That is not a Photoshop trick, and I understand why that may not seem very relevant; without a little context, that is. I captured the image on November 16, 2011 in Key Largo Florida. Aside from being something you don't see every day; a hammerhead shark hanging from a crane several stories in the air with the International "Do Not" icon spray painted on its side, it's the timing that provides some ponderous meaning.

I spotted it while driving to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Meeting with my brother, Brooks, where the FWC would be voting on proposed rule changes that, if passed, would prohibit the recreational and commercial harvest, landing and sale of great, smooth and scalloped hammerheads, as well as tiger sharks in Florida's state waters. These major changes would no doubt have significant positive impacts on the long-term conservation of these animals. It could be said there was a lot Hanging in the Balance. Brooks and I made the 500-mile, same day round trip and hooked up down there with some of our key collaborators. We were all prepared to testify in front of the Commission, as to why we were in favor of the rule changes. For us and some others, it would be our third such meeting on the issue this year around the state.

This has been a hotly debated issue, but in the end, the Commission voted unanimously to pass the rule changes. We extend a special round of applause to the Commission for their careful deliberations of this matter, for taking our views and opinions into consideration, and for leveraging the kind of forward-thinking action and bold decision-making that will go far in establishing important conservation precedent. To all friends and collaborators who joined us and did more than just stand around to wait and see what others might do or what might happen, our hats off to you.

We'll double-check to make sure we get all the names spelled right, but for now, this is "The Crew"

As for the hammerhead image at the top of this entry, call it coincidence, but if a picture is worth a thousand words, then that is one of the most interesting shots I've had the pleasure of pushing the button on. Pretty much says it all.

One final note. It's on the official record, but we've had a lot of people ask exactly what it is that Brooks and I say at these meetings so we'll post a copy of it here and let you know when it's up. In the meantime, and in summary, "We do not condone purely wasteful practices". Here are a few more images from the meeting.

Sean Paxton delivers testimony, as part of a long list of those "in favor"

Brooks Paxton steps up

Zach Miller steps up ...

And the list of those in favor continued from what the Commission referred to as "many pages" of names. For the record, there was one opposed.

Oh, yeah, on the whole sharks and responsible media reporting topic - another time. And on being surprised that a spearfishermen was bitten while spearfishing - another time, on that, too. Let's just all be happy about a happy ending for a change, ok?

As Always - Keep it W!LD - The Bros

VIEW REPORT BELOW

My brother Brooks and I are big proponents of education, and of course, reading. As part of banned books week, we were invited by our local library, here in North Port, FL to take part in promoting all that and some censorship awareness. So here's the deal. The public voted for their favorite on a list of banned books, including the ones mentioned above. The most popular was picked to be read aloud by invited members of the community. The Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee grabbed the most votes. Some may remember the movie adaptation starring Gregory Peck. He won an Oscar for it.

We support our library whenever possible and this was an interesting opportunity to do so while giving censorship in America a run for its money. If you're looking for something different to do during your lunch hour today, come on down to the North Port Library. I'll be reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" from 12:30 - 1pm. Elaine Allen Emerich kicked it off this morning at 10:30. City Commissioners and prominent members of the business and local community will be taking pages till we close the book later this afternoon. -stp-

VIEW VIDEO BELOW

Much to the surprise of those in attendance earlier this month at the FWC meeting, a ban on the recreational and commercial harvest of tiger sharks, as well as smooth, scalloped and great hammerhead sharks is still very much undecided by those in power, but it was compelling public testimony from both sides of the issue that made it so. With a scant three minutes of allowable testimony, per speaker, it can be a challenge addressing complex issues like this. Somehow every word has to count. In this case, as the discussion was winding down, the subject veered into areas that I would describe as having divergent relevance. At that point, when all you can do is listen, it can be hard resisting the temptation to scratch a hole in your head.

So here we are again, standing at the crossroads of another important wildlife management issue, here in Florida. Taking the stage and stealing the spotlight, as they often do, are some of our most prized and invaluable marine resources – sharks, and the State's proposal of increased protective measure for 4 key species. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will be slamming the gavel on this matter in November. It’s time to ask the question, “What Are Your $harks Worth?”

VIEW ARTICLE

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Media contact: Aaron Podey, 850-487-0554

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on Thursday advanced its long-standing policy to protect stressed shark populations in Florida waters. The action came during the second day of its three-day meeting in Naples.

