ATIRACAN achieves to stop the advertising of sharks and rays as sport fishing trophies.
  - As a result of more than 25 complaints presented by ATIRACAN at The Canary Government Fisheries Council and Spain’s Nature Protection Service, the Fisheries Council is making a great effort to stop the illegal sharks and rays fishing at the Canary Islands. Derived from the great number of complaints made by ATIRACAN against certain sport fishing companies related to the advertising on internet, posters and other media of photographs and activities as protected species catch and possession on board. The Canary Fisheries Council issue an official statement to all the sport fishing license holders where they are indicated that in accordance to the established on the 12.1A section of the Fishing Council Organic Regulation approved by the 40/1012 of May 17th act the Canary Government General Fisheries Direction it’s empowered to elaborate management proposals for recreational fisheries and to supply and renew fishing licenses of any kind. It reminds them the elasmobranch list that is forbidden its capture and holding on board, as they are the Angel Shark (Squatina squatina), Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna and Eusphyra genus), Porbeagle Shark (Lamna nasus), Round Stingray (Taeniura grabata), Spiny Butterfly Ray (Gymnura altavela) and White Skate (Rostroraja alba) among others. Also in accordance with the 2.a section of the 17/2003 from April 10th Canary Fishing Law this Fisheries Council’s goal is the protection, conservation and restoration of marine resources and its ecosystems as well the water and marine bottoms. This Fisheries Council determines that every sport fishing license holder should withdraw immediately all photographic material or any other advertising on internet or at the docks where activities such as the capture (even as bycatch) and holding on board of these protected or prohibited species, are reflected or announced. A warning is issued that any failure to comply with this arrangement can result on license non-renewal or revocation and without prejudice to any other actions that may be appropriate to adopt in accordance with the provisions of current law. Also, the license holders must put on board and at a visible place, for all crew and passengers, the “Forbidden to Catch Sharks and Rays Species” official informative poster, whose delivery by the Canary General Fisheries Direction is performed with the advice note from this authority. ATIRACAN will continue collaborating with the Canary Fisheries Council and will complaint against any sport fishing companies that fail to comply with this official statement. For more information or support to Canary Islands shark conservation please contact: Suso Rodas ATIRACAN
coordinator aticancanarias@gmail.com
WEB atiracan.org
Translated by MSc. Jorge Isaac Rosales

Canary Islands: YES to a sharks and rays sanctuary, NO to a business sanctuary.

Canary Islands: YES to a sharks and rays sanctuary, NO to a business sanctuary.

More than 20 complaints against south of the islands based companies that promote and practice illegal fishing of sharks and rays.
The Canary Islands sharks and rays sanctuary, 50,000 signatures and honest work endorse ATIRICAN initiative against companies that make profits from illegal sharks and rays fishing and its supporters. A big effort of 3 years on social networks and the streets has left a balance of more than 50,000 signatures to establish Canary Islands as an elasmobranch fishes sanctuary. The signatures were presented to the former Canary government president, Paulino Rivero. More than 20 complaints against south of the islands based companies that promote and practice illegal fishing of sharks and rays presented to SEPRONA, Fishing Deputy Ministry and Canaries common representative. More than 12,000 signatures to stop Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria and illegal fishing companies collaboration that has left to the edition of a “good practices” poster, in which they give after catch on board maintenance and photographic tips to cause less damage to captured angel sharks. On a coherent position before this guide and agreements were made, ATIRICAN had a meeting with the Angel Shark Project managers, among them, Ricardo Haroun, ULPGC researcher. In that meeting we explain our work and no intentions of collaborate with a project that is related with companies that practice illegal fishing and are denounced by us. In our opinion, this gives those companies social credibility and trust and make the project managers accomplice of its illegal fishing activities, prohibited by European regulations and Spanish ministerial orders. We feel that in some point they will give quality certifications to those companies that we denounce, and all seems that this has arrived.

