Drink beer and help save sharks

The Cayman Islands Department of Environment and Marine Conservation International have teamed up with Caybrew, the Cayman Islands’ local beer company to produce the world’s first conservation lager, White Tip.

Each refreshing can of beer has a barcode that can be scanned with a smartphone to access the Department of Environment website where there’s a wealth of information on local efforts in the Cayman Islands to protect this feared and often misunderstood animal. What’s more a donation of 5c per can or US$1.20 per case goes to the conservation project.

Around the world, shark populations are dramatically reducing due to the decline of reef habitat and over-exploitation by global fisheries with 70 to 100 million sharks caught annually. Population declines of 90% have been reported for many species largely as a result of unregulated fishing for shark fins to meet the demand of the South East Asian restaurant trade.

The Cayman Islands Department of Environment is asking for help with sightings, strandings and catch information as part of an on-going programme working for shark conservation.

The Cayman Islands are well known for the fantastic diving on offer including some of the world’s most spectacular wall diving, wrecks and Stingray City, voted by National Geographic as the world’s best shallow dive. It is hoped that the White Tip lager will appeal to visiting divers as well as the local population.

For more information on the White Tip conservation project visit:
doe.ky/marine/white-tip/

For more information on Caybrew visit:
cib.ky

For more information on the Cayman Islands visit:
caymanislands.co.uk