Report by Director of Operations for Galapagos, Captain Alex Cornelissen

With a full page article in the local newspaper el Colono, Sea Shepherd Galapagos has started a project to raise awareness among the inhabitants of the Galapagos regarding the protection of sharks.

Worldwide sharks are being exterminated at an alarming rate and it’s time to use whatever means available to halt the senseless massacre. Next to law enforcement, education can give a well-needed contribution on this conservation issue.

In the coming six months, Sea Shepherd Galapagos will be posting advertisements in the local newspaper. They will also have messages broadcasted daily on the local radio station containing many interesting facts about sharks. At the same time, they will inform about the devastating impact shark finning has on shark populations, and just how cruel this practice is.

The information is primarily aimed to inform the children of Galapagos but through them there is the opportunity to reach their families as well. Ideally, the ads will be collected and discussed at the children’s homes with friends and family.

Some of the ads invite the readers to participate, and for this there is now an information board outside the Sea Shepherd Galapagos office where children can post their drawings and answers to the questions asked.

At the end of the six months all the information will be combined in a teacher’s guidebook, which will be offered to the schools for educational purposes in the years to come.

This project was made possible thanks to the generous support of LUSH.

ADS: