Marine Life & Conservation Blogs
The importance of Sharks in our Ocean – more than just Awesomeness!
By: Cris Merz
Apex Predators – that is what they are. Often the baddies in movies, whether it is terrorizing a peaceful beach, swinging about in tornados killing people in landlocked towns or eliminating the English spy with “lasers” on their foreheads.
They have the notoriety of being tough, relentless, and a powerful killing machine. Unfortunately, they are the victim of a reputation that labels them as mean, vicious and unforgiving. Like most endangered species, they have also become trophies to many hunters. Shark fishing competitions are held all over the globe. NBC Sports even had a program dedicated to the competitive fishing of sharks.
The fact is, they need love, more than anything.
Population Decline
According to SharkSavers.org, about 1/3 of all sharks are threatened with extinction. 80% of ocean shark species are at risk from high seas fisheries. Because of the exposure that sharks have to these high seas fisheries using such fishing arts such as long-line, shark populations of hammerheads, silky, oceanic, mako and tigersharks in areas that once had a healthy population are experiencing declines of up to 90%. The fact that sharks have a very low reproductive cycle and often reach maturity as long as 33 years in the case of many females, overfishing has a huge impact on populations.
The population of sharks is greatly affected by industrial fishing. WildAid estimated that approximately 100 million sharks are killed each year. 73 million for the purpose of shark fin soup.
Shark Fins and Soup
Shark fin soup became a delicacy one thousand years ago, in the Sung Dynasty. Currently, it has become a symbol of prosperity and wealth. The sad part about all this – is that it is tasteless. The shark fin itself adds the rubbery texture to the dish but it does nothing for the taste. As a matter of fact – the only real flavor to the soup is the essence of chicken because that is what it is, chicken broth.
As a dish that usually goes for $95 a bowl but all the way up to over $100 depending on your location, it is usually reserved for grand occasions like high profile business lunches or wedding parties. Though an unsustainable fishing practice, those that speak on behalf of shark fin soup claim that bans are culturally discriminatory. Over the last five years, more and more awareness has been spread through campaigning and social media to encourage consumers to not only boycott places that serve soup, but to also boycott airlines and carriers that ship them. A huge victory for sharks was when Air China banned the cargo of shark fin soup joining 36 other carriers. And while the likes of UPS and DHL have banned cargo containing shark fin back in 2015, FedEx has still to commit claiming that what they do is “legal.”
The Importance of Sharks in Our Ocean
Besides the awesomeness that it is diving side-by-side with a school of hammerheads, or snorkeling next to a 40 ft whale shark gulping on plankton with an open mouth that could swallow you whole, it is very good for tourism. There are so many destinations that have become “must see” bucket list places for divers. Coco, Socorro Islands, Galapagos Isla Mujeres are all destinations that offer high impact diving or snorkeling that allows divers to experience some very close encounters with these apex creatures. However, it is not the sustainable industry of tourism that makes sharks important to planet earth, although it is a favorable argument when trying to not only enact laws but also enforce them in many marine reserves that are shredded daily by illegal fishing, it is important to the ocean itself as an ecosystem. To quote the famous line from underwater awareness guru and Jedi Master Obi Wan “Ben” Kenobi, “It brings balance to the Force”.
Bringing Balance to the Ocean
Sharks are top of the food chain. As an apex predator, they keep other populations in check. By being extremely effective in their feeding habits, sharks often feast on the old or sick grooming the populations of predators that may be directly beneath them. Eliminating them from the food chain would cause a potential devastation to other species that share the habitat with sharks. Their role in the ocean heavily affects the general health of the population as well and maintaining a diversity by keeping other predator’s populations in check. Removal of sharks could also change hunting habits as well as feeding habits of other species that could influence seagrass, corals as well as the collapse of other fisheries.
“One study in the U.S. indicates that the elimination of sharks resulted in the destruction of the shellfish industry in waters off the mid-Atlantic states of the United States, due to the unchecked population growth of cow-nose rays, whose mainstay is scallops. Other studies in Belize have shown reef systems falling into extreme decline when the sharks have been overfished, destroying an entire ecosystem. The downstream effects are frightening: the spike in grouper population (thanks to the elimination of sharks) resulted in a decimation of the parrotfish population, who could no longer perform their important role: keeping the coral algae-free and therefore reducing the oxygen quantities in our atmosphere. The knock on effects of this could be devastating for all life on Earth.” https://www.seashepherd.org.au/apex-harmony/overview/shark-importance.html
What Can I Do To Help?
People often ask; what can we do to help? I am just a person?
- First and foremost, do not buy food containing shark fin.
- Always opt for environmental and sustainable alternatives and substitutes. It isn’t just about the shark meat. Shark cartilage and oils are found in a range of products from beauty items to health nutrition. By boycotting shark products, you will reduce market demand.
- Contact your elected officials asking them what steps they are taking to end the unregulated trade in shark fins. Let your legislators know that sharks are important to you. Ask them to introduce and support legislation that will list sharks as protected species. This has helped in many cities across the globe forcing restaurants to take shark fin soup off the menu.
- Stay current through social media and other publications to see what is being done and how you can help, whether it is just by taking a pledge or sharing it with your friends. Tell your friends and relatives that they may be contributing to the irreversible decline of shark populations.
Speak out when you see abuse. This can mean anything from molesting sharks during a dive or fishing for them illegally
- Stay informed and share. Learn how different human activities put sharks at risk. By educating yourself on the issues, you can find effective ways to help by speaking at local clubs, schools and other local venues that might create awareness. By understanding the issues, you can teach others about sharks and inspire them to get involved as well.
- Reduce Your Seafood Consumption. No one likes to hear this. Unfortunately, commercial fishing impacts the sharks negatively in more than one way. Besides reducing their own source of food, sharks are themselves a byproduct of commercial fishing.
To find out more about International Training, visit www.tdisdi.com.
Saba has an exciting new initiative to restore its coral reefs. This new project, running from 2024 to 2026, will focus on reviving key species in the island’s underwater ecosystems. With a collaborative team from the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) and Van Hall Larenstein (VHL) University of Applied Sciences, the project aims to restore both corals as well as sea urchins.
This initiative is centered around coral restoration, specifically reviving two essential coral species—staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata). By mapping parent colonies and using a technique known as coral gardening, SCF will create and maintain coral nurseries. These corals will eventually be outplanted at key reef sites around Saba to not only expand the number of coral colonies, but also provide essential fish habitat. The project focusses on installing coral nurseries, training staff with the newest techniques and starting with the restoration of key reef sites.
Reef Cleaners to the Rescue
It’s not just corals getting a makeover—this project also shines a spotlight on the essential role of grazers, particularly sea urchins. VHL is leading the charge on cultivating and restocking two key sea urchin species, West Indian sea egg (Tripneustes) and long-spined sea urchin (Diadema), known for their ability to keep algae in check. By removing algae, which are important competitors of corals, they help the coral to thrive. By restoring these “reef cleaners,” Saba’s project will give corals the breathing room they need to grow, setting the stage for a healthier, more balanced marine ecosystem.
From Tiny Urchins to Big Goals
The project will be funded as part of the Dutch Government’s Nature and Environment Policy Plan (NEPP) 2020-2030 for the Caribbean Netherlands, a comprehensive initiative aimed at conserving and restoring the unique natural environments of the Dutch Caribbean islands, including Saba, St. Eustatius, and Bonaire. This project is aiming for big milestones: build and maintaining coral nurseries, the expansion of urchin cultivation facilities, and the creation of a dedicated research center. By 2026, the project hopes to ramp up coral and grazer restoration, with the ultimate goal of extending these efforts across the Dutch Caribbean. By linking local initiatives to broader regional goals, Saba’s restoration project promises to leave a lasting impact on both the environment and the community.
Find out more about the DCNA at dcnanature.org.
