Many people think that the main and (perhaps) the only role of sharks is to maintain balance in the food chain, the truth is different. Sharks are much more important than they may appear at first. Unfortunately, people don't treat them the way they should.
How do sharks help us?
Sharks keep their balance Sharks usually hunt sick or injured individuals. In addition to naturally maintaining the sensitive balance of the ecosystem and the food chain, they dilute the underwater population to be generally healthy, which helps future generations.
Sharks help with carbon and oxygen
Sharks feed on algae-eating species. Algae create half the oxygen we breathe. If it weren't for sharks, the species that eat algae would multiply and we would have a big problem. "Blue carbon" is the concept of carbon absorbed by the world's oceans. The oceans are the largest and most active carbon sink, absorbing about 40% of CO² emitted by human activity, which is about 4 kg of CO² per person per day. When land animals and plants die, a significant amount of their carbon is released into the atmosphere. Large sharks contain about 10-15% carbon. When they die, they sink to the bottom, so the carbon from their body is isolated in the deep ocean. When sharks are fished from the ocean for human consumption or other purposes, carbon is no longer isolated and it's released into our atmosphere.
Sharks help tourism In recent years, humans have become fascinated by sharks, they are no longer known as dangerous killers, but as fascinating creatures. According to a 2013 study, shark tourism generates more than $ 300 million a year and is expected to double in the next 20 years. In Australia, this tourism contributes more than $ 17.7 million a year to the regional economy. These activities support local businesses (boat rentals, diving companies ...) and provide more than 10,000 jobs in 29 countries. Several studies have suggested that sharks are much more valuable in these places alive rather than dead. And this is how it should be everywhere.
What threatens sharks?
I have encountered various reactions to this topic. But the most common is "Ugh, I don't like it, don't tell me about it." Therefore, I do not share any graphic images here, but I would like to say that nothing will change if we do not talk about this topic and share this information further.
Shark fishing for fins Shark fins are used in traditional Chinese medicine. They are made into a soup (which is practically tasteless). This soup costs more than $ 100.
The shark is caught, its fin is cut off, then it gets thrown back into the water, where it dies. This saves space on the boat for more catches. Many would think that this is most practiced in China. I will disappoint you, for example, Spain is one of the leading processors of shark fins.
One way to help is to turn to Stop Finning EU, an organization that seeks to prevent these heinous practices in Europe. Just jump there and vote.
Shark fishing for meat You can also buy shark meat in Slovakia and it is not that expensive. It gets cheaper and cheaper every year. However, it is most often consumed in Asia. Bycatch Bycatch is the amount of fish that gets caught by a boat in addition to its normal catch. Because sharks need movement to breathe, they often die in the net. (Many other individuals, such as turtles and dolphins, also encounter this unpleasant death).
Hobby Fishing Some shark species are targeted by recreational. However, many fishing tournaments and ports currently support the release of sharks after they have been caught. Pollution, Global warming Sharks, like all living things, suffer from pollution and even the slightest rise in water temperature. They feed on other animals, which often consume microplastics. As many as 67% of 46 sharks have microplastics in them.
Shark nets According to the ISAF International Set of Shark Attacks, there were 66 unprovoked and five death shark attacks worldwide in 2018. In an effort to maintain the separation of humans and sharks, shark nets have been installed on some beaches as a precaution. Just like in fishing, when a shark is caught in such a net, it dies very quickly.
Coastal evolution and time
The shark maturing can take up to 18 years. Once a species is endangered, its recovery can take a long time. Many coastal areas are essential for sharks that give birth to juveniles. They also serve as a home for immature sharks. The more people change on the coast, the less environment is available for sharks and other marine species.
How can we help them?
Are you wondering how can we help? Even as a person living far from the sea and the ocean, we can make a difference.
Share information Sharks are not bloodthirsty beasts, as the media portrays. People kill about 100 million sharks each year (11,416 sharks per hour), while sharks kill only about 5 people a year. These are numbers that should be known to everyone. Let's learn something new about sharks. Let's try to ask friends, family, or acquaintances what they think about this topic.
Let's not eat their meat or buy their products This is hopefully clear, let us not support this terrible trade.
Behave responsibly, by the sea, and when diving The ocean is someone's home. Let's not leave trash behind. Let's not disturb the fish when we go snorkeling or diving. Protecting the ocean as such is very important, experts warn that if nothing changes in our waters by 2048, no fish will remain. Beware of plastics This topic is everywhere, so I won't be dissecting it so much at the moment. Let's start using more durable products and say goodbye to disposable bottles, bags, straws, and many, many other things that we can really replace today without any problems.
Support Organisations There are organizations, such as Stop Finning EU, that seek to limit shark fishing for their fins. You can help them by voting on their site. Or SeaShepherd. Who have over 15 ships and are in the front line. They are chasing ships that do not comply with the regulations. They control sailors and their catches, thus directly helping our oceans. You can help these heroes by purchasing their merchandise, or by donations, and thus indirectly contribute to their voyages across the ocean. I would also like to ask you, visit their website and read something. There is more information on these topics, SeaShehperd even publishes its achievements and "catches" (catching illegal fishermen not fish). Of course, there are many more such organizations, these two are however my favorite.