Of all the athletic communities around the world besides surfers, divers, there is probably no other community that has a greater apprehension about fish than open water swimmers.

Fish – aka sharks, The Man in the Gray Suit, Mack, Old Toothy, Garbage Can of the Sea or The Landlord – is a term not lightly used on marathon swims in many of the world’s 5 oceans.

However, there is an important vote and campaign underway to help protect these creatures. As Doug Woodring, race director for the The Clean Half 15K Extreme Relay pleads, “Please help the sharks. They have no vote, but you do. We only have two weeks to get the word out before the CITES vote in Doha.”

“Please help us to show the world that we care about sharks. On March 13th, in Doha, the UNEP Cites committee will meet to vote to put eight sharks on the CITES endangered species list. They might not think anyone is watching or cares. We want to show them that we do care and that we are watching what happens with their vote. Please place your vote here and spread this far and wide. Sharks have no voice, or no vote. We need to do it for them. This is sponsored and created by the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, located in the heart of the world’s global shark fin trade. Let’s show the world that we care.”

Although open water swimmers view sharks as man-eating predators, sharks are the top ocean predators with a crucial role in the marine food chain. They serve to remove weak and injured animals and to act as a cleanup crew. These activities help regulate species strength and abundance and, as such, play a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.

Watch this Rethink the Shark video here.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones