Loggerhead Club & Marina − A Shark-Free Zone
Loggerhead Club & Marina has registered all 13 of their locations with the Shark-Free Marina Initiative (SMFI). Loggerhead is the first corporately owned brand of marinas to join SMFI in their efforts to reduce shark mortality.

JUPITER, FL, October 21, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Loggerhead Club & Marina has registered all 13 of their locations with the Shark-Free Marina Initiative (SFMI). Loggerhead is the first corporately owned brand of marinas to join SFMI in their efforts to reduce shark mortality.
A shark-free marina is a marina which does not allow caught sharks to be brought into their facility for display or slaughter. It does not allow its patrons to land caught sharks for any purpose. The SFMI works with marinas, fishermen, and like-minded nonprofit groups to form community-conscious policy and increase awareness of the need to protect our sharks, our ocean, and our legacy.
While Loggerhead Club & Marina maintains the highest standards of operational and facility management, it is also an active advocate of environmental preservation and sustainable marina practices that protect the ecosystem. All 13 marinas have achieved the distinctive "Clean Marina " designation by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

"As Florida's largest owner of marinas open to the public, we hope to set a great example for others in the industry," said Ray Graziotto, president and COO of Loggerhead Club & Marina. "Together with SFMI, we hope to promote a practical solution to shark overfishing and reduce shark mortality."

On a worldwide scale, almost every species of fish that is caught for commercial and/or recreational purposes is fished beyond a sustainable level. Commercial fishing fleets are currently responsible for between 60 and 100 million shark deaths per year. Many shark species have declined in numbers by 90%. In 2008, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported a half-million sharks harvested for recreational purposes. The vast majority of the anglers responsible for this catch are private boat owners and charter fishing boats.


With this initiative, fishermen will no longer be allowed to bring sharks into a shark-free marina for any photographic or trophy display purposes or for any cleaning or processing of the shark for fins, meat, jaws, or any other by-product. It is the goal of SFMI to work with, not against, the recreational and commercial fishing community. Participating marinas will encourage those fishermen who are determined to fish for sharks to exercise safe catch-and-release techniques.

The SFMI stands to save millions of sharks per year, as well as set a new global standard for responsible management of our oceans' resources. For more information, visit sharkfreemarinas.com.

Press Release Contact Information:

Marin O'Leary
Loggerhead Club & Marina
Membership Ambassador
630 Maplewood Dr
Jupiter, FL
USA 33458
Voice: 5616259443
Website: Visit Our Website