Sharkbait

I was relaxing after diving with Tiger Sharks in Fiji when I saw the message from the Japanese Prime Minister. We had talked over videoconference when I returned the Honjo sword to the Japanese Embassy; at the time, I asked for a chance to testify before his Parliament about shark conservation. A bill requiring shark fins to be attached to complete carcasses when sold wholesale or for export was coming up in committee, and he needed my help with it. Powerful interests were organizing against it.

Why would that be such a controversial issue? Japan was a big player in the world fishing market; its fleets went everywhere, floating processing facilities where nets and long lines caught thousands of sharks a day. The demand for shark fins in the Asian market had led to the practice of “finning,” where shark fins were cut off with the animal still alive, the rest of the body tossed overboard to drown. The barbaric practice persisted because fins were more valuable than shark meat. The proposed change would reduce the number of shark fins that could be stored and returned, reducing profitability.

The change was not a total ban, which wasn’t realistic given the demand. Only fifteen years ago, fishing harvested one hundred million sharks a year. That number was down to seventy million a year now, but only part of that was due to conservation efforts. The majority of the drop was due to overfishing, and dozens of shark species were threatened or extinct.

It wasn’t too late, so I called him back. His assistant put me in touch with him. “Minister Hirotashi, it is an honor to speak with you again,” I said with a bow of my head.

“Miss Vicki, thank you for returning my call. I apologize for the short notice, but the hearing just got scheduled.”

“I would like to testify, should my schedule work out. Right now, I’m on tour.” It sucked because there were no days off for us, with the reality show filling the off days.

“Perhaps this will help convince you to visit Japan,” he said. “Princess Aiko invites you to go scuba diving with her in the southern Chiba prefecture. She and the Environmental Minister want to appear on your show. The Princess believes the way to reduce shark fin consumption is by changing the minds of the young.”

It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Princess Aiko was the Emperor’s only child, a beautiful and intelligent 32-year-old woman. If not for the paternalistic succession laws for the monarchy, she could be Empress. She was very popular in Japan, and rarely made appearances outside official events. “It would be an honor to dive with Her Imperial Highness. I will speak to my team and make the necessary arrangements.”

“I look forward to hearing from you,” he said.

I was screaming as I ran out of my hotel room, banging on Mercedes’ door as I called for everyone else to join me. The girls gathered the mermaids on the way, and we all ended up in Mercedes’ suite. I laid out what the Japanese Prime Minister had told me. “We can’t turn this opportunity down,” I said. “The public relations value of this is huge.”

“It would mean canceling or postponing the event in Christchurch,” Mercedes said.

“Japan is a much larger market,” I countered. Diving and wetsuits weren’t as prevalent, but the potential market for sportswear and dresses was huge. “Compromise.”

“What do you mean,” Mercedes asked.

“Amy and the twins do the event with you in Christchurch, since it is a Bodyglove event. I travel with Fiona and Linda to Japan, leaving Carly to film things here. Hire another local photographer if you need it. We still meet the schedule, and we get the conservation appeal and the exposure in Japan.”

I could tell Amy was disappointed, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Mercedes did too. “I agree,” she said. “I will get you a swag bag to bring as a gift for the Princess. I can’t have her diving with you in Rip Curl gear,” she said with a grin.

“I’ll get her sizes,” I said.

I got all the arrangements made by the time we got to New Caledonia and had the honor of speaking with the Princess twice. The Japanese press was waiting when I arrived at the Tokyo Airport, which led to an impromptu press conference.

“Miss Lawrence, you are a college freshman with no credentials or experience in the area of fisheries management,” the first reporter asked. “Why should anyone give your testimony any credibility?”

I resisted the urge to use the THESE TITS line, thankfully. “I’ve been fascinated by sharks for fourteen years. In that time, over a billion sharks have died, many of them discarded alive, their fins cut from their bodies. In fourteen years, twenty-eight shark species gained Endangered or Threatened status, and twelve are feared to be extinct. Population surveys show shark numbers down ninety percent from the turn of the century.” I let the numbers sink in. “Sharks don’t vote, they don’t donate to candidates, and they can’t testify in person. Concerned people like me have to do that for them. I don’t want to look in my children’s faces and tell them about the sharks lost in the next few decades if we can’t fight for them now.”

I wiped a tear away. “In the United States, we nearly hunted wolves to extinction. It took decades to bring these magnificent creatures back, and only then did we realize how important they were to the ecosystem.”

“Surely you’re not advocating a ban on shark fin trade,” another reporter asked.

“I wish I could convince people of the truth of the damage their bowl of shark-fin soup causes,” I replied. “I could tell them how the cartilage they think helps them isn’t even digested. I could show them the studies proving shark fins do nothing to prevent cancer; in fact, the toxins and heavy metals that build up in those fins are putting them at a GREATER risk of cancer. I wish I could change the traditions and folk tales that push shark fin prices up,” I said. “When people stop paying for it, fishermen will stop harvesting them. That change takes time, and an outright ban would lead to the trade going underground on the black market. What I can advocate for is RESPONSIBLE management of our resources. The proposed law will reduce the kills of threatened species by making it possible for law enforcement to identify them. It also makes sense. If you are going to harvest a shark for food, utilize all of it. Respect the resource and allow populations to recover and stabilize.”

Having made my point, I answered a few more questions, including one about my dating life. Fiona linked that security was ready, and my car was waiting, so I thanked the reporters and was escorted out the back of the room. “That went well,” Fiona said.

“I dare them to dismiss me,” I said. Linda asked for and received permission to film the meetings, but any footage would have to be approved or deleted. It was better than nothing and would be dynamite for the show.

I met briefly with the Prime Minister and a few of the lawmakers pushing the conservation bill, posing for photographs and signing autographs for them and their families. Instead of heading to the hotel, I traveled with the Prime Minister to the Imperial Palace. “Wow,” I said as I stepped out.

Aides took me to where the Emperor, his wife, and Princess Aiko were about to dine with a dozen other guests. “Ah, the guest of honor,” Aiko said as she came over to me. I bowed to the Emperor, the Empress, and then to the Princess. “Welcome to our home,” she said as I straightened up.

“Thank you for inviting me,” I said.

I learned over tea and sushi that everyone present knew me not just for my conservation and modeling work, but as the person who returned the Lost Samurai Sword of Power. “Our scientists and historians have verified the sword and its maker,” the Prime Minister said. “You asked for anonymity, but if you want your testimony to work, I think we should use this.”

“How?” I’d used the sword to kill Master Alexander and never considered keeping it once I found out what it was.

“By accepting a sword from me, along with the thanks of the Japanese people,” the Emperor said. “There is a press conference scheduled in thirty minutes. The Prime Minister will make a statement, and the Curator of the Tokyo National Museum will show the sword before it goes on permanent display. The Emperor will present you with a sword and the gratitude of a nation.”

It was genius, and I’d get a sword out of it. “It would be an honor,” I said. I didn’t mind the truth coming out now; everyone knew about the antiquities I’d inherited from Alexander, and this was just one more. The ceremony in the Palace was well-attended, and the sword’s return was big news. The Emperor presented me with a sword set from Master Swordsmith Yoshihara Yoshindo.

I stayed overnight in a guest room just down the hall from Princess Aiko, after staying up watching movies and eating ice cream with her. She loved the clothes, and we talked excitedly about our diving experiences. Late the next morning, I testified with three other conservationists in favor of the bill. I took some hard questions but held my own.

A helicopter took us south to the port in Chiba, where we boarded a dive boat. The Princess and her guests arrived, and we got underway. Eight of us dove the reef, surrounded by dozens of Banded Houndsharks in the three-to-six foot range. We also saw a few Japanese Horn Sharks moving slowly along the reef. The highlight of the dive was finding a Blotchy Swell Shark. This rare species was under a coral overhang, hiding from bigger predators by inflating its body with water to wedge itself in place. I dove with the Princess, with her security and our cameras following us as we explored the reef three times. I was disappointed when darkness forced our return.

While we’d been diving, the Palace staff had reviewed the video we’d taken, and removed nothing of consequence. It was going to be a hell of a show when it got done, and I couldn’t wait to see the daily.

We flew directly to Brisbane, Australia, for the next stop on our tour.