SHARK CONSERVATION
THROUGH LEGISLATION
Sharks are graceful, beautiful and powerful.
They are also V A N I S H I N G.
Shark Conservation Through Legislation
SHARK! Just the word alone inspires trepidation into the hearts of every swimmer, snorkeler, diver or surfer, but not so for the sport or commercial fisherman. To the sport fisherman the shark is the trophy catch that legends are made of. Every day, anglers pay handsomely for a crack at the monster fish. To the commercial fisherman sharks mean big bucks in the fin trade. Up to 70 million sharks are killed annually due to the growing trade in their fins and other products. Many sharks are also killed as a result of bycatch in fisherman's nets. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the number of sharks killed in the Central Pacific Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean fisheries rose from 2,289 in 1991 to 60,857 in 1998, an increase of over 2,500 percent, and continues to rise unabated. Of the 60,857 sharks landed in Central Pacific Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean fisheries in 1998, 98.7 percent, or 60,085, were killed for their fins. Shark fins make up between 1% and 5% of the overall weight of a shark. Shark finning results in the waste of 95% to 99% percent of this extremely valuable resource. California has set forth laws prohibiting the finning of sharks and also set restrictions to limit bycatch and wasteful fishing practices. There is also a push now in the U.S. Congress to ban shark finning in all U.S. waters. Please give your support by writing to Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham www.house.gov/cunningham/ and The U.S. Fishery Subcommittee.
"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone man would die from great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, also happens to man. All things are connected." Chief Seattle of the Squamish Tribe (1855)
As a result of overexploitation by sport fisherman and fisheries, many shark species' populations have been so drastically reduced that they may never recover. Because of the sharks' limited reproductive potential, they are especially vulnerable to overexploitation and slow to recover from depletion. For a creature of such grace and beauty with near perfect design to vanish from the earth, of which it has been a part for over a million years, is a perversion of nature with dire consequences. Sharks are vital to the marine's ecosystem and must be safeguarded against extinction. Legislation is now necessary to ensure that their annihilation is never realized.
There is a great need for shark quotas to be enforced for many species whose populations are known to be depleted as well as that of species whose populations are unknown until information is obtained regarding their status.
"Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." Chief Seattle of the Squamish Tribe (1852)
As people's views are slowly changing regarding the shark, many have come to realize that it is the shark that needs protection from us and not us from them. Legislation has been enacted in the United States, South Africa, Australia and elsewhere to protect endangered and vulnerable shark species.
Legislation is desperately needed in the Hawaiian Islands where shark finning is legal and sharks are taken by the thousands. Often times large mature sharks, such as the Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvier (right), are specifically targeted in order to ensure that tourists feel safe from shark attack. This is a tender subject for many in Hawaii who hold the beliefs of their ancestors. Sharks are a large part of many Polynesian cultures but the ancient Hawaiians had a close relationship with sharks. Sharks were believed to take the form of a deceased relative through the intervention of a kahuna or priest. An `aumakua, or shark god, protected certain families or regions from oceanic mishap and other sharks. A bill banning shark finning has been proposed in the Hawaiian State Senate but it is coming up against massive protest. Help is needed in persuading the law makers to pass the bill. For more information on the Hawaii Shark Fin Trade Bill and to see what you can do to help, click here.
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant but it is most important that you do it." Gandhi
Australia led the way for shark conservation legislation by being the first country to protect the Grey Nurse Carcharias taurus (right) or Sandtiger as it is referred to in the United States. South Africa has also instituted laws protecting the Great White Shark as has The United States and Australia. The United States federal government has established laws protecting the White Shark in the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico, but specifically California has established strict laws protecting the Great White from exploitation.
California also provides for restrictions on fishing practices of other species such as the Angel Shark Squantina squantina, Leopard Shark Triakis semifasciata, Thresher Shark Alopias vulpinus and Shortfin Mako Isurus oxyrinchus.
As much as legislation is needed it is difficult to pass given that policing the ocean is an extremely difficult task and results from passing such laws are not easily obtained. Potential legislation is met with harsh criticizm and opposition due to the fact that many disagree with the conservation minded research either out of their own fear of attack or, in the case of the fishermen, out of fear for their livelihoods. Passing legislation is a difficult task but it is one that must be undertaken if we are to ensure the survival of sharks.
 Come Join the Shark-L! The Shark-L (Sharks and Cartilaginous Fish Discussion) is a discussion list about sharks and other cartilaginous fish such as rays and skates. The list is comprised of over 300 members which range from grade school children to experts in the field of elsmobranch science and research. Join and learn more than you ever thought you could! If you like to discuss sharks, this is the place to go. To subscribe to the SHARK-L, send a message to [email protected] and type "SUBSCRIBE SHARK-L" and "YOUR NAME" in the body of the message. To view the archives of the Shark-L, go to raven.utc.edu/archives/shark-l.html.
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REFERENCES: California Fish & Game Code �� 8660-8670, 8596-8598.6, 5500-5522, 7700-7715, 8040-8070, 8370-8403, 8599-8599.3, 8561-8582; Center for Marine Conservation; Ellis & McCosker, Great White Shark, 1991; Sharks, Silent Hunters of the Deep (Reader's Digest Compilation) 1994; Sharks and Their Relatives: Ecology and Conservation, Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 20. World Conservation Monitoring Center
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