Net Loss
Many people believe that shark nets protect swimmers by blocking sharks from entering the swimming area. However, these nets are not designed to act as a barricade, but as fishing net to catch and kill the sharks, among other species. Shark nets should not be used for protecting swimmers from shark attacks. They protect swimmers, not by deterring or blocking sharks from entering the area, but by killing them and reducing the area’s shark population. Therefore, there are fewer attacks on humans, but at a high cost to the already struggling shark population. There has been some success with shark spotting programs for preventing shark attacks, without harming the animals and it is a humane alternative.
The shark population in South Africa has declined since the 1960’s. The increase in human population, and therefore recreational swimming, brought an about an increase in sharks attacking humans in places like South Africa. In 1957, a series of attacks set off hysteria in South Africa, much like in the movie, “Jaws”. Over a 107-day stretch, known as “Black December”, sharks killed five people in the resort beaches off the coast of KwaZulu Natal. To calm the fears of vacationers and residents, the newly formed Natal Sharks Board installed over 200 miles of nets along the KwaZulu Natal province coast. The nets were extremely effective.
The nets reduced shark attacks by 90 percent, catching an average of 1,245 sharks per year. (Marshall)
Shark nets are adding to the growing problem of shark population decline, especially for certain species of sharks. The Great White is particularly vulnerable, due to the species’ low birth rate, compared to other types of fish, which generally produce hundreds of eggs, yearly. Great W...
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... eliminating them from our recreational swimming areas because of our fear. Though the use of shark nets has reduced attacks, it is also destroying an important animal in our oceans.
Works Cited
Leatherman, Stephen P. “Dr. Beach's Survival Guide: What You Need to Know about Sharks, Rip Currents, and More before Going in the Water”. New Haven: Yale UP, 2003. Print.
Marshall, Leon. “South Africa Rethinks Use of Shark Nets”. National Geographic News. 4 June 2002. Web. 9 March 2011
Peatling, Stephanie. “Sharks Kill Surfer, Reigniting Net Debate in Australia”. National Geographic News. 28 January 2005. Web. 14 March 2011.
Peschak, Thomas P, Scholl, Michael C. “South Africa's Great White Shark”. Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2007. Print.
Pike, Steve. “Surfing South Africa: Swells, Spots and Surf African Culture”. Cape Town: Double Storey Books, 2007. Print.
In conclusion, shark nets do work and they don't. Scientist might find a way to prevent shark attacks with shark nets or in the feature they might find different ways. Or scientist may invent a way that will only prevent shark attacks and won’t kill any other sea life. To sum up, they need to do some thinking and protect the sea, which is great for sea life, and it is great for the
The Great Shark debate – to cull or not to cull, has been at the forefront of the minds of conservationists, as well as the general population for many decades now. The opinions of everyone are divided, according to their personal experiences, and views on what is right and wrong for the environment.
Throughout the film there are many experts about the ocean and the animals that live in it. Researcher Ritter the misconception of the shark’s species is blown out of proportion by the media, which is why sharks have such an awful reputation. Experts touch up on this subject adding how even one of the biggest movies Jaws is a very large portion from where people get their fears from or it could be from all of the “shark attacks” on the news. Rob discusses how at the rate we are going we can destroy all of the food chains in the marine ecosystem, and this is where most of our oxygen comes from. Throughout the film experts Rob Stewart and Paul Watson are trying to get long lining banned in Costa Rica. Paul makes a really interesting point saying how the biggest problem is that we do not understand what we are and we are just a bunch of “conceited naked apes” that are out of
As they are at the top of the food chain, sharks play a very important role in the oceans in a way that an average fish does not. Sharks keep populations of other fish healthy and in proper proportion for their ecosystem. By preying on the old, sick or slower fish in a population, they prevent the spread of disease and prevent outbreaks that could be devastating. According to Ransom Myers from Shark savers, “sharks may be gone within the next decades if we continue to kill them, resulting in the loss of important foods that we depend on for survival, causing a marine ecosystem imbalance.” At the same time, I accept that shark nets could be useful, especially in shark infested areas that have been renowned as spots where many attacks have occurred, but I still believe, as you would, that scientists should spend more resources on working out why it is becoming more common for sharks to be entering shallower waters, looking for food – namely seals, who just happen to look like
One of the governments main reasons for culling the sharks is because they are coming in too close to the shores and becoming a potential threat to swimmers. But why is this happening? This is due to a change in shark feeding habits, but because they are eating more human of course not! Rather because us humans are over fishing and eliminating the fish/food sources of which sharks normally feed on. This is forcing sharks to come in closer to find food. Us as humans have forced sharks to come in closer and are now killing sharks because of our a...
The bull shark may be responsible for many shark attacks in the world but I believe that we have no right to kill them. Sharks are very important to animals food cycles and if the food cycles get messed up it can greatly effect the world. In fact, the bull shark is more vulnerable to human impact due to their ability to live in fresh and salt water but many sharks that are killed are for either shark fin soup or their liver oil. The sharks liver oil has many uses now but it started as a machine lubricant. Another way that sharks die is by recreational fishing. The sharks can get caught up in the fishermen's nets and eventually suffocate and die. As an environmental community, I feel like we need to inform people about shark habits and how to keep sharks safe. The water is their home and we are
2. Castro, Jose. THe Sharks of the North American Waters. Texas Univerisity Press: US, 1983.
Kish, P., 2012. Most Shark fishing is now banned from beaches and jetties in a year-long trial. [Online]
Shark nets have been implemented in locations across the world in response to shark sightings and attacks. Nets are submerged beneath the surface of the water, roughly 200 metres from the shoreline. The meshing is designed to be large to capture sharks, leaving them to struggle before eventually drowning under the weight of their own body. The meshing allows small fish to pass through, however captures larger fish and marine species. Shark nets provide no discrimination between common, vulnerable and endangered species, resulting in a high mortality rate for a variety of marine wildlife.
Every year, there are about 100 million Sharks killed, ultimately for its commercial success. Their fins are used as the main ingredient for a dish so-called Shark soup. However, many are unaware of the actual importance of Sharks' existence on Earth. They do a number of things to control and balance aquatic life down below, which in return affects how we live on the surface. Sharks have existed in our world for over 400 million years, if they were to suddenly disappear for industrial purposes, much problems will be encountered throughout the world. We must preserve the lives of Sharks, for many reasons most importantly that shark hunting is morally wrong, it may provide economic failure in a given time, and it may serve a critical unbalance of a healthy environmental state.
In 2015 only 59 shark attacks have occurred around the world compared to the millions of sharks killed by humans every year. Due to these accidental shark attacks people tend to think that sharks, especially Great Whites are evil creatures with malice intentions when attacks do occur; but, on the contrary that is wrong. Sharks are not the only beautiful and unique creatures in the ocean, they also play a vital role in our ecosystem; however, due to human interference they might not be around much longer, through awareness sharks can be protected from endangerment.
Thesis: Sharks should be conserved because they are an important part of the ocean, attacks are often incidental, and human behavior influences the behavior of sharks.
Riley, M. J., A. Harman., and R. G. Rees. 2009. Evidence of continued hunting of whale sharks Rhincodon typus in the Maldives. Environ. Biol. Fish. 86:371-374. (DOI:10.1007/s10641-009-9541-0).
The Land Shark Index Page. Anti-Vivisection Index. March 1995. The Land Shark.
Introduction One particularly interesting sea creature is the whale shark, formally known as Rhincondon typus; it was first discovered in 1828 by Andrew Smith (Rowat 2012). This large fish is found globally in warm tropical oceans and prefers to stay within 200 meters of the ocean’s surface in waters ranging from 4.2 to 28.7 degrees Celsius (Stevens 2006). This creature can be found all across the globe in warm tropical seas. Aggregations of whale sharks have been seen off the coast of Australia at times, although it is primarily a creature of solitude. Whale sharks are filter feeders that consume plankton as well as small fish and are harmless to humans.