CONS: Further testing needed, including to see if large fish and non-target marine life are picked up by the buoys. Not only is it ecologically irresponsible to serve shark meat, it is also unhealthy. While experts may quibble over details of some of these rankings, consumers can follow these guidelines and know that they are helping to protect sharks and ocean life in general. PROS: Swimmers and surfers can be warned if a shark is detected close to shore. ThoughtCo. Gift CenterEmployment OpportunitiesContactFinancialsPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use, InternationalEuropeChileCanadaBelizePhilippinesBrazilPeruMexico, A great way to get involved in protecting #oceans: Join Oceana as a Wavemaker & sound off on important issues! Then learn how different human activities put them in jeopardy and which species of sharks are most threatened. 10 Sharks That Are Critically Endangered, CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. Sharks inspire smart design. Don't look like shark food. Fact Check: Are smart drum lines just a PR exercise? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 5. Reef surveys are performed using, up to one-third of all known species of sharks and their relatives, rays, research topics that can advance conservation, Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive With the Worlds Most Misunderstood Predator, blatantly incorrect and harmful views that cannot help sharks. When food chains lose their top predators, the rest can unravel as smaller prey species multiply. PROS: An electrical repellent known as the 'shark shield' has been independently shown to be effective at deterring sharks from biting, most of the time. The whale shark is a highly migratory species. So sharks will eventually consume non-food products, leading to illness and death. Shark barriers are usually made from plastic and nylon and attached to pylons on the beach and offshore, and anchored to the ocean bed with large chains. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME., 5. A smart drum line is based on the traditional drumline design, but includes technology that can alert rangers to the capture of marine life and they can then attend the device if sea conditions permit. Acoustic tagging is the primary method used to tag white sharks in Australia. Seafood is healthy, delicious and culturally important, and there are environmentally friendly ways of catching it sustainably. For women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, this is especially dangerous. What You Can Do To Protect Sharks 1. Volunteer at the International Coastal Cleanup. According to a spokesperson for WA's Fisheries Minister Ken Baston, in September 2014 the WA Government withdrew its proposal for the operation of drum lines for a further three years because the WA Environmental Protection Authority found there to be a: "high degree of scientific uncertainty about impacts [of drum lines] on the south-western white shark population". Lots of great environmental nonprofit organizations work on shark issues and offer opportunities to get involved, such as donating money and communicating with elected officials and other decision-makers. Black wetsuits have been criticised by some for making swimmers and surfers look like seals. In fact, sharks actually help maintain robust fish stocks by feeding on weak, unhealthy fish, which decreases the chances for disease to spread through fish populations. Stay away from shark meat. At the same time, there is an enormous amount of oversimplification and even misinformation about these important topics, which can lead well-intentioned people to support policies that experts know wont work. So educate yourself and your loved ones especially the shark-fearing ones. Want to help protect sharks? She serves as the executive director of the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation. Take action to help protect sharks from marine debris i From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the most remote ice in the Arctic, plastic pollution has been found everywhere on Earth and threatens marine life on a daily basis. Shark-spotting programs using surveillance techniques, including drones, private helicopters, observation towers and even blimps, are being trialled in various locations across the globe. Sharks occasionally do bite humans, but most bites are feeding events. Writing a letter to your representative to tell them that shark conservation is important to you and that you would like them to introduce and support legislation that will list sharks as protected species, ban shark finning and fishing, and set up conservation areas in the oceans around your country can be a big help. Whether you go cage diving with Great White Sharks or simply snorkeling with Nurse Sharks, shark tourism will help support local conservation efforts. Sharks are key to maintaining a healthy ecosystems as they are apex predators. This maintains the balance of nature. The short answer is yes. Don't enter the water in areas of known shark activity. There are even sustainable fisheries for sharks. This means more carbon in the atmosphere increasing and accelerating global warming. Have other suggestions? 2. Marketed as 'eco friendly' having become artificial habitats for marine life. There are a variety of things you can do on an individual level that can help protect shark species. Theres a variety of dives you can do for any skill level and interest. Knowing about the different types of sharks, their habitats, behaviors, and the threats that they face will make you better equipped to protect them. When food chains lose their top predators, the rest can unravel as smaller prey species multiply. Teachers and students love to get active in causes, so talking to your local educators is a great way to rally people to help save sharks. Sharks are important for a variety of reasons, many of which have to do with policing the ecosystems in which they live. These include electrical, magnetic, acoustic and spray repellents. So by simply reducing your consumption of seafood, you can reduce the number of sharks killed each year. The short answer is yes. Many shark species are "apex predators," meaning they reside at the top of the food web. As our shark spokeswoman, January Jones, said in her PSA, we shouldnt be scared of sharks, we should be scared for them. Sharks sometimes grab humans by mistake. Why should we [] 4. Here are some ways to help: When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. By boycotting shark products, you will reduce market demand, causing companies to stop killing sharks to make these products. How to Avoid a Shark Attack Avoid areas with high activity of seals in the water or where they are known to haul out. The role of apex predators is to keep other species in check. Sign up today to get weekly updates and action alerts from Oceana. Ocean Council; Oceana International Offices . Protecting humans from sharks: What are the options? An estimated 100 million a year are killed for meat, as byproducts of commercial fishing, pollution, and out of fear. In December 2013, the Western Australian Government announced the deployment of drum lines along popular beaches, but no permanent drum lines have been used in WA since April 30, 2014. Do not purchase or consume shark fin soup or any other shark products. Losing sharks can disrupt coastal food webs that billions of people depend on for food. If you live near the oceans or are just on vacation, if you see someone abusing sharks, speak out. Scuba dive with sharks responsibly and support reputable dive operators. Take the pledge to decrease your single-use plastic usage. The Dorsal App claims to be Australia's largest shark alerts and reporting service. After surveying 371 reefs, scientists and volunteers found that 20% of the reefs were shark-less and that six locations had no more than three sharks. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. So the next time you read an interesting article or blog post about sharks, share it with your network. Their populations are crashing as a result of overfishing, shark finning and bycatch, and the oceans are suffering as a result. Educate yourself and others about sharks. Learn As Much As You Can About Sharks 2. First, it reduces the populations of their food sources, especially sharks that rely on bony fish as their primary food source. The more you learn about these creatures, the more you will love them. Removal of an apex predator can lead to increased populations of smaller predators, which in turn, may cause a decline in prey populations overall. PROS: Less likely to make wearer look like a seal. Shark-spotting programs using surveillance techniques, including drones, private helicopters, observation towers and even blimps, are being trialled in various locations across the globe. Shark culling is a term used to describe the blatant killing of sharks and is also used by some to describe the use of traditional drumlines. This does not mean completely avoiding seafood, as some advocates urge. PROS: Statistics support their efficacy, with one fatality at a netted beach between Newcastle and Wollongong in the past 70 years and an overall drop in shark interactions with humans since nets were installed around Sydney and Queensland. There are dozens of species of sharks, from toothy great whites to filter-feeding whale sharks. CONS: Shark biologist Dr Rachel Robbins told Radio National: "The problem is, it could lead people into a false sense of security because they'll think 'there hasn't been a detection in two weeks', however we're only looking at tagged sharks and we're only going to ever be able to tag a very small portion of the shark population at any one time". Jennifer Kennedy, M.S., is an environmental educator specializing in marine life. Struggling to get your head around the shark situation on the north coast of New South Wales? Understanding the Sharks' Role in the Ecosystem. Acoustic pulses from tags are detected by underwater receivers also known as listening stations but sharks need to swim close (typically within 500 metres) to a listening station for its acoustic tag to be detected. Kennedy, Jennifer. In. How can we protect people from sharks? We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life -but there is still more to be done. PROS: Gives the public an opportunity to report sightings, quick alert time after initial report, free of charge. Take action to help protect sharks from marine debris. Sharks are much more severely threatened by humans than vice versa. Sharks boost local economies. Why We Should Protect Sharks? The New South Wales Government believes shark nets are worth trialling and plans to install shark nets in a trial off the north coast before the end of the year. Use the buddy system. When is Shark Week 2022: How and Where to Watch It? Reputable organizations such as Californias Monterey Bay Aquarium publish sustainable seafood guides that rate different types of seafood based on how they are caught or raised. 1 threat to sharks and rays and arguably, to marine biodiversity in general is unsustainable overfishing. Talk To Your Local Educators 8. Threats to Sharks Their natural biology It takes sharks a long time to reach sexual maturity and reproduce, and the typical female shark produces few offspring per mating cycle. See Whale Sharks in their natural environment. For example, fishermen pursuing tuna may accidentally catch sea turtles or sharks swimming near the tuna. Of the 400 or so species of sharks, however, few seek human prey. Losing sharks can disrupt . The more we learn about sharks, the more we learn about their importance. The unsuccessful trial in Lennox Head resulted in debris from the half-built barriers polluting the area and the estimated cost of the unsuccessful trial was $2.6 million. By decreasing shark populations, we are reducing the capacity to store carbon by millions of tons. The sharks of the world are quickly becoming endangered, and some are even in threat of extinction. One of my particular pet peeves is amateur online petitions that may not reflect actual conditions. By educating yourself and others, being a conscientious consumer, and speaking out for sharks, you can easily help promote shark conservation. 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Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/why-should-we-protect-sharks-2291985. Read the original article. By David Shiffman, Post-Doctoral and Research Scholar in Marine Biology, Arizona State University. "Should We Protect Sharks?" One of the biggest threats to shark species is trash. If you are looking for resources, to share with your friends check out some of the great articles on Shark Sider. Here are nine key ways you can help give back and protect our ocean's sharks this Shark Week. CONS: Traditional drumlines are designed to kill sharks. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/protecting-humans-from-sharks-what-are-the-options/7979206, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app. Sharks are threatened in large part because people believe they are voracious, indiscriminate predators. Are Sharks Endangered? For the latest flood and weather warnings, search onABC Emergency. Actions for the protection and conservation of the Whale Shark The whale shark, which can measure between 10 and 12 meters in length and weigh up to 34 tons, is classified as the biggest fish in the world; however, it is completely placid and harmless to humans. How do we protect sharks? Schools are a great resource to help encourage people to get active in a cause. Sharks are some of the most ecologically important and most threatened animals on Earth. By feeding on the dead matter on the seafloor, sharks help move carbon through the ocean. Here are nine key ways you can help give back and protect our ocean's sharks this Shark Week. PROS: Ability to sight sharks from the air and potentially give warning to water-goers through the use of sirens or signals. For example, some organizations are trying to get certain airlines to stop carrying shark products like dried fins, without acknowledging that well over 95% of fins are shipped by sea or that sustainable sources of these fins exist. Donate And Volunteer With Shark Conservation Organizations 6. With the massive plastic gyres and dumping, sharks often mistake garbage for food. Shark sightings and reports from the public as well as from government and emergency services are recorded, with alerts sent out to user's smart phones and via social media. 