Brian Diaz
Professor Lee
Writing: 102
03/14/13
Save the “Savages”
Robert Shaw, Captain Quint in Jaws once said “When he comes at ya, he doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces.” Jaws is one of the single greatest contributors to the misconception people have today about sharks. While sharks do have the capability to tear, rip, and shred a person limb from limb they are given these opportunities only by humans’ invasive, self-entitlement to the oceans. They are falsely portrayed as man eating monsters when in reality they are graceful, fierce, and misunderstood creatures. Instances like the U.S.S Indianapolis and the Summer of the Shark have only supported people’s misguided notions. Sharks fall true victim to the most deadly predators in the world, humans. Yes, for the first time in 400 million years sharks have become the prey. Unfortunately, this has decimated the populations of certain species. Some will soon become just another chapter in history. For this reason, humanity needs to unite and work towards changing the misunderstandings of sharks and realize the integral role these animals play not only in the ocean, but in the world. Sharks need to be conserved globally because most species are in danger of extinction, sharks reputation have been slandered over the years, and they are an important part of the ocean. If society can grasp these concepts then we as humans may be able to save and restore these once great creatures. 400 million years ago, in the Devonian Era the sharks ruled the seas (Hamilton). Sharks displayed their hunting prowess, as the most efficient killer around. Sharks were built to hunt. Patrolling as the “king” of the sea, these ferocious predators were not to be trifled with. But recently humans have looked to dethrone these creatures. Whether it is out of fear, money, or pure sport humans are slowly and progressively wiping these creatures from the face of the planet. Fishermen kill 100 million sharks each year (Watts 2). Causing population numbers to drastically lower. Shark populations have declined by more than 90 percent in the last 25 years (Heinrichs 21). In the northwest Atlantic Ocean, research on drastic declines show an estimated 89 percent of hammerheads, 79 percent of great whites, and 65 percent of tiger sharks, and a staggering 99 percent of oceanic white tips (Watts 2). Humans have done this so adamantly for many reasons. One is to make the oceans “safer.” The more despicable reason is that people kill sharks to propagate some sort of barbaric status symbol. A common site in most restaurants in Asia is the option of buying shark fins or shark fin soup. In that area of the world shark fin soup is a symbol of respect and wealth (Stewart). But there is a greater price rather than the $200 per pound price tag (Stewart). This would be the appalling method how these fins are attained in which sharks are captured, their dorsal fins removed, and then thrown back into the ocean; left only to thrash about in the water until they bleed out (Stewart). A disgusting process that wastes about 96 percent of the entire shark (Ramos). So why has no one put a stop to these atrocities? It is because these “delicacies” haul in from 540 million dollars to 1.2 billion dollars each year in trade revenue (York). The profits from this business are only rivaled by one other, drug trafficking (Stewart). Sadly, this is the sole motivation for fisherman killing from 30-70 million sharks each year (Stewart). Amounting to 10,000 tons of shark fins each year (Watts 2). Society has become a more efficient at killing than the sharks, driven only buy the potential profit that can be had. These fisherman, traders, and cooks cannot see that they are actually doing more harm