Scientists:
Sharks’ Population Shrunk 90 Percent In 15 Years United States,
August 7, 03
Few
things are as frightening to summer beach-goers as the sight of a fin
gliding through the water. Sharks -- with their rows of razor-sharp
teeth and unblinking eyes -- are the stuff of horror movies and tourists'
nightmares. But shark scientists say it's time to forget the exaggerated
hype of "Jaws." In reality, they say, sharks are in more danger
from us than we are from them.
"The real story in sharks
is not 'Shark bites man,' it's 'Man bites shark,' " said George
Burgess, director of shark research at the University of Florida.
Human deaths from shark attacks
are rare. In the past 12 years, sharks have killed eight people off
U.S. coasts and 88 people worldwide, according to statistics compiled
by the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural
History. Of the 400 species of sharks, only about 5 percent are considered
a potential danger to people, scientists say. But people are a definite
danger to sharks.
After inhabiting the Earth
for an estimated 450 million years, sharks are being destroyed by rising
consumer demand for shark meat and increasingly efficient fishing techniques
that land sharks at a rate far outpacing their relatively slow ability
to reproduce, scientists say. Several species -- including dusky sharks,
sand tiger sharks and night sharks -- are candidates for the federal
endangered species list.
Experts estimate shark populations
have decreased as much as 90 percent in the past 15 years, according
to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Millions are killed each year
by commercial fishing fleets that either target them directly or catch
them accidentally in nets or on lines while fishing for tuna, swordfish
or other seafood.
Shark fins also are sent
to Asia -- especially China -- for use in soup, considered a delicacy
to be eaten at weddings and other special occasions. Increased spending
power by middle-class Asians has raised the demand for fins, which can
sell for as much as $25 apiece.
Scientists admit that sharks
have an image problem that makes it difficult to persuade the public
to care about the creatures' demise. "Most people feel saving the
shark is about as popular as saving a cockroach," said Bob Spaeth,
executive director of the Southern Offshore Fishing Association, which
represents about 300 shark fishermen in the Gulf region. "Our motto
is, 'Eat the shark before the shark eats you.' And I think that's the
general consensus out there."
Shark scientists say fishermen
and consumers will be among those who suffer if sharks are depleted
to the point where they become endangered.
And there would be repercussions throughout the food chain. For example,
if sharks that eat octopus are depleted, the octopus population will
explode and eat more lobster, leaving less for people.
Sharks prey on the weak,
allowing the strongest fish to reproduce, said Alan Henningsen, a shark
expert with the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
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All shark
species, with the exception of makos, have declined by more than 50
percent in the past 15 years.
How to help
- Don't buy products that contain shark cartilage, such as some medical
and diet products.
- Don't buy shark jaws or teeth as souvenirs.
- Don't buy or eat shark fin soup at home or while traveling abroad.
To make the soup, fishermen typically cut off the sharks' fins and then
throw the animal back to die. The practice has been outlawed in U.S.
waters but continues elsewhere.
- Let your state and federal lawmakers know that you support efforts
to promote shark conservation, such as restrictions on fishing for the
most vulnerable species.
Sources: Dalhousie University and National Aquarium
In Baltimore
In
The End We Will Conserve Only What We Love
We Will Love Only What We Understand
We Will Understand Only What We Are Taught
-
Baba Divum
