Stop! It’s hammertime!
Yes, it is the that of the year again; shark week is here and filled with FINatics. Although shark week recounts gruesome stories and near death experiences, it also comes with an appreciation for sharks. Instead of focusing on the fear associated with shark week, we explain below why shark conservation is so important.
1. Sharks are jawsome.
Sharks keep populations of other fish healthy and in proper proportion for their ecosystem. If sharks were to be eliminated, then the marine ecosystem would lose its balance. They eat old, sick, or slower fish in a population, thus keeping that population of fish healthier. In addition, sharks groom populations of species so those populations don’t become too populated and cause harm to the ecosystem. Sharks are at the top of the food chain, therefore if they are removed the rest of the food chain will collapse.
2. Sharks are fintastic.
Although sharks are fintastic some populations have taken this fin obsession to an extreme. Sharks are being slaughtered for their fins to make shark fin soup. The consumption of this dish is not necessary for human survival or health and should be terminated. For over 450 million years sharks have survived on the planet, but they could be wiped out of existence within a few decades. The sale of shark fin soup has caused several shark species to near extinction.
Pro Tip: To further immerse yourself into shark conservation download OCEARCH’s Global Shark Tracker. The tracker lets you observe the navigational patterns of tagged sharks.
Written by Marketing Intern: Amanda Moore