No Sharks on the Menu

Dubuque Restaurant Making Big Waves

While the World Wildlife Federation has listed the Mako shark on its Top 10 Most Endangered Species list, and its been made illegal to commercially fish Longfin Mako sharks in the United States, as of July, 2007, DiVinci's restaurant in Dubuque continues to advertise and serve Mako shark on its menu.

According to the World Conservation Union, both the Longfin Mako and the Shortfin Mako are extremely vulnerable to over-fishing. They are slow to reproduce and have few offspring. As a result, their populations have declined significantly in recent years.

However, Mako shark fishing continues unabated, as they are prized for their fins in Asia and are considered a particularly sporty catch, as they put up strong resistance to being caught and sometimes jump out of the water when being reeled in.

Ocean fishing is inadequately monitored throughout the waters off the coast of the United States and throughout the world, so the best course of action we can take is to not eat the fish. Mako sharks are primarily fished or caught with nets such as longlines and gillnets. And for all endangered species (such as a numerous species of whales, dolphins, turtles, other sharks and rays just to name a few), by-catching (incidental capture in net fishing operations) is the single biggest threat to their existence.

And if that's not enough, DaVinci's restaurant has failed to see the connection with eating shark and the incidence of human health problems. Sharks are particularly dangerous to eat because they accumulate and store high mercury levels in their meat. Mercury has been linked to cancer and may affect the nervous system, heart and circulatory sysytem and is particularly dangerous for women and unborn children. As a result, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urges people to not eat shark at all.

The Environmental Defense considers Mako shark consumption the worst choice for the environment and they recommend not purchasing this fish.

I have created this petition in an effort to encourage DaVinci's to take shark off their menu. I really hope that you will take the time to sign it.

In the meantime I urge you not to eat at the restaurant until the shark is off the menu and off the advertisements. Then, I also hope that when it is taken off, you will call and thank the owners or the manager and then patronize the restaurant as a "thank you" for their action.

Thanks!