Around 35 people attended a reception jointly hosted by the Shark Alliance and the Nicolas Hulot Foundation in Barcelona on Wednesday 8 October 2008 in support of shark conservation.
The reception was held on the quayside beside the Nicolas Hulot Foundation's historic sailing ship, the Fleur de Lampaul in Barcelona. It brought together friends from the NGO, government and private sectors, both local and international in recognition of their support of shark conservation.
Uta Bellion, Director of the Shark Alliance welcomed the guests and thanked the Nicolas Hulot Foundation for their generous support of the event including use of their magnificent boat the Fleur de Lampaul.
Ms. Bellion noted the importance of the IUCN as a venue for highlighting the current state of sharks and shark conservation efforts, particularly in the EU. She referred to the two motions being backed by the Shark Alliance at the IUCN Congress: one on ensuring an effective EU plan of action on sharks and another on conserving migratory and oceanic sharks.
On Thursday 9th October at 9.30, the Shark Alliance is holding a workshop in partnership with Pretoma and EBCD entitled 'Building Common Ground for EU Sharks'. The workshop will challenge a diverse array of panelists (from NGOs, government and industry) to reach consensus on EU management actions for sharks.