Stop Critter Manipulation Photos

At the recent Anilao Underwater Shootout, organizers dropped categories prone to critter manipulation, since previous participants had raised concerns about the handling, manipulating and relocating of critters. British underwater photographer, Alex Tattersall, must be feeling vindicated after he returned the second prize he was awarded in the supermacro category at an underwater photography competition held last year in Israel. He alleged that the first-place winner had manipulated two shrimp on the back of a nudibranch -- not something that could be proved beyond doubt. We told the sad tale in last April's Undercurrent.

However, Tattersall says he feels disappointed that, while the World Shootout competition this year added rules that stated "each participant is asked to sign an environmental conservation commitment form, according to which he/she is obligated to follow environmental conservation regulations and to share respect for the underwater world during the process of taking images," it then awarded the first prize in the super-macro category to an image that is quite clearly in contravention of this rule, despite having had this pointed out by at least one expert at the judging.