Shark Culling Research Paper

735 Words2 Pages

cull necessary?” Is it necessary when the population of a species grows beyond the carrying capacity of its environment? Or is it necessary when the population of a species begins to negatively impact the environment and other species within it? These are important questions to consider when discussing the ethics of culling. alive. Despite this, humans tend to decide more quickly to kill the more ferocious-looking species rather than the seemingly nicer ones. The culling of sharks has become a major problem, especially considering the significant decline in the great white population. These animals are now on the vulnerability list, and hunting them for fins and trophies is not only frowned upon but also persecuted. Sharks are baited into following closer to the shore, where they become accustomed to finding food, only to be captured and killed. This practice is inhumane because these creatures follow the shoreline with no intention of hurting people, only to eat and survive, yet they are hunted and harmed to the point of being threatened. Family members of a man named Sam Kellett, who was attacked and killed by a shark, spoke out in protest against the cull, claiming that Kellett would have wanted nothing to do with it if he were still alive. Rarely do attacks occur that are not provoked by intruding upon territory or threatening the animal itself. However, even if an attack is unprovoked, it may be due to confusion of humans with another animal that sharks commonly hunt. Sharks do not deliberately seek to consume humans, as they are not a part of their diet. The issue of shark attacks, however, can be further prevented without the need for killing them. If nets were more securely placed around beach areas, there would be a safer swimming region for civilians. For activities that are further into the sea, it is important to remember that humans are intruding upon the sharks' territory, and for that reason, the sharks may become more agitated. If it really came down to it, rather than capture and kill, a program for capture and relocation could be implemented to migrate the sharks into further areas and protect both humans and animals. In conclusion, the culling of sharks is unnecessary. There are many other solutions that could be implemented to prevent shark attacks. The cost of culling is immense, the procedure is drawn out, and it damages the ecosystem. Without sharks, a valuable predator is no longer present to continue the food chain that it remains at the end of, and populations of other animals can drastically increase, causing a large imbalance. Culling sharks does not prevent the deaths of humans and instead creates bigger complications than the sharks themselves.

Open Document