A workshop… a store
On this dates an Angel shark conservation workshop it’s been hold at the Parque Cientifico Tecnologico Marino de Taliarte and welcomes the ULPGC principal, Jose Regidor, ULPGC ultimately responsible for research projects and public relations. The same that endorse and supports the ULPGC collaboration with companies that, against European and Spanish regulations, capture, keep on board and take pictures as souvenirs of angel sharks, a critically endangered species threatened with extinction.
The lack of interest from local, national and international organizations that participates on the workshop to the ATIRACAN Canary Islands sharks and rays sanctuary proposal is not a surprise. Perhaps, this must be because they know we don’t sell ourselves, non for getting funds or to make pseudoscientific studies, for profits or personal benefits.

From ATIRACAN, we denounce this meeting where they try to underestimate our work and participant organizations and institutions, that claim to defend the angel shark and then serve to endorse Canary Islands companies threatening the species.

Convert the Canary Island waters a sanctuary for sharks and rays.

Convert the Canary Island waters a sanctuary for sharks and rays.
The protection of these inhabitants of the warm Canaria waters could become an international milestone in the conservation of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays).
The waters of the Canary Islands, thanks to their physical conditions of temperature and abundance of fish, are inhabited by a great diversity of these species. Have been documented up to 86 different species of sharks and rays, as the angel shark ( 'Squatina squatina'), Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), or hammerhead ( 'great hammerhead'), considered Endangered.
commercial reasons
"The lack of interest in protecting these species" is originated
in many cases by their commercial nature, as they are target of several fisheries for their meat, but also for products such as fins and liver oil. Therefore they point to the need to develop measures that favor their protection. They consider declaring marine areas to collect the habitats of these species are measures that can be positioned to the Canary Islands as a benchmark for marine conservation.
"Because of the enormous diversity of species has , the Canary Islands must acquire an important role in the protection of marine species. The characteristics of its seabed make their waters certainly hide many more species to be discovered, and we must not allow reach the risk of elasmobranchs , of which the Canary Islands could become haven "
One third of the income generated from dive tourism in the Canary Islands due to the regular presence in its waters of sharks and rays , according to a recent study , in which the protection and recovery of these species advocates to promote sustainable tourism.

In the world there are eight shrines are located in The Bahamas, the Maldives , the Marshall Islands, Palau, Dominica, Tokelau, the British Virgin Islands and Honduras
The shrines are intended to protect sharks because they are very vulnerable animals are animals that are not like any other fish , have long vine and few young.
They reproduce at 18 and just get to have three babies. They come late to maturity. All these features make them vulnerable to overfishing and that is what is happening now , sharks in the world are disappearing. More than 30 percent is in a condition close to or on the brink of extinction and need measures to protect these species that have been around for over 400 million years swimming in the oceans.

https://www.change.org/p/presidente-del-gobierno-de-canarias-canarias-santuario-de-tiburones

Atiracan Association of Friends of sharks and rays of the Canary Islands

Atiracan Association of Friends of sharks and rays of the Canary Islands We are a non-governmental environmental and non-profit organization whose primary objective is to protect and defend the sharks and rays of the Canary Islands. Educate and raise awareness about the importance of these species is essential for this. ATIRACAN performs various actions:

• Campaign for the Canaries is a sanctuary for sharks and rays. It is a figure of international protection in the fishing and trade with products made from these species is prohibited. Protecting elasmobranchs internationally is sporadic and limited. As there are 8 in the world: Honduras, Tokelau, Palau, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Bahamas, Dominica and British Virgin Islands.

• Campaign sportfishing elasmobranch. There Canary companies that violate current legislation and fish these species, particularly the hammerhead shark and angelfish. • Campaign for finning ban (finning) shark. Cruel practice of cutting the fins and throw the shark back into the sea where certain death awaits. • Combat the sale of products made from these species.

• Dissemination of scientific knowledge about these animals, especially young students. • non-violent direct action against the violation of the laws that protect these marine species.

• Collaboration in defensive actions to protect our marine environment.

Web: atiracan.org