Why Protect Sharks?
This is a question that many of us will have either wondered
or been asked. The movie ‘ Jaws’ created huge hysteria around this stunning
creature, with people too scared to even get into the ocean. Sharks were
portrayed as a monster, as a man-killing machine that needs to be destroyed. This
is a perception that has been difficult to change with many people. But those
who have dived with sharks will understand that they are beautiful, curious,
but often shy creatures. With fear so hugely associated with sharks, many do
not understand why there is a need to protect them.
The underwater world is in a state of delicate
balance. Sharks are the apex predators in this ecosystem – they have no natural predators. A
healthy reef system needs to be managed and it is the sharks, at the top of the food chain, that do
this. As the top predator,
they regulate the populations of predator
fish directly beneath them in the food chain – who in turn prey on fish that eat
algae. Without sharks
regulating the population of the predator fish, the numbers of fish that
control the algae population will decrease. Consequently algae will begin to
blanket the reef, smothering it. The result of this will be devastating and the
underwater ecosystem will fall apart.
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| David McGuire during his presentation on Pulau Mabul |
But it is
not only the health of the reef that we must consider when determining the importance of sharks. The economic value of a live shark is so much
greater than that of a dead one. During his presentation, David McGuire showed
a short film about the Semporna Shark
Sanctuary, produced by ScubaZoo.
This powerful video explains that a live shark is worth over US$800,000 over its lifetime in terms of eco-tourism, whereas a dead one is sold for just US$100. The growing eco-tourism industry in Semporna is worth far more than many people may
realise.
To see this incredible video just follow this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIdW2A_6gnk
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| Whale Sharks: One of the many species of shark seen in the proposed Semporna Shark Sanctuary |
The Threats Sharks
Face:
Although
Sharks have been portrayed at man-eating beasts, this is far from the truth. As
the apex predators sharks have no natural predators, so the only reason for
their decline in population is, sadly, us. We have become too good at what we
do.
Over Fishing is huge threat faces the
underwater world. Boats will place down massive nets – either
purse seine nets, or nets that drag over the ocean floor. There
is no discrimination in what these
nets catch, meaning sharks, rays and turtles will be dragged along, as well as thousands of fish that are
not the target species of the fishermen. By the time the net is pulled
to the surface these creatures are often dead. Some of these are just dumped overboard – a wasteful practice known as ‘bycatch’. Such unsustainable fishing practices are the
reason why we do not serve seafood at Scuba Junkie.
Long-lining is, unfortunately, a widely
used fishing practice. Miles of baited hooks on long lines will be left in the
ocean. The bait attracts many types of marine life. Sharks will lie trapped on
the hooks for hours, with a hook through their mouth unable to escape. Once the
sharks are brought onto the boat they are stripped of their fins and cast back
into the ocean – still alive.
Shark Fin Soup – The consumption of shark fin soup is possibly the biggest threat facing shark species.
Shark fin soup is a Chinese delicacy that represents wealth and prestige. It
used to just be a small percentage of the population that was able to consume
it, but with a growing economy more and more people are consuming this soup at
weddings and other social events. The shark fin provides no flavour for this
dish, which actually uses chicken broth as a base. However, many wrongly
believe that the fin contains various health benefits. Research has actually
shown that consuming shark fin leads to mercury poisoning, and is directly linked with Alzheimer’s
disease.
The demand for shark fins for
this Chinese delicacy is decimating shark populations across the world. The fin
of a shark is worth an incredible amount, and although restrictions have been
placed on shark finning in a few
places around world, many are taking the risk because of the money they can
make.
Although many are quick to blame the Asian
countries for this, countries in Europe and America are
actually in the top 10 for supplying shark fin! These problems are right on our
doorsteps and there is more that we can be doing than you may realise.
Semporna Shark
Sanctuary
The designs for the Semporna Shark Sanctuary began in 2009.
The idea was to create a protected area for sharks and rays in the east of Sabah, defending them
against commercial fishing and finning. The East Sabah area boasts 63 species
of shark and 68 species of ray.
Situated in the centre of the coral triangle, this is an extraordinarily
biodiverse area.
But the
Semporna Shark Sanctuary is not just about prevention of shark fishing – it is also about securing
the future of the local community by
providing sustainable economic alternatives to fishing. With the growth
of ecotourism in the area,
the proposal aims to provide opportunities for people - new job positions are becoming
available; boat captains, divemasters, instructors, housekeeping along with
many others. This gives people the chance to provide for themselves and their
families without having to fish.
As David mentioned, data is key to the implementation of the
Semporna Shark Sanctuary. Over the years our staff has collected information on
shark sightings in the proposed Semporna Shark Sanctuary area, and
unfortunately there has been a decline. This data demonstrates that creating
the Sanctuary is vital. But David’s goals don’t end there, and neither do ours.
It is not just the Semporna area that needs protecting, but all of Sabah. In fact, David discussed how important it in
to work in shark conservation in the whole of Malaysia, due to its location in
the coral triangle.
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| Schooling Scalloped Hammerheads seen at Pulau Sipadan |
What you can do:
David has been an activist in shark conservation for many
years now, and so we discussed with him what he thinks people can do to aid this
cause.
Spread the word
It is almost surprising how many people are not even aware
of the consumption of shark fin soup, let alone the effect it has on the
underwater world. When you learn about these things inform others about it. The
more people that know, the more people who can help create change!
Take a pledge
Don’t eat shark
fin soup!! By refusing to eat
shark fin soup and refusing to eat in restaurants
that sell shark fin products you can help to reduce the demand for shark fins.
It may seem like a small thing to do, but every little really does count! Consider not eating seafood, or only eat
seafood that you know comes from sustainable sources.
Support dive centres that are making an effort
As divers we are ambassadors for the underwater world and
many dive centres will take this responsibility extremely seriously. When
booking your diving holiday do some research, find out which dive centres in
the area are making the extra effort. Many dive centres around Asia and the
rest of the world will be actively getting involved in helping to create Marine
Protected Areas (MPAs) and raising awareness for conservation and environmental
work in their area. Donations to organisations such as Shark Stewards, or SEAS, are also extremely beneficial to this important cause.
We extend a huge thanks to David for coming to see us. He
gave an extremely interesting presentation and has been discussing the Semporna
Shark Sanctuary with our on-site Environmental Officers Dave and Cat. We look forward to working
closely with him and others through
the Sabah Shark Alliance to implement the Semporna Shark Sanctuary.
For more information on David McGuire and the incredible
work he has done through Shark Stewards please visit their website:
www.sharkstewards.org
