Though the definition of poaching is simple, the illegal hunting, killing or capturing of animals, there are numerous ways this can take place. It could be something as simple as someone using a prohibited weapon or outside of a designated time of year. Poaching can also be when someone takes an animal from a game reserve or a zoo.
Most of the countries around the world enforce various rules on the hunting of wildlife, whether for sport or commercial use. But there are times when the demand for a certain animal or a product of the animal make the punishment for the poaching seems minuscule. While the poachers seek financial gain and sometimes for religious value, they fail to see the negative impact their actions have on the environment and the survival of the particular species. This is the case when it comes to shark poaching.
In recent years, shark poaching has become more of a problem for a variety of species of shark, thanks to the popularity of shark fin soup. This is especially evident in the Pacific countries where the shark fin soup has become a sign of affluence. Combined with the belief shark fins and jaws have supposed medicinal uses in certain cultures, sharks have become a growing target for a way to earn an quick dollar.
Shark poaching is a concern because it goes hand in hand with the future of sharks and their place on top of the aquatic food chain.. In a recent study by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group who determined over fifty percent of the Oceanic species of shark is being threatened with extinction. The affects of extinction of certain shark species can be seen on the marine ecosystem and how when the top predators are removed, the oceanic ecosystem degrades due to the imbalance.
The Australian government has had their hands full with shark poaching in their ocean’s water and have developed been working towards several solutions to help reduce the 20,000 sharks that were fished illegally from their waters. One of the bigger problems with identifying shark poachers has been the inability to identify a species of shark based on a sample from a fin or piece of meat. Scientists in Western Australia have created a DNA database of nine protected species of shark. Species like the hammerhead, dusky, grey nurse, and sandbar sharks are part of the database the authorities can use to determine if someone is in possession of protected sharks. With a small sample from the fin or meat, authorities will have a higher success rate when it comes to prosecuting people who violate the shark protection laws.
The Australian government had started to be more proactive when it comes to shark poaching by working with families, from nearby islands, to find different means to earn income. So far this year, they have worked with 60 households by showing them the various ways to farm and process seaweed and earn a living off of it. With the price of shark fin soup averaging $70 US dollars in China, they may find it hard to switch from years of shark poaching. The Australian government hopes the proactive program, combined with the strict poaching fines, which they will be able to reduce the damage that was done to the shark population.
The United States is not immune to the global issue of shark poaching. In 2007, the California Fish and Game Commission helped close down a shark poaching ring that was active in the San Francisco Bay area. In just under ten years, it was estimated 10,000 to 15,000 baby Leopard sharks were taken and sold to aquarium shops and private owners. The shark poachers would venture out and locate pregnant leopard sharks. Then they would either way until they gave birth to their pups or cut open the pregnant sharks if they were impatient. With an average of 20 to 36 baby leopard sharks at one time, the shark poachers were able to find enough to sell illegally and make a nice profit. The shark poaching ring was closed down, with six people receiving jail time to go along with almost one million dollars in fines.
Though it may takes some time to see the full affect of sharking poaching on the environment, there is no denying the importance of the fish