Sharks have been strictly regulated in Florida since 1992, with a one-shark-per-person, two-sharks-per-vessel daily bag limit for all recreational and commercial harvesters; a ban on shark finning; and a prohibition on roughly two dozen overfished, vulnerable or rare shark species.

"Florida has been recognized as a pioneer and a leader in shark management efforts for nearly 20 years," said FWC Chairman Kathy Barco. "We recognize that maintaining healthy shark populations is critical to the sustainability of our marine ecosystem. The additional protections we are proposing would help preserve Florida's valuable marine resources."

The Commission proposes protecting four additional shark species that rely on Florida's productive coastal waters for their survival. The FWC's proposed rules would prohibit harvest of scalloped hammerheads, great hammerheads, smooth hammerheads and tiger sharks from state waters. Scalloped hammerheads are considered overfished and are experiencing overfishing, which means that fishing pressure is too high to be sustainable. Research indicates the other three species have also suffered severe population declines in recent decades.

In addition to the proposed rules, the Commission directed staff to work with stakeholders and anglers to develop an educational campaign highlighting proper fishing and handling techniques when catching and releasing sharks. Commissioners also asked staff to explore a trophy tag program for these important sharks. The tag, similar to the one used for tarpon, would allow anglers to harvest a shark for record purposes.

A final public hearing on the proposed shark rules will be during the November FWC meeting in Key Largo.

"How can you justify what you guys do?"

Not that we feel a need to justify what we do, but to which we responded:

Judging from your established tone and firmly entrenched position, we wouldn't bet on your interests in what we have to say or what we do as being sincere, but out of respect for your question, here goes.

Commercial or recreational fishing for sharks isn't likely to stop during our lifetimes. Reality. While commercial fishing, especially industries supplying the voracious demand of the Asian fin trade are the undeniable leading cause for the decline in some key shark populations, recreational fishing is also a fractional and tangible contributor to that unenviable trend.

With that said, we're interested in reversing this trend where we can, and with the means and resources we have. Tangible results, as opposed to altruistic acts of futility are what we're interested in. Thus, we're pleased to say that, since we began this work many years ago, as a curiously coincidental or direct result of our collaborative efforts, a number of traditional kill tournaments have either: ceased operations, converted to release formats, have adopted best practices like circle hooks and heavier tackle to reduce fight times or created enhanced release divisions with the ultimate goal of converting to all-release. All the while, as was the case with billfish decades ago, we're proud to be successfully promoting a heightened and ever-increasing respect for these animals within and beyond the sport fishing community. There are no quick fixes for real life challenges like this and it’s not for everyone, but it needs doing.

As you suggest, we could have chosen to do nothing, but our efforts at modifying a culture in forward-thinking ways that are more compelling than repelling (for instance, as opposed to using tactics like good ol' fashioned and largely ineffective protesting) have saved countless sharks. Is it perfect? We suggest no such a thing exists. Otherwise, doing nothing might actually be the best thing to do, but again, that's not what drives us.

Although Utopian longings for a world where, in someone's opinion, everything would be as it subjectively should be, are to be admired, the likelihood of those visions coming to fruition, as a practical matter is ... unlikely. In this case, a world where sharks are not sought after in any way, shape or form for their inherent food or game qualities.

We can't say for sure where you're from, but as Americans, we hold a high respect for anyone's right and willingness to disagree with us and we're also smart enough to know when to get out of our own way. In this case, it's not you we're trying to reach. That would be Utopian thinking on our part, and therefore, an abusive and wasteful act of futility. In closing, we applaud your passion, respect but disagree with your opinions, and hope that whatever work you're doing might someday also bear the tangible fruits of change.

Happy Shark Week,
Sean Paxton
Brooks Paxton II

Engaging and interactive multi-media presentation leverages purposeful entertainment to inspire and educate.

Sponsored in Part With the Generous Support Of
Carla & Rod Pawich and the North Port Location of:

For Immediate Release: 07-23-11

Following an engagement at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa on August 3rd, the presentation, "Sharks - From Fear to Fascination", comes to the North Port Library on August 6^th, 2011. This live event is produced and hosted by long-time local residents, Sean and Brooks Paxton, who will be sharing their personal wildlife interaction experiences and conservation work with sharks and the marine environment.

L-R: Sean Paxton and Brooks Paxon

The Brother’s unique perspective on these animals began in their youth during fishing trips with their grandfathers on the Chesapeake Bay. Then, in 1975, after watching the movie, Jaws, their heightened fascination with sharks would lead them on a path to their current careers in educational entertainment.

In their roles as cameramen and producers, the brothers are directly involved in most of the action they shoot and document, which provides this live presentation with a punctuated array of video footage and photos captured by them during collaborations on historically significant documentary projects, science and research expeditions, pioneering shark-release events and personal adventures.

 “It’s a different kind of up-close-and-personal look at sharks and the environment that has something for everyone including the kids and kids at heart”, says Brooks Paxton. His brother, Sean adds, “It’s hard to believe this is the 24^th season of Shark Week. We can remember the very first one like it was yesterday.” Both agree, “We see an increase in calls and inquiries from the press and media this time of the year so it presents a fine opportunity to capitalize on the heightened round of annual shark awareness created by the Discovery Channel. For us, it’s yet another chance to promote an accurate portrayal of sharks to the public, along with an important message about the need to protect and conserve these Very Important Predators © or V.I.P.’s, as we like to call them. We’re proud to be partnering with the local business community and the North Port Library to do just that. Libraries are an important cornerstone in any community lucky enough to have one, making them one of the best places to promote curiosity, learning and education, especially within our youthful population.”

When
August 6th, 2011 at 1:30pm 

Where
The North Port Library 13800 S. Tamiami Trail (US 41) North Port, FL 34287

Admission
FREE

Online Registration

Contact & Additional Information
The Paxton Brothers: 941-416-1788 / 5073, PaxtonBrothers@ThinkOutLoudProductions.com
North Port Library: (941) 861-1300, http://suncat.co.sarasota.fl.us/libraries/northport.aspx

What to Bring
The entire family, a sense of adventure and a camera.

Click on Image Below to View Aritcle:

Engaging and interactive multi-media presentation leverages purposeful entertainment to inspire and educate.

PRESENTED BY: Wells Fargo

Click on Image to Enlarge

For Immediate Release: 07-21-11

In their presentation, "Sharks - From Fear to Fascination", North Port, Florida residents, Sean and Brooks Paxton, share their personal wildlife interaction experiences and conservation work with sharks and the marine environment.

The Brother’s unique perspective on these animals began in their youth during fishing trips with their grandfathers on the Chesapeake Bay. Then, in 1975, after watching the movie, Jaws, their heightened fascination with sharks would lead them on a path to their current careers in educational entertainment.

In their roles as cameramen and producers, the brothers are directly involved in most of the action they shoot and document, which provides this live presentation with a punctuated array of video footage and photos captured by them during collaborations on historically significant documentary projects, science and research expeditions, pioneering shark-release events and personal adventures.

L-R: Sean Paxton and Brooks Paxton

“It’s a different kind of up-close-and-personal look at sharks that has something for everyone”, says Brooks Paxton. His brother, Sean adds, “It’s hard to believe this is the 24^th season of Shark Week. We can remember the very first one like it was yesterday.” Both agree, “We see an increase in calls and inquiries from the press and media this time of the year so it presents a fine opportunity to capitalize on the heightened round of annual shark awareness created by the Discovery Channel. For us, it’s yet another chance to promote an accurate portrayal of sharks to the public, along with an important message about the need to protect and conserve these Very Important Predators © or V.I.P.’s, as we like to call them. We’re especially proud to be invited by the Florida Aquarium this year to do just that, while helping to launch their 2011-2012 Evening Tide Talks season.”

When
August 3^rd, 2011.
RSVP Required - Please Call 813-273-4568
Complimentary Reception and Meet & Greet at 5:45pm
Presentation at 6:15
Please enter through the Aquarium's Business Entrance

Where
The Florida Aquarium Auditorium located in Downtown Tampa

Admission
FREE

Contact & Additional Information
The Paxton Brothers: 941-416-1788 / 5073, PaxtonBrothers@ThinkOutLoudProductions.com
The Florida Aquarium: (813) 273-4000, FlaQuarium.org

What to Bring
The entire family, a sense of adventure and a camera.