Environmental charity Bite-Back has launched it’s 2011 calender. This uses images from David Doubilet, Doug Perrine, Brian Skerry, Eric Cheng and Alex Mustard amongst others to remind us on a daily basis what is at stake if we carry on overfishing the world’s oceans.

Bite-Back has run a very successful campaign to force the UK’s supermarkets to re-think their sourcing policies, and is active in persuading Chinese restaurants to remove shark fin from their menus. Full details of the calender and the organization are on their website.

Unique calendar celebrates the marine environment.

Twelve of the world’s most remarkable, award-winning, underwater photographers have joined forces in a unique collaboration and created a limited edition 2011 calendar to raise funds for the UK shark and marine conservation charity, Bite-Back.

The calendar is available online.

Month by month, legendary photographers including David Doubilet, Jeff Rotman, Doug Perrine, Brian Skerry, Eric Cheng, Alex Mustard, Amos Nachoum and Michael Aw have combined breathtaking images with thought-provoking commentary on the status of the oceans to make this exclusive calendar a ‘must have’ for anyone interested in the marine environment.

High definition underwater images from around the world, including sharks, swordfish, humpback whales, grey seals, rays and manatees showcase the true beauty beneath the waves, while first-hand insights from each photographer on the demise of the oceans highlight key issues challenging the marine environment.

National Geographic underwater photographer, Amos Nachoum (pictured with a great white shark), said:

“For 35 years or more, sensational media reports and Hollywood studios have had a stranglehold on the portrayal of sharks to the general public. In that time they have created a monster. It concerns me that until we change that perception, this is all people will know about sharks.”

Every year more than 70 million sharks are killed for their meat and fins. Estimates now suggest that 12 species of shark will be extinct by 2017 and that the world will run out of fish by 2048.

In fact the biggest threat facing the oceans is over-fishing and that’s why Bite-Back is working to reduce the UK’s reliance on familiar species, in turn, allowing them some respite from relentless fishing pressure.

Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said:

“We can’t keep relying on the oceans to feed us indefinitely at current levels without fear of losing some species forever. Countless wild fish take many years to reach maturity and many can live for decades. Even popular fish like cod, monkfish and plaice can live for 20, 25 and 40 years respectively. We want the calendar to become a daily reminder of what’s at stake.”

Already the charity has inspired most of the supermarket chains in the UK to re-think key fish they sell and it has encouraged dozens of Chinese restaurants to halt the sale of shark fin soup – part of its ongoing plan to devalue a dead shark.

Commenting on the majesty of the oceans multiple award-winning photographer, Brian Skerry, said:

“The greatest animal migration on the planet occurs in the world’s oceans and it happens on a daily basis. The largest animal ever to live on Earth is an ocean dweller and the majority of the air we breathe comes from the sea. It is time for a new ocean ethic, one in which we hold sacred the life-giving waters of planet Earth.”

Visit www.bite-back.com for more information.