Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/shark-killing-contests/
Fishermen in Florida have set up a shark fishing tournament to make money on the misleading assertions that there are “too many” sharks in the water, Newsweek reports, though experts have thoroughly proven this assertion false.
Entry in the contest costs $100 per vessel, with participants lured in by the promise of a cash prize if they catch one of the heaviest sharks, Nature World News reports. Each boat will be limited to two sharks by Florida law, but it’s possible that some participants could break the rules, motivated by money.
This reckless approach to conservation puts the vulnerable shark population at great risk.
The event was organized under the belief that more sharks in the water are depleting local fish, harming the fishing industry, Greenmatters reports.
“This is mainly a money-making scheme, similar to ‘legal’ trophy hunts in Africa,” Raven Lynette, a diver and shark campaigner, told Newsweek. “The people who pay for these permits are mainly fishermen that are uneducated on the importance of sharks or simply think that the sharks are the enemy competing with their catch. They are not interested in ‘research.’”
“No observer is required for these tournaments, making it easy for fishermen to kill and sink protected species,” she continued. “Also, there is ZERO reason to kill sharks, regardless of their protected (or not) status. As a whole, they are rapidly declining.”
Shark researchers, environmentalists, and local divers have all testified that this shark-fishing event would be bad for the local shark population, WPTV reports.
There are several species of sharks that swim around the Florida coast:
- Blacktip Shark
- Bull Shark
- Hammerhead
- Great White
- Lemon Shark
- Mako
- Nurse Shark
- Spinner Shark
- Tiger
Sharks are incredibly important for the overall ecosystem. According to Mystic Aquarium, without these apex predators helping to preserve a healthy food web structure, Florida’s waters – and the rest of the ocean – could see horrifically damaging consequences.
According to World of Sharks, tiger sharks influence the behavior of their prey to the point of natural equilibrium.
“In areas where tiger shark populations are healthy, green turtles avoid high-risk grazing areas, allowing sea-grass meadows to flourish,” World of Sharks reports. “Where tiger shark numbers have dwindled, populations of green turtles boom and they feel bold enough to roam the sea-grass meadows at will. The result? The scientists’ trials in places like Bermuda and Indonesia showed that where turtles overgraze seagrass meadows, the whole ecosystem can change.
“…seagrass meadows happen to be incredible carbon sinks that capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, and are therefore a critical asset in our bid to mitigate climate change. Healthy tiger shark populations could mean healthier seagrass meadows, helping us slow the worst effects of our changing climate.”
We need sharks. And sharks need our help. Scientific studies show that since 1970, shark populations have declined by more than two-thirds to the point at which a majority of these species are threatened with extinction.
Sign the petition and ask Florida authorities to end this shark hunting contest for good!
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
