Shark Conservation -A Global Challenge
The general misconception is that there are still plenty of sharks. It is rare to find sympathy for an animal that most people are terrified of. Sharks have a bad reputation that is undeserved and incorrect. This makes it possible for the slaughter of sharks by the millions to continue, when it should cause a global outrage. The demand for Shark fin soup, considered a delicacy in Asian countries,
More research is needed to find out important information about the biology of individual shark species, and how the current fishing practices will affect their populations. One thing is clear, because sharks are slow to mature and reproduce in very low numbers, the populations will hit a point of no return much faster than any other fish species that is being hunted extensively. Many shark species are already nearing a point of decimation that will be difficult to stop and reverse. What we do now, or fail to do, will affect the health of our oceans drastically.
So why should we protect sharks?
Sharks keep our oceans healthy and clean. Without sharks the oceans would be a cesspool of the sick, dying and dead. Fisheries would collapse. The balance would be disturbed to a point of no return. The extinction of sharks would impact the environment and economy on a global scale. When we recognize that we have to respect and protect sharks we are also taking one step towards saving the oceans!