Sharks are nature's misunderstood monsters

Sharks are nature's misunderstood monsters

By Gayatri R. Lilley

JAKARTA (JP): Sharks have always been known as the fiercest
creatures in the sea. The idea of being eaten by a shark
horrifies everyone, even people who have little or no contact
with the sea. The film Jaws fueled the notion in our minds that
all sharks are dangerous for swimmers, snorkelers and fishermen.
And as one of the sea's main predators this creature has had
nothing to fear for hundreds of millions of years.

However, in recent times, humans have become the shark's
greatest enemy. Shark's fin soup was regarded by the Chinese as a
delicacy 2000 years ago and was served only on very special
occasions to privileged people. Even today, the fin is
considered to be the most valuable part of the shark. This animal
belongs to a group of fish whose skeletons are not bony but made
of cartilage.

Sharks are caught in huge quantities throughout Indonesia. The
FAO reported that the total catch of sharks and rays in Indonesia
was about 92,990 metric tons in 1994, compared to 79,800 metric
tons in 1991. However, due to difficulties in obtaining accurate
and complete data, it is thought that the actual weight and
number of sharks caught may be far greater than these official
statistics indicate.

Shark fishing is very wasteful. After removing the fins, local
fishermen in eastern Indonesia throw the rest of the shark's body
away. One reason is a lack of refrigeration facilities on boats.

In many parts of Indonesia, shark fishing belongs to the so-
called "low scale" fisheries. These fishermen spend weeks or
months at sea but do not actually make much money. It is the
middleman, who plays a major role in setting up trade routes,
that can receive Rp 20 million (about US$7,700) net per month by
selling fins and other shark products.

A recent document published by TRAFFIC showed that the total
estimated worldwide catch of sharks was between 30 to 70 million
per year.

Permanent fishing nets in northern Sulawesi trapped more than
15 whale sharks, primarily for their meat. The meat was frozen
and exported mostly to Taiwan. Whale sharks can grow up to 12
meters in length and are the biggest fish in the world. This
harmless shark species is a plankton feeder.

Shark meat has a strong ammonia odor and needs special
treatment to be palatable. The meat ball factories in West Java
require a minimum of one ton of shark meat per day. At Pelabuhan
Ratu, West Java, a boat unloaded 23 sharks ranging from 20kg to
200 kg after a 20-day fishing trip.

"This is a small catch. I only paid Rp 5 million for the lot.
Usually I spend Rp 10 million to buy the catch," said a middleman
who trades in dried shark fin.

From a recent study on the shark industry, the price for top
quality dried fins varied between Rp 100,000 per kg and more than
Rp 1 million per kg. The quality depends on the size and also on
the species. A bowl of shark fin soup in a prestigious restaurant
can cost up to Rp 50,000.

In the last decade, demand has risen for other parts of the
sharks too. The cartilage is believed to cure cancer. The deep
sea sharks and dogfish have been increasingly hunted for their
liver oil to extract squalene, which contain high doses of
vitamin A and E. Shark skins are tanned and used to make shark-
leather shoes.

Most sharks eat fish and the bigger species can also eat
turtles, dolphins and whales. Some of them are scavengers, eating
dead and wounded fish. Only a small number of shark species, such
as the whale shark and basking shark, do not eat fish. Sharks
have a very impressive structure of teeth which enhances their
monster image. Sharks are sometimes opportunistic when it comes
to eating their prey and they swallow everything when hungry. It
was reported that diving tanks were found in the stomach contents
of a white oceanic shark.

If the majority of sharks are fish eaters, why should humans
can be afraid of them? Shark attacks on man are still a mystery,
whether for feeding reasons or to protect their territory. And
shark attacks are virtually unheard of in Indonesia.

A shark's sense of smell and hearing is very sensitive and
they respond to vibrations. Swimmers may be mistaken by sharks as
a wounded fish, which can be detected hundreds of meters away. In
Indonesia there are very few or perhaps no reports of sharks
attacks on fishermen. However, fishermen tell stories of landing
sharks with human body parts among the stomach contents.

Sharks are predators and scavengers, so they form an important
part of the food chain. Their slow maturity growth and low
fertility rates, however, may affect the survival of these fish
if their level of exploitation remains the same. Many species do
not reach maturity until they are 10 years to 12 years old. The
recovery of many shark populations may now be impossible due to
the exploitation rate of these species around the world.

There are more than 400 shark species in the world and about
350 species can be found in Indonesian waters. Like many other
marine species, sharks are highly migratory and this complicates
their management. And there is not enough information to easily
implement management decisions. Although, from records of
catches, it is clear that there has been a decrease in their
numbers.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has recommended a plan of action
which strengthens national, regional and international capacity
to manage marine fisheries. Allocating sufficient funds to
develop the scientific and technical capabilities necessary to
adequately manage the marine fisheries is a priority.

Finally everybody should remember that all the fish species
that we eat today need to be given some time and space to
reproduce. Sharks have ruled the oceans for 400 million years and
they have to survive, just like us.

The author is Marine Conservation Coordinator of WWF-Indonesia
Program.