As most of you probably already know, this week is Discovery Channel's 24th annual "Shark Week." This week tends to draw a variety of viewers and seems to be becoming more popular with every passing year. Every summer when Shark Week is going on people tend to be reminded of their fear of sharks that they may have forgotten about for a little while. During this week some may think twice before going for a leisurely swim in the ocean, or they might keep nervously looking around them for the sight of a shark fin. We've all probably heard the statements that we're more likely to get struck by lightning, or even be killed by bees, than we are of being attacked by a shark. These statements do, in fact, hold some truth, as the likelihood of getting attacked by a shark is extremely slim, especially once you take into consideration that there are only on average 30 to 50 attacks worldwide per year, and 5 to 10 of those attacks being fatal ones. People have a much greater chance of being attacked by other animals than they do by sharks, or even drowning in the ocean or another body of water. If you really think about it, you are probably putting yourself in more danger when you get into a car to drive, considering car accidents are far more likely to occur than shark attacks are. The fact of the matter is that humans are a far greater threat to sharks than sharks are to humans. Our actions are putting the shark population as a whole in serious danger. According to the Discovery Channel website, it is estimated that 73 million sharks are killed every year alone by humans, and this is mainly from fishing. The website lists the chilling fact that this translates into 8,333 sharks being killed every minute! The population of various shark species are on a downward decline, such as the hammerhead, bull, and dusky shark species, whose populations have decreased by 99 percent just on the East Coast alone. Overfishing is a tremendous threat to shark populations, especially since some since the majority of shark species need to be fairly old old before they can reproduce. Since overfishing is occurring at such a rapid pace, it often does not give these shark species enough time to reproduce so that the shark population is able to grow and replenish itself. Shark finning is a major reason why there is currently a high demand for sharks. Shark finning is a practice where sharks are caught and fisherman cut off their fins and then usually throw the remaining shark body overboard. The shark fins are typically used in making the Asian delicacy shark fin soup, and it is wildly popular in China, specifically Hong Kong, who is the largest consumer of the soup. 87 countries worldwide export shark fins to Hong Kong, including the U.S. and Canada. The environmental nonprfit organization, The Pew Charitable Trusts, points out that 30 percent of shark species are threatened with extinction or either very close to being threatened with extinction, and shark finning has a great deal to do with it. There are some positives coming out of the shark finning situation, as the U.S. passed a Shark Conservation Act last December that will end shark finning in our waters. Chile also has just recently passed a law that bans all shark finning in their waters. Another hopeful note for sharks is that the the countries of Honduras, the Maldives, Palau, and the Bahamas have all recently put a ban on the catching of sharks in their waters. Hopefully more countries can follow in their paths and do the same so that sharks can actually have a chance to survive. Hawaii has taken some steps in the right direction as well, as it passed a bill in January of 2010 that now bans the sale, possession, and distribution of shark fins in the state. Sharks really can be considered prehistoric creatures, as they have been around since the dinosaurs roamed the earth, or for around 34,000,000 years! So, the next time you go swimming in the ocean and become frightened that you may get attacked by a shark, just think about the minuscule threat that they pose to us and the enormous threat that we pose to them.
Peace and love,
The Green Chick
shark conservation sites:
-http://na.oceana.org/en/our-work/protect-marine-wildlife/sharks/overview
-http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/shark-facts.html
-http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_detail.aspx?id=140
-http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/top-10-shark-conservation-projects.html
sources:
-http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/conservation-infographic.html
-http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_detail.aspx?id=140
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