Sharks and the environment
Sharks and the environment
This is with reference to Sia Ka-Mou's letter in The Jakarta
Post on July 16 that seems to be a defense of the consumption of
shark fin (vis-a-vis a personal attack on Robert Go). Assuming
that it is a defense, however, here is my rebuttal:
Sia Ka-Mou talks about controlled and selective fishing and
finning being needed to sustain the ocean ecosystem from shark
overpopulation. Big words... which try to camouflage an abysmal
ignorance. What overpopulation is he talking about? These are the
facts: Over 100 million sharks are killed annually, mostly for
their fins (against, incidentally, an average of 5.4 -- five
point four -- humans who die of shark attacks every year).
If this continues, it leaves this 450 million year old animal
with barely a few more decades of existence. And, given the vital
role they play in the ocean food chain, eliminating them is bound
to have wide-ranging repercussions -- as the Newsweek article
that Sia Ka-Mou refers to has stated.
Sia Ka-Mou's concern for the livelihood of those connected
with the shark fin industry, is, I'm sure, well-meant. But he
misses the point that Robert Go was trying to make: That the
larger issue at stake is the environment. Divers, unlike shark
fin restaurateurs, do not aid in the wanton destruction of
sharks; they (and everybody else associated with the sport) offer
an alternative that preserves both sharks as well as, ultimately,
humans.
Education is, and always will be, the antidote to the kind of
bigotry that people that Sia Ka-Mou demonstrate. I strongly
advise that he visit sites such as: www.seashepherd.com or
www.wildaid.com to get a better idea of the kind of soup that
sharks are really in.
Rajesh Menon
Jakarta
This is with reference to Sia Ka-Mou's letter in The Jakarta
Post on July 16 that seems to be a defense of the consumption of
shark fin (vis-a-vis a personal attack on Robert Go). Assuming
that it is a defense, however, here is my rebuttal:
Sia Ka-Mou talks about controlled and selective fishing and
finning being needed to sustain the ocean ecosystem from shark
overpopulation. Big words... which try to camouflage an abysmal
ignorance. What overpopulation is he talking about? These are the
facts: Over 100 million sharks are killed annually, mostly for
their fins (against, incidentally, an average of 5.4 -- five
point four -- humans who die of shark attacks every year).
If this continues, it leaves this 450 million year old animal
with barely a few more decades of existence. And, given the vital
role they play in the ocean food chain, eliminating them is bound
to have wide-ranging repercussions -- as the Newsweek article
that Sia Ka-Mou refers to has stated.
Sia Ka-Mou's concern for the livelihood of those connected
with the shark fin industry, is, I'm sure, well-meant. But he
misses the point that Robert Go was trying to make: That the
larger issue at stake is the environment. Divers, unlike shark
fin restaurateurs, do not aid in the wanton destruction of
sharks; they (and everybody else associated with the sport) offer
an alternative that preserves both sharks as well as, ultimately,
humans.
Education is, and always will be, the antidote to the kind of
bigotry that people that Sia Ka-Mou demonstrate. I strongly
advise that he visit sites such as: www.seashepherd.com or
www.wildaid.com to get a better idea of the kind of soup that
sharks are really in.
Rajesh Menon
Jakarta