Blogs
Reef-World marks two decades of marine conservation: strengthening impact amid coral reef threats
Empowering ocean stakeholders to tackle future challenges and ensure the survival of coral reefs and humanity
2024 marks the 20th Anniversary of The Reef-World Foundation’s tireless efforts for global coral reef conservation. The UK charity is the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, known as the leading voice in sustainable marine tourism. Today, Reef-World released its 2023-2024 Impact Report outlining a year of substantive growth and impact in its marine conservation programmes.
Impact Report Highlights:
- Impressive improvements in environmental behaviours to protect coral reefs by the marine tourism industry as the global participation of Green Fins increases.
- Continued capacity building for government and NGO staff to effectively manage marine tourism activities in Asia, Caribbean and Red Sea regions.
- For the first time in Green Fins’ 20-year history, tourism operators have achieved ‘Best Environmental Performer’ status by demonstrating the lowest possible environmental impact in their environmental assessments. In 2024, three dive operators achieved this challenging milestone.
- Significant increases in global participation of Reef-World’s innovative digital conservation tools.
- 138 Green Fins dive operator members achieved the strict threshold for PADI Eco Center recognition.
- Developed four new educational materials and translated two into 16 languages to support the marine tourism industry in achieving sustainability targets.
- Establishing a new Reef-World Development strategy and recruiting new roles – Development and Programmes Managers.
- Reef-World’s board welcomes new Chair and Trustees strengthening organisational leadership.
Reef-World started as a one-person mission to inspire and empower communities to act in conserving and sustainably developing coral reefs and related ecosystems. Today, the team of 12 continues to meet this mission by inspiring and empowering the global marine tourism community to be exemplary sustainability leaders by using the Green Fins guidelines and tools to simultaneously use and protect the world’s precious reefs.
In April 2024, the fourth global coral reef bleaching event was confirmed. Reef-World’s work has never been more urgent as the marine environment, and the benefits they provide humanity, continue to be eroded by global threats. The reduction of local threats, like those from the marine tourism industry, is an essential step to ensuring a future where coral reefs survive and continue to support the millions of people who depend on their ecosystem benefits. Reef-World’s work buys time for coral reefs and related ecosystems to be resilient to the impacts of global threats.
“Right now our corals are facing the greatest fight of their existence as the terrifying predictions of the steps towards their complete extinction are starting to come true. But all is not lost, reefs are resilient and they have existed on this planet for millions of years. We must take action now, to buy time for reefs by reducing threats facing them and allowing them to react and adjust to the changing environment they need to survive in.” – Chloe Harvey, Executive Director
Looking Forwards:
Like coral reefs, the Reef-World team needs to be resilient in the face of the complex challenges of the conservation sector. Reef-World has invested significantly in developing a Culture of Care to ensure the well-being of its team on a daily basis, continuing to be an exemplary employer to enable its team to best achieve the mission for coral reef conservation.
With the foundations of a Culture of Care and organisational development laid, Reef-World is emerging from the end of a natural organisation life cycle, that brings the challenges of growth and scale, stronger than ever. With a new strategy in place to generate much needed resources, Reef-World is excited for the opportunities to leap forward, continue to scale our impact and lean into new innovations and untapped opportunities for marine conservation.
We continually strive to become a forward-thinking organisation that delivers on our goals and commitments to our stakeholders with fresh approaches and not being afraid of steering away from a “normal approach.” This approach is not only applied to our programmes of work but also internally and carries over to our Culture of Care for our team.” — JJ Harvey, Operations Director
The Reef-World Foundation is immensely grateful for the continued support of its grant funders: UN Environment Programme, IUCN’s Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility, Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, PADI Aware Foundation, and World Nomads Footprints Program.
Reef-World would also like to express its gratitude to international partners whose vital support has resulted in significant tangible benefits for our work and mission: PADI; Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS); Explorer Ventures; 1% for the Planet; ZuBlu; Snorkel Venture, GSTC; Dive O’Clock; Seven Dragons; DiveAssure and Eco Beach, without whom these achievements would not be possible.
The full 2023–2024 Annual Impact Report is available on Reef-World’s website.
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