Sharks are scary creatures, this i will not dispute, especially as i saw one take a small bite out of someone’s arm once when i was surfing!
However what i do dispute is the need to kill them all! This entirely unneccesary thing happens for a number of reasons.
Shark fins – highly prized for food, medicine etc. As of recently Holland and Barratt still carried herbal remedies which contained cartillage from shark fins, fished from an unsustainable, and some have said possibly illegal source. Of course i wouldn’t say that though. I appreciate that some island communities can use this practice as a sustainable means of income, but large scale culling is creating a huge problem for ocean biodiversity.
Secondly, sharks are killed because they interfere with our lives. Did you know that in South Africa, sharks are lured away from popular tourist beaches by towing bait to more remote locations? Once the sharks reach the bait they are caught and killed. Of course this becomes a vicious cycle, as more and more sharks are attracted to the area.
Yes, some sharks can kill humans, but only when they mistake you for a nice seal or some such. There may still be undiscovered species of sharks swimming around down there, due to a real lack of research.
Cute and cuddly species such as dolphins and sea turtles get all the good press, and therefore all the good funding. If you were a jobbing marine biologist looking for some work, would you pitch an idea that was more likely to get long term funding, or an idea that had very little chance? Exactly.
I’m not suggesting that you go and hug a shark, but i would like you to see them for the amazing role they play in regulating ocean ecosystems. Remember, they also keep nastier creatures than themselves at bay.
If all the sharks in the world disappear, we could be in a whole lot of trouble!
