Human civilisation? A tribute to the shark.

Following on from my most recent blog Sharks are we proud or prejudice?  I felt very shocked, saddened, angry and disappointed to read todays headline “SHOOT TO KILL” http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/10775095/family-mourns-as-hunt-for-shark-continues/. On Saturday a second fatal shark attack took place off Rottnest Island, Perth. Again the suspected shark a great white. The victim was diving at the time of the attack. The headline is self-explanatory. Whilst reading this article it made me think of a friends blog about rhino poaching, it pondered whether civilisation has de-evolved (check it out  http://keith-connelly.blogspot.com/2011/08/civilisationd-evolved-rhino-poaching.html). It points out that however far we may have come in such things as technology and science have we really progressed at all? To me it seems not.  I could not see a reason given to kill the shark other than the worry another attack could have a possible negative effect on tourism. This to me isn’t a progression in intellect and understanding but a huge step backwards. It boils down to money again, again, again and again.  Sound like a deja vue to you?

I wonder how ‘they’ know which shark is the killer…or will any shark do? We know very little about the mysterious, top ocean predator. We do not know much about the reproduction cycle of sharks. The point is we don’t know how serious the impact of killing the animal is, “…Some sharks can’t reproduce until the age 20 or above (biology stats)”, if so this could have a huge impact on the shark world, what if the shark in question is pregnant. Sharks are already endangered, they need us to protect them and accept them not hunt them. They are part of the oceans ecology only doing what comes naturally. Evan if they did prey on us for food which is not thought to be the case, why should we stop them? Because we seem to have a habit of tipping natures sensitively, beautifully, intrinsically balanced ecosystems to the edge to suit ourselves.

I feel it is a sad day for human civilisation (sadder for the shark) when an animal following its basic instincts are condemned to death. I obviously feel passionately about such things and I am heart warmed that many other people do too.  So I will leave you with this useless yet telling information;

“More people are killed each year by pigs than by sharks” (http://www.sharkinformation.org/tag/attacks/)

“Around 20 to 100 million sharks are killed by humans each year” (http://www.sharkinformation.org/tag/conservation/)

And on a happier note I hope the bloody shark gets away…