The video, posted on YouTube,
portrays Caribbean reef sharks as beautiful, graceful creatures that
comprise a valued centerpiece attraction of island eco-tourism
operations. Romeiro produced the video after learning these same sharks might soon fall victim to large-scale slaughter.
The Bahama Tribune reported recently
that there are no laws to protect sharks from finning operations, and
that at least one seafood company is considering expanding its cucumber
export business on Andros Island to include the export of shark fins to
Hong Kong.
"All those sharks could be killed," Romeiro complained.
Shark
finning is carried out globally to satisfy demand, mostly in China, for
shark-fin soup. Finning operations kill up to 100 million sharks per
year, by some estimates, and imperil several shark species.
Regardless of how people feel about sharks, or underwater feeding
operations that lure sharks in for the benefit of scuba-diving
tourists, they're bound to appreciate the spectacular footage in the
accompanying video, produced by Joe Romeiro.
It features renowned dive master Cristina Zenato at the center of a feeding session at Grand Bahama Island,
and builds to a climax moment when Zenato takes a large shark into her
lap and rubs its snout until it becomes so mesmerized that she's
able to stand the predator by its snout on the palm of her hand
(beginning at the 2:00 mark).
The
waters around the Bahamas contain a robust population of Caribbean reef
sharks, which have not yet been targeted. While expanded fishing
operations might increase local employment they'd provide only a
short-term economic boost, opponents of finning say, lasting only until
the sharks were fished out.
Larry Cartwright, the Bahamas'
minister of agriculture and marine resources, agreed that sharks ought
to be protected but acknowledged that there is no official government
position against finning, and that there are no legislative safeguards
in place.
"I wouldn't say shark finning is not going to happen
here because what's happening elsewhere I am sure will come this way
eventually," Cartwright told the Tribune. "And when the time comes we
will look into legislation."
Meanwhile, the Bahamas National
Trust, in partnership with the Pew Environmental Group, has launched a
campaign to create legislation that would ban finning, and nearly a
dozen environmental groups, including the Nature Conservancy, have
begun lobbying on behalf of the sharks.
With his video, entitled "
Nina Salerosa," Romeiro has taken an artistic approach to the campaign. Since Friday it has been viewed by more than 15,000 people.
model:cristina zenato
filmed and edited by joe romeiro from 333 productions .
special thanks to: bill fisher and neptunic sharksuits .
made with love and respect for our friend cristina ,