One such approach has gained popularity in Australia. The technology involves using blimps that float above the shoreline as surveillance devices. The blimps are not close enough to spy on humans enjoying the beach, and they do not need to be recharged like drones. They represent an effective (an over 90 percent success rate) means of detecting sharks and other potential hazards like rip-tides. The blimps can quickly alert lifeguards when a danger is approaching the shore. Best of all, these devices perform their jobs without maiming or killing sharks or any other marine life.
Sign the petition below to urge robust investment in similar technologies in the United States.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Administrator Spinrad,
Every year, many more sharks and marine life die in shark nets or additional shark attack preventive measures than people who lose their lives in such attacks. Other beach hazards like drowning pose a much greater threat than sharks. Despite the statistics, damaging culling, nets, and more are still in widespread use. These destructive efforts upset the balance of critical marine ecosystems.
Project AIRSHIP, a shark surveillance program utilizing blimps, has flourished in Australia. This program carries none of the deadly risks of other mitigation efforts and many more benefits. The blimps can be used for advertisement (cutting costs), do not need recharging, do not invade privacy, and have an extremely high success rate in surveillance. Most importantly, they do not take life.
Please evaluate these promising technologies and make them a centerpiece of a new, improved, and non-lethal shark surveillance initiative.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Samson Bush
In this time of Climate Change it is essential we save sharks and wolves. Sharks maintain the oceans and monitor the eco system. They do more than make soup! The wolf monitors the land eco system and needs to be protected from useless murder. Grazing in public parks is free for ranchers but without predators grazers ruin the land, soil, and water. The National Parks are allowing 1000 bison to be killed and Tule elk to be killed which will wipe out the species. They are doing this on public lands we tax payers pay to maintain so the parks stay the same beautiful places for centuries. These animals are needed and meant to be here. It is their land too! I used to donate to the National Parks but no longer as they are not for he public any longer they are for ranchers and other free loaders and I feel this is a criminal activity as the parks were meant for all of us not just the free loaders.
I agree with you PM. You are 100% right on.
Add wild horses to that list. The round ups are cruel, disgusting and unnecessary, and all to appease ranchers.
I totally agree with you!
Totally agree, this planet rightfully belongs to those who RESPECT ALL species NOT JUST HUMANS! It is human GREED that is destroying the ECOLOGICAL BALANCE of NATURE. SHARKS are as important as any other SENTIENT BEING, their environment is being polluted and ravaged by humans who are too SELFISH and IGNORANT to SEE the error of their ways. THE KILLING HAS TO STOP!
Sharks are not ever to be used for consumption and that being said you are 10000000000% right on your comment.
put these people in jail
This is sick!!
A shark can kill the human and so we hunt and kill it. A skunk smells and we don’t like it so, we kill it. A lion will also kill us if we get in its way; we employ trophy hunting to give ourselves credibility to our own perceived justification. Our stupidity towards this planet and other creatures is heinous. Our sense of power with those weapons we’ve crafted to carry out the job on those less able to fight against the harpoon, the gun, the knife and the brainless thought processes of man.
Great comment. It is sickening how little regard a vast majority of people have towards animals
Well said. Added to which, trophy hunters exhibit the same characters as serial killers. Trophy hunters stuff and mount their animal “trophies” onto walls, so they can gloat over them and get a “high” for years to come. Serial killers also enjoy keeping their human “trophies” close to hand, to goat over – in their fridges, under their houses or buried where only they know the location. Both types of “hunters” are total sickos.
Not We, but they. We do not do this but THEY do and they must be stopped by any means.
We need sharks, if ur scare of them stay out of their territory!!
These animals are one of the most important creatures to the ocean’s ecosystem. STOP the killing now!!!
AGREE WITH ABOVE COMMENTS FROM PM, MERYL AND CINDY…..
Sharks are here for a purpose as God intended. They need to be protected like EVERY OTHER CREATURE!
Shark nets and culls are both inhumane and barbaric. Project AIRSHIP
is forwarding outside the box thinking and that is what is needed.
STOP THE CULLS …BAN THE NETS AND CHARGE EVERY OFFENDER!
IT IS TIME TO GO IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION PROTECTING ALL CREATURES BEFORE EVER CREATURE IS OBLITERATED BY UGLY GREEDY OLD MAN! ALL THIS NEEDLESS SUFFERING NEEDS TO STOP!!
STIPBALL THIS NONSENSE OF KILLIMG SHARKS OUT OF FEAR ALONGBWITH ALL OTHER ANIMALS!!! STOP ALL ANIMAL CRUELTY EVERYWHERE IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH
“” Maria Bertrand December 22, 2021 at 9:12 am
AGREE WITH ABOVE COMMENTS FROM PM, MERYL AND CINDY…..
Sharks are here for a purpose as God intended. They need to be protected like EVERY OTHER CREATURE!
Shark nets and culls are both inhumane and barbaric. Project AIRSHIP
is forwarding outside the box thinking and that is what is needed.
STOP THE CULLS …BAN THE NETS AND CHARGE EVERY OFFENDER!
IT IS TIME TO GO IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION PROTECTING ALL CREATURES BEFORE EVER CREATURE IS OBLITERATED BY UGLY GREEDY OLD MAN! ALL THIS NEEDLESS SUFFERING NEEDS TO STOP!! “” THIS MURDERING OF PRECIOUS MAINE LIFE “MUST STOP” NOW,,, IMMEDIATELY!!! BEFORE ALL OCEAN LIFE DIE’S,,,, IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!
Oh my gosh, why can’t humans just leave the sharks and other predators alone?! They were put on this earth by God for a reason, but humans can’t leave well enough alone, they have to wipe out all kinds of species!!
Some humans are so goddamned STUPID.
Agree all comments
It must be made illegal all over the world to kill sharks, dolphins, whales, all marine life, and all other animals unnecessarily
I thought no one could get away with this after millions of sharks were killed when idiots discovered the movie JAWS!
This is a no brainer, a much better solution? so the sharks can live in their own area and we don’t have to kill everything once we invade and take it over.
All animals and every form of wildlife need to be protected from thrill killing jerks. They all deserve to live the life they were meant to live. IN MY OPINION
in this land, the only ones to be afraid of are human beings
STOP this EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME….
STOP this EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME!
Sharks are living, breathing animals and have feelings as well as emotions too!
Stop the slaughtering and just let them be for crying out loud!
SICK!!!! STOP THE CRUELTY AT ONCE!!!! BAB HORSERACING AS WELL!