yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

Convincing Fishermen to Save Sharks | Nat Geo Live


2m read
·Nov 11, 2024

( Intro music )

Four years ago, I was standing in front of a group of local fishermen on a tiny island called Mitiaro in the Cook Islands. And I was there to tell them why they needed to protect sharks. Except there was one problem. They hated sharks. Sharks stole fish from their lines that they needed to feed their families.

So, these are the guys that I had to try to talk to who had very real experiences with sharks. They're in canoes every day trying to feed their families and sharks are literally ripping the tuna off of their lines.

And, so when the man who's sitting behind me in the turquoise shirt raised his hand, he told me how much he hated sharks. He literally said, like, "I hate them. They've terrorized me in my canoe. I wish they would all disappear from the planet." I'm like, "Oh, this is not going well."

And then he said, "But I've learned something today. I wasn't sure of the importance of them to our reef. I have children, I have grandchildren, and I would like for them to fish, and for that reason I will support you."

For me, that was the single most powerful moment of the entire two years of the campaign. And soon after that happened... ( Audience laughter )

We made front page of the paper. This small group of farmers, fishermen voyagers... They came together and were successful in getting regulations that ban the import, export, sale, trade, possession, and trans-shipment of sharks and rays in the entire exclusive economic zone of the Cook Islands.

More Articles

View All
How to have the best summer of your life
We all want to have a good time this summer. I personally look forward to the summertime every single year because I live in British Columbia and 90% of the year is overcast, rainy, gloomy, cloudy. It’s not a fun time. When the weather starts to get good,…
The Trouble with America’s Captive Tigers | Podcast | Overheard at National Geographic
Nothing would have prepared me for what we actually saw even before we go in. So we, you know, start driving towards South Myrtle Beach, and, uh, we’re driving through this suburban neighborhood where there’s families and, you know, your typical suburban …
Ray Dalio & Bill Belichick on Building Great Teams
Okay, well, this looks comfortable. Good! It’s good to have you. Glad you’re comfortable, right? Thank you for writing this book. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy this—this, uh, very educational—and the way that you put your story principles into words i…
Meta's Creepy AI Celebrities
What if you were able to have your loved ones live on with you long after they’re gone, to hear their voice, experience their laugh, get their advice, and tell inside jokes that only the two of you know? If someone told you they could make that happen, wo…
What Happens To You If You Never Go Outside?
You’ve heard your whole life that going outside is good for you, but is it really? I mean, don’t get me wrong; there are some definite healthy effects to going outside. Like when you’re exposed to direct sunlight, you get some vitamin D, and if you do exe…
Dangerous Economic Policies: This Will Destroy the American Dream!
Don’t mess with the American Dream. There’s a reason people go through barbwire to try and get in here. We don’t want to set a policy up where they’re trying to get out of America. Let’s go ahead and bring in Kevin O. He’s the chairman of O Ventures and …