Photographer Norbert Wu

"Shark Fins Left to Dry"

The link goes to the photography site of Norbert Wu, the professional photographer who was rewarded the "Pew Marine Conservation Fellowship, the world's most prestigious award in ocean conservation and outreach. Through 2003 he used this grant to document, in stills and high-definition video, the world's most unique and threatened underwater habitats, assembling a large library of images related to marine conservation." These images are slightly disturbing and definitely disheartening when we speculate about our greedy preoccupation with the fruits of the sea, including shark fin soup and other delicacies that fetch a high price on the global market. Culture and cohabitation conflict when the demand for ocean resources exceeds the amount of organisms (sharks, loggerhead sea turtles, sword fish...) trying to survive and keep the precarious food chain in balance.