5. Would love your thoughts, please comment. I am a marine conservation biologist and have sought to improve this situation by surveying shark researchers and helping scientists identify research topics that can advance conservation. Check out our guide. Unsustainable overfishing is the biggest threat by far. A drum line consists of a large, baited hook suspended from a large plastic float, which in turn is anchored to the sea bed. Do not support any restaurant or store that sells shark fin soup or any other shark or ray products. Recent reports show that up to one-third of all known species of sharks and their relatives, rays, are threatened with extinction. PROS: Allows shark movement and behaviour to be monitored and studied, swimmers and surfers can be warned if a shark is detected close to shore. Fin-mounted satellite tags are also commonly used. So weve put together a list of 10 simple things you can do to help protect the sharks of the world. You know that sharks are in trouble around the world. Tell your Senators to support shark protections by passing this bill. Sharks are important for a variety of reasons . Without sharks controlling numbers of big fish in a marine ecosystem, the numbers of these fish could explode. Losing sharks can disrupt coastal food webs that billions of people depend on for food. During the 1960s and 70s, shark control programs in Hawaii killed 4,668 sharks but failed to produce measurable decreases in . So before consuming any product, make sure it does not use any shark materials. Habitats like coral reef depend on their fishy caretakers, like the little reef fish that live on them and clean and protect them from disease. Go Diving With Sharks 10. Sharks regulate the behaviour of prey species and prevent them from over-grazing vital habitats. Dont take the bait. As the apex predators, they keep the food chain in balance. Other times a bite may protect a shark's space, much as a dog barks at and bites intruders. "You're in their territory" is a common refrain from those who believe the best way to protect humans from sharks is to enter the water at your own risk. Yes, sharks can be soft and cuddly when you adopt one from Oceana. By refusing to buy these products we can help to reduce the market demand, causing companies to stop killing sharks to make these products. Plastic is also consumed by the marine species that sharks eat. 1. Keep an eye out for sharks. Whether they are poking and prodding them or illegally hunting them, tell the authorities what youve seen, Most beaches have protections for the local marine species, so if someone is mistreating a shark, you can help defend the shark by reporting the action. Dr Daniel Bucher from Southern Cross University told the ABC: "Great whites are a threatened species and the existing population is already low. These include electrical, magnetic, acoustic and spray repellents. Governments are much more likely to set up conservation zones when sharks bring tourism revenue to an area. Commercial fishing negatively impacts sharks in two ways. A range of commercial products that claim to deter sharks from humans are available. When you adopt a hammerhead shark, youll receive a hammerhead stuffed animal with a personalized adoption certificate, and your donation will help our work to protect them. Speak Out When You See Abuse 9. Sharks can hold large amounts of carbon in their bodies. Reduce Your Seafood Consumption 4. However, there are more products than just shark meat on the market. The single most effective thing that individual consumers can do is to avoid seafood produced using these harmful methods. Keep an eye out for sharks. Here are five ways. CONS: Associate Professor Adam Stow, of Macquarie University told the ABC that: "Killing sharks risks disruption to the ecology of the ocean". In my book, I describe the work of many of these groups, including my favorite, Shark Advocates International. Powered by. By educating yourself on the issues you can find effective ways to help and help to spread the word . This is not only for the sharks' health, but for yours too as shark meat carries warnings of high mercury levels, which has a negative affect on your health. Volunteer at the International Coastal Cleanup. How can we protect people from sharks? Stay Informed. Sharks have a fierce reputation. Sharks & Habitat Loss Sharks help prevent habitat loss. PROS: Supporters argue fewer sharks equal fewer attacks. So think about your impact on marine species when using products, so that they dont end up causing irreparable damage to sharks species. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. How can we protect sharks? Do not consume or purchase shark products such as shark fin soup, shark leather, or jewelry. Take action to help protect sharks from marine debris. PROS: Ability to sight sharks from the air and potentially give warning to water-goers through the use of sirens or signals. They have been trialled in Western Australia. The Shark Conservation Act would end shark finning in U.S. waters and make us world leaders in shark conservation. For example, in the spring of 2022, some 60,000 people signed a petition calling for Florida to ban the practice of shark finning without recognizing that Florida had banned shark finning in the early 1990s. Volunteer at the International Coastal Cleanup. But be aware of their limitations many devices haven't undergone independent testing, and no device will protect you in all circumstances". Sharks play an integral part of the oceans ecosystem. Kennedy, Jennifer. From elementary schools to universities, you can help promote campaigns that raise awareness, collect donations, and support conservation efforts. PROS: Guaranteed to avoid a shark encounter by staying on land. Donate And Volunteer With Shark Conservation Organizations. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/why-should-we-protect-sharks-2291985. Secondly, sharks are often killed as a byproduct of commercial fishing. Do Not Use Shark Products 3. A great way to help sharks of all species is to simply avoid any shark meat or any products that contain shark cartilage or liver oil. Don't eat unsustainable seafood. PROS: Provide a complete barrier between swimmers and sharks. Movies such as "Jaws" and sensationalized shark attacks in the news and on TV shows have led the public to believe that sharks need to be feared, or even destroyed. Answer (1 of 5): Every animal is part of a greater dimension than humans will ever understand. 1 threat to sharks and rays - and arguably, to marine biodiversity in general - is unsustainable overfishing. Take the pledge to decrease your single-use plastic usage. Following them is a great way to learn about fascinating new scientific discoveries and conservation issues. Whale sharks, notably, have very large mouths and are known as filter feeders, a feeding phenomenon that occurs in only two other shark species: the megamouth shark and the basking shark. Consuming sharks will increase the level of mercury you ingest which will in turn increase your risk of neurological disorders autism infertility Coronary heart disease or even death. Letter writing is a great way to helps protect and preserve sharks. Unsustainable overfishing is the biggest threat by far. Information About Sharks, For Shark Lovers, Sharks Of The World Have Added Some Strange Items To Their Diet, Blue Shark Facts That Will Not Make You Blue. This is causing shark populations to drastically decline in numbers. If sharks were to disappear from the worlds oceans, the environmental consequences would be massive. Will sharks go extinct? Culling can happen via drumlines, shark nets, and other methods. Surfer Mick Fanning changed the colour of his board from yellow to dark blue after hearing sharks were attracted to lightly coloured, shiny things. You know that sharks . Take the pledge to decrease your single-use plastic usage. "Should We Protect Sharks?" CONS: Reports can not be received in the water, possibility of hoax reports, impossible to report every shark. Here are nine key ways you can help give back and protect our ocean's sharks this Shark Week. CONS: No more swimming/surfing/kayaking etc. There are currently a number of strategies being used in an attempt to minimize shark interactions with people including shark nets, drum lines and electronic deterrents. There is also the financial cost of installation and personnel to monitor the nets for bycatch. Michele Spatari/AFP via Getty How You Can Help Protect Sharks & What Doesnt Work, Copyright 2022 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Humans are killing sharks at an unprecedented rate. Why do we need to protect sharks? PROS: Statistics support the efficacy of drumlines in reducing shark attacks. (2020, August 28). and . Likewise, while it was once thought that culling shark populations might result in an increase in commercially valuable fish species, this has not proven to be the case. Unfortunately, some organizations promote pseudoscience that doesnt help anyone or anything. If we wipe out sharks, what animal will take its place? If they're carnivores, they would be replaced by whatever pre. The No. It's true that sharks are ruthless predators, which leaves some people wondering if it really matters that millions of these marine killers are themselves killed each year. By gaining more information about shark activity and behavior, the two can coexist. Here are just 10 things anyone can do to help: The most important thing you can do to help sharks is learn about the different sharks of the world, their habitats, and behaviors. The whale shark feeds almost exclusively on plankton, krill, and small fish, and pose virtually zero threat to the human population. Sharks are becoming "functionally extinct" in many reefs worldwide, Sharks are becoming more rare in many reef ecosystems around the world. So if you have some spare time or money, you can donate to a shark conservation group. As northern New South Wales residents continue to debate the best way to deal with shark attacks in the region, we take a look at the pros and cons of the most popular options available to protect people from ocean predators. CONS: Can not be everywhere at once, possible visibility issues when water clarity is not ideal, financial cost of hiring aircraft and/or personnel to conduct surveillance, water-users may ignore warnings. 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