You all must have watched the old Hollywood movie, “Jaws” and must have felt terrified with the terror of the sharks. You also must have watched sharks on many infotainment channels on television to see divers scuba diving with them. But did it ever come across your mind that, why sharks are so important for us? Or do we actually need sharks in our planet?
More about sharks:
There are varieties of sharks available in this world. Hammerhead sharks, blue sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks, great white sharks and so on are available in the oceans. Marine flora and fauna admirers come from various parts of the world to see these sharks at marine aquariums and also see them by diving with them. Unfortunately, almost tens of millions of sharks are captured every year by the fishermen and they just cut their fins and carcasses for their business and throw them away in the ocean water.
Sharks and their other close relatives are being used for their meat, fins, jaws, teeth, skin and liver. In 2022, it was estimated that almost 100 million sharks are being killed every year all over the world. Its way more higher than the recovery rate of the sharks population. About 6.4% to 7.9% varieties of sharks are being killed every year, which is like almost 11,416 sharks in every hour of a day. That’s why the marine biologists found an estimated 70% decrease in the sharks number all over the world in the last 50 years.
Why sharks are so important for our planet?
The first fossil of a shark was about 100 million years old. So you all can understand that how old is this species in our planet. Along with crabs, it is said that sharks are one of the five species of Earth’s mass extinct species.
1. Sharks keep the marine ecology in balance. They are the apex predators when it comes to the marine predators. As per the marine predators pyramid, there are many animals under the sharks who consume other small animals.
2. Another interesting fact, I just got to know that sharks also help stop spreading diseases among the marine animals. As they keep swimming from one place to another, spatial habitat of other marine animals also keep shifting.
3. As per a recent study conducted in North Carolina, it is observed that, the increased number of death in sharks increasing the number of other species below the sharks. Christine Figgener, PhD, is a famous marine biologist and the director of science and conservation for COASTS, opined that, “When you take away the top predators, it actually leads to incredible modifications within the food chain”.
4. In the Bahamas, the sharks are attracting ecotourism which is worth $250,000 which brings tourists from all over the world. One single shark in Belize brings almost $2 million over its entire lifetime, that attracts lot of business.
How climate crisis is affecting sharks?
Climate crisis is a serious issue which is impacting the entire world. Severe climate crisis is impacting the coral reefs which is a home to many species of sharks. Sharks and ray species rely on the coral reefs widely. Though it’s a phenomenon humans created but now from the aquatic animals to terrestrial animals.
But on the other hand, scientists and environmentalists feel that our planet has gone too far to revive from climate crisis. But we still can try from reversing our planet’s condition from the scratch.
Conclusion:
We all have been reading about dead sharks on internet and in the newspapers for so many year, but honestly speaking, we don’t do anything to protect them. In many Asian countries, sharks fins are the most important ingredients at luxurious restaurants. Their skin and flesh are equally expensive too, but we barely note it. We really need to grow up and think about the sharks from a different point of view to keep them safe. They are also bringing economy and protecting our planet on different ways. Let’s stop eating sharks, at least we can start from there.