| Dear (Contact First Name),
I'm very excited to share our plans for the new year and ask you to join me protecting sharks and the health of the San Francisco Bay and our oceans. Last year shark protections increased both through shark fin bans in 4 Pacific states, and in establishing shark sanctuaries in several Pacific Island nations. But many shark populations are in bad shape not just from finning but as bycatch and overfishing. We are losing sharks at a far more rapid rate than we can even understand. We just need to start protecting all ocean predators now.
Without apex predators like sharks, ocean ecosystems and even fish populations are becoming unhealthy.
In addition to shark advocacy, our work includes scientific research on sharks and applying ecosystem and fisheries assessment towards ocean conservation.
Sea Stewards continues its affiliation as a project of The Ocean Foundation. With your support in 2012 we will continue to build our existing programs protecting sharks increasing protections and tagging and tracking San Francisco sharks to better understand their movements and fishing pressure.
If you love the ocean as we do, then please help us study and protect sharks as part of our Shark Sanctuary program.
We have a great line up of outreach events (see below) this year and rely on our volunteers and interns to make it all happen.
The team will be out tagging sharks all summer and there may be opportunity for supporters to join us.
This Valentines Day- Show your love of Sharks. Give the gift of a real shark with our Name and save a shark program. 
Win a dive trip to Cocos Island and support Sharks and Sea Turtle research.
Our partners at he Sea Turtle Restoration Project is hosting a raffel to raise money for sattelite tags for hammerhead sharks and sea turtles. The lucky winner will get a 10-day luxury dive vacation worth $5,940 at Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica on the sumptuous live-aboard vessel "Argo," April 17-27, 2012. SO DON'T DELAY, BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
The 130-foot Argo is Undersea Hunter's newest and largest vessel and offers 16 live-aboard berths, delicious fresh food, well-appointed accommodations, and a crew of 12 experienced dive trip leaders.
The raffle winner will help us tag sharks and sea turtles at Cocos Island National Park, one of the premiere dive spots in the world, and help carry out valuable research to protect this incredible marine swimway.
We are also working on the Shark Sanctuary/MPA continuing with ecosystem assessment/shark tagging and a series of public outreach events called Save the Bay, Save the Ocean. Join us at one of our events & meet other ocean advocates!
In our new Shark Steward program under the Turtle Island Restoration Network umbrella we will continue protecting sharks and other endangered marine life and ecosystems.
Our Got Mercury program in reproductive and community health is expanding into sustainable fishing and education on the health effects of high mercury fish including sharks, swordfish, tuna and sushi.
Follow our Healthy Oceans campaign protecting sharks and marine habitat in the San Francisco Bay and in international waters.
Thank you for your part loving, and protecting the ocean.
Sincerely,
David McGuire, Director
Sea Stewards
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As one of the original sponsors of AB 376 (Fong/Huffman), we are active in supporting a statewide ban of shark fin. Shark fins are one of the most unsustainable products from the sea and the demand is driving sharks to the brink of extinction.
With the stalling of the California Marine Life Protected Act, Sea Stewards is working to establish shark sanctuaries in the San Francisco Bay to protect sharks, habitat and ecosystems.
