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Every time I see or hear someone bemoaning the fact that sharks are being caught and killed, I keep asking myself, "Aren't we competing with them for some of our food supply?"
When I google the question I can't seem to find anything other than the environmentalist reasoning that they are losing numbers. I found one web site, that told me the main reason for shark attacks against humans is because the natural food supply is low. duh! Doesn't that raise a flag with anyone?
Don't we share in some of that food supply? If sharks were good eating, maybe there wouldn't be as much outcry, but it seems that a significant number of sharks are being culled to make shark fin soup. This is not for its flavor, but because some cultures consider it to be an aphrodisiac. Other cultures think this is silly. Is that the reason they are against the killing of sharks? I would think that anything that reduces the competition for a food source would be good for the rest of us.
Where are the commercial fishermen on this debate? It's getting harder and harder to find one, since their numbers are decreasing. Wonder why that is? Could it be that the number of fish to be caught is too small and is driving people away from that profession?
Case in point: I live near the Chesapeake Bay. When I first moved here, crabs were plentiful. A lot of people around here, love to eat them steamed. At the same time, Rockfish numbers were in decline, so there was, for a time, a moratorium on keeping rockfish. You had to catch and release. The numbers of rockfish grew, but, because rockfish eat the crabs, the crab popluation started to decline. The rockfish, in high numbers, were the predators and the crabs, the prey. Fortunately, both are good sources of food for the people in the region, and people make a living cultivating both, as well. A balance can and has been achieved, with some ebb and flow in either direction.
As sharks are concerned, all we hear are cries to not kill them, without anything heard from the other side. Can we have a debate without the emotional aspect?
Sharks are a part of the oceanic ecosystem, like it or not. People are against killing sharks for many reasons. The first is the aforementioned effect on the ecosystem, which the former poster already elaborated on.
Another reason is that certain species of sharks were almost eliminated because of the infamous shark-fin soup. I've even heard about sharks being stripped of their fins and thrown back in the water. That to me is barbaric. Of course it'd be barbaric to lose a limb to a shark also.
There are many people who are about conservation, and it doesn't matter if it's for sharks or elephants.
Well, although my contribution may seem trite to many, I just have to admit that I; like many others, enjoy the taste of fresh shark meat, particularly the Mako Shark. It's also full of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. I once impressed a load of school friends at my 6th birthday party by ordering in shark and we all had it for dinner.
It's not just the fishermen that have a stake in keeping fewer sharks in their fishing grounds. How about conservation of the fish we eat? What happens when they are gone, because we didn't cull the natural predators when there are too many fish being taken? Do we starve people or kill sharks?
So far I have only heard arguments that we need to conserve the sharks but with no "why" offered, other than the usual emotional plea. Come one people. tell us what a shortage of sharks, if that is even possible, would do to us, or the balance of the system?
Sharks play an important part of our ecosystem and no we aren't competing with them for food-we clearly are the winners-who on earth would you think it's okay to kill an animal just for one part ( fins)? It's sad and yes there are a shortage of sharks-how about we regulate how many fish we use vs. consume every year??
Sharks play an important part of our ecosystem and no we aren't competing with them for food-we clearly are the winners-who on earth would you think it's okay to kill an animal just for one part ( fins)? It's sad and yes there are a shortage of sharks-how about we regulate how many fish we use vs. consume every year??
There you go. I knew someone would get around to saying it would be ok for humans to starve in order to conserve sharks. I know you didn't use the word starve, but you didn't draw any lines in your comment either. Who would draw those lines and where would they be?
I suppose that wolves should never be killed either? They can and have attacked people before. They also attack and kill domestic livestock. That is when they usually get killed. Imagine if wolves were never allowed to be killed. You wouldn't be safe in NYC. The difference between wolves and sharks is, it is a lot easier to find the wolves. That's why their numbers dropped so far and they almost went extinct. I doubt that any species of sharks will ever be in danger of extinction other than for natural reasons, for which humans play little or no role.
Sharks play an important part of our ecosystem and no we aren't competing with them for food-we clearly are the winners-who on earth would you think it's okay to kill an animal just for one part ( fins)? It's sad and yes there are a shortage of sharks-how about we regulate how many fish we use vs. consume every year??
Also, if there is a shortage of sharks, how come it's getting harder and harder to make a living in commercial fishing? If the top predator in the ocean is in short supply, there would be too many of at least one species of lessor fish. The only cases of that are in fresh water systems, where one species dominates the rest(like sharks in the ocean).
So far the only argument I have heard is the shortage of sharks, which is impossible to prove. While it's also not possible to prove there is no shortage, I haven't been shown any evidence either way. I am open to any logical reasoning to show that
1. We do not compete with sharks for food supply, and
2. There is a shortage of sharks, and
3. a shortage of sharks is bad for us.
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