What You can do to Help

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What else can you do to help?
Adopting a shark is your chance to make a difference by becoming directly involved with shark research that will help to protect sharks. If you want to do more to join the fight to save sharks, consider one or all of the following.

- Avoid shark products.
Your consumer choices do make a difference! Avoid eating shark and shark fin soup or buying shark products such as jaws, skins, teeth, cartilage pills or shark liver oil.

- Make responsible seafood choices.
And download and follow the Seafood Watch Guide from Iemanya and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This easy-to-use tool can be kept in your wallet and makes it simple to decide which fish to buy and consume. Buy ocean-friendly seafood to support those fisheries and fish farms that are healthier for ocean wildlife and the environment.

- Tell your government representatives to protect sharks.
Your voice will make a difference! Write your own or click here for a sample letter.
If you live outside the United States, contact your fisheries policy officials and ask them to ensure your country has an effective ban on shark finning and a national plan of action for shark conservation.

If you are In the US, write to:

• The National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910

• Visit Congress.org to find the contact info for your representative

• If you live on the West Coast, write to:
Pacific Fishery Management Council
7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101
Portland, OR 97220
Pcouncil.org

• If you live on the Gulf Coast, write to:
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
PO Box 726
Ocean Springs, MS 39566
Gsmfc.org

• If you live on the Atlantic Coast, write to:
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1444 Eye Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Asmfc.org

- Keep our beaches and oceans clean.
 • Limit your use of plastics and always recycle.
• Conserve water.• Use environmentally safe cleaning and gardening products.
• Do not dump anything in storm drains.
• Reduce automobile pollution.
• Join a Coastal Cleanup or Beach Cleanup Day.

- Spread the word!
Unfortunately, sharks have a terrible reputation as man-eating monsters, which is continually perpetuated by the global media. Therefore, their plight is often overlooked. Use your voice to help draw attention to this important issue.