SAVE OUR SHARKS

Sharks have roamed the seas for more than 400 million years, making them older than the dinosaurs. Over millions of years they have worked their way to the top of the food chain, leaving only one real predator: humans. It seems we are slightly too efficient as a predator; one-third of European shark populations are threatened with extinction and yet shark fishing in the EU remains largely unregulated.

Over the past week an unusual number of pro-shark events have been taking place all over Europe, with the aim of raising the profile and plight of these beasts of the sea. At Vinkeveense Plassen, a popular diving spot in the Netherlands, shark-lovers met for an underwater treasure hunt.

Irene Kingma, who organised the event: "The major point of the day is to get as many signatures as possible for our petition, which is meant for the fisheries minister of the Netherlands. We want her to vote for strong legislation for sharks in the up-coming Shark Action Plan".

The European Commission's Shark Action Plan is an attempt to set out some clear guidelines for conserving and managing sharks in European waters. The little guidance there is doesn't acknowledge how the shark's biology makes it particularly vulnerable to over-fishing.

The effects of removing sharks from ocean ecosystems are likely to be ecologically and economically damaging. Scientist Paddy Walker likens it to a balancing game: "It's like a house of cards. Eventually, if you take away enough cards, the whole thing will collapse. And top predators have their place in the ecosystem". read more (radionetherlands.nl)

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October 27, 2008