LIFEWednesdayApril 25, 2018 THE BORDER MAIL 37bordermail.com.au

Say noto flaketo savesharksBEFORE Easter, I wrote anarticle regarding the sus-tainability of our seafood, inparticular, flake.

Little did I expect the CEOof the Australian FisheriesManagement Authority toreply tomyarticle anddown-play the facts.

When a little article in aregional paper gets this kindof national attention ourmessage of Say No to Flakeis working.

In response to James’letter regarding the sustain-ability of flake, flake is notsustainable.

I appreciate his time inreadingmy article and takingthe time to respond.

Unfortunately, in his re-sponse, he fails to mentionthat 90 per cent of the globalshark population has beenwiped out due to shark fish-ing, shark mitigation andshark finning.

It is also a fact that over 33per cent of all shark speciesare now threatened with ex-tinction.

Absolutely, sharks can betargeted for their meat, aswell as fins, but the fins frommany of these sharks that arecaught for meat are sold onto Asian black markets to beused in shark fin soup.

This againmakesmy pointthat by purchasing flake youare supporting the sharkfin trade, indirectly, but

supporting it nonetheless.Gummy shark is mentionedin his response, sadly thereis actually no way of trackingwhat shark you are purchas-ing once it is at the fish andchip shop, so really it couldbe any number of sharks.

I believe it is also worthnoting the mercury levelsin flake.

Scientific studies havefound in flake samples,mercury levels so high thatthey are unsafe for humanconsumption, causing neu-rological diseases and caus-ing damage to a developingfoetus.

Studies have also shownthat we will have deadoceans i.e. no more fish by2048 if commercial fishingcontinues at its current rate.

Lastly, while James men-tions that shark finning isillegal in Australian waters -this is the practice of cuttingthe fins off live sharks whileat sea.

In Australia what is hap-pening is the entire sharkis brought back to the dock(legal) then thefins are slicedoff and sold and the torsosold for meat.

Sadly, there are manyloopholes which weren'tmentioned.

Anyone can research anddiscover the facts I havementioned here and manymore that have not been dis-cussed.Tess Middleton is a member ofFin Free Albury-Wodonga

BY TESSMIDDLETON

LIVING LIGHTLY

BORDER artist Alison Percyis shedding light on the rurallandscape in her first Mel-bourne solo exhibition.

She will open CapturedLandscapes in the CBDnext month.

Percy said the exhibitionexposed the elements as theychanged the landscape.

She said this experiencebrought an immediacy toher artwork.

“Most of the works are inthe Kiewa Valley throughto Falls Creek and onto theBogong High Plains, whichis like a second home to me,”she said.

Percy layers calligraphic

line as her response to thechange in season acrossmany visits to Alpine areasand the North East.

This body of work is aseries of gouache paintingsproduced en plein air andacrylic paintings producedon canvas back in her Al-bury studio.

Captured Landscapes willopen at fortyfivedownstairsgallery at 45 Flinders Lane onMay 22 from 5pm to 7pm.

The exhibition runs untilJune 2.

The gallery opens Tuesdayto Friday, 11am to 5pm, andSaturday, noon to 4pm.

Layering landscapes to reveal change

– JODIE BRUTON

INSIDE OUT: Albury artist Alison Percy's new body of work - Captured Landscapes - is a series of gouache paintingsproduced en plein air and acrylic paintings produced on canvas back in her Albury studio. Picture: KERRY RIED

If family is the backbone of your Border business,here's an opportunity to tell the community allabout it. Our Family Business advertising featureis the perfect chance to promote your history,the present and your future.

For more information phoneDebbieMosbey on 6024 0507.

AW35

0470

9

LIFEWednesdayApril 25, 2018 THE BORDER MAIL 37bordermail.com.au

Say noto flaketo savesharksBEFORE Easter, I wrote anarticle regarding the sus-tainability of our seafood, inparticular, flake.

Little did I expect the CEOof the Australian FisheriesManagement Authority toreply tomyarticle anddown-play the facts.

When a little article in aregional paper gets this kindof national attention ourmessage of Say No to Flakeis working.

In response to James’letter regarding the sustain-ability of flake, flake is notsustainable.

I appreciate his time inreadingmy article and takingthe time to respond.

Unfortunately, in his re-sponse, he fails to mentionthat 90 per cent of the globalshark population has beenwiped out due to shark fish-ing, shark mitigation andshark finning.

It is also a fact that over 33per cent of all shark speciesare now threatened with ex-tinction.

Absolutely, sharks can betargeted for their meat, aswell as fins, but the fins frommany of these sharks that arecaught for meat are sold onto Asian black markets to beused in shark fin soup.

This againmakesmy pointthat by purchasing flake youare supporting the sharkfin trade, indirectly, but

supporting it nonetheless.Gummy shark is mentionedin his response, sadly thereis actually no way of trackingwhat shark you are purchas-ing once it is at the fish andchip shop, so really it couldbe any number of sharks.

I believe it is also worthnoting the mercury levelsin flake.

Scientific studies havefound in flake samples,mercury levels so high thatthey are unsafe for humanconsumption, causing neu-rological diseases and caus-ing damage to a developingfoetus.

Studies have also shownthat we will have deadoceans i.e. no more fish by2048 if commercial fishingcontinues at its current rate.

Lastly, while James men-tions that shark finning isillegal in Australian waters -this is the practice of cuttingthe fins off live sharks whileat sea.

In Australia what is hap-pening is the entire sharkis brought back to the dock(legal) then thefins are slicedoff and sold and the torsosold for meat.

Sadly, there are manyloopholes which weren'tmentioned.

Anyone can research anddiscover the facts I havementioned here and manymore that have not been dis-cussed.Tess Middleton is a member ofFin Free Albury-Wodonga

BY TESSMIDDLETON

LIVING LIGHTLY

BORDER artist Alison Percyis shedding light on the rurallandscape in her first Mel-bourne solo exhibition.

She will open CapturedLandscapes in the CBDnext month.

Percy said the exhibitionexposed the elements as theychanged the landscape.

She said this experiencebrought an immediacy toher artwork.

“Most of the works are inthe Kiewa Valley throughto Falls Creek and onto theBogong High Plains, whichis like a second home to me,”she said.

Percy layers calligraphic

line as her response to thechange in season acrossmany visits to Alpine areasand the North East.

This body of work is aseries of gouache paintingsproduced en plein air andacrylic paintings producedon canvas back in her Al-bury studio.

Captured Landscapes willopen at fortyfivedownstairsgallery at 45 Flinders Lane onMay 22 from 5pm to 7pm.

The exhibition runs untilJune 2.

The gallery opens Tuesdayto Friday, 11am to 5pm, andSaturday, noon to 4pm.

Layering landscapes to reveal change

– JODIE BRUTON

INSIDE OUT: Albury artist Alison Percy's new body of work - Captured Landscapes - is a series of gouache paintingsproduced en plein air and acrylic paintings produced on canvas back in her Albury studio. Picture: KERRY RIED

If family is the backbone of your Border business,here's an opportunity to tell the community allabout it. Our Family Business advertising featureis the perfect chance to promote your history,the present and your future.

For more information phoneDebbieMosbey on 6024 0507.

AW35

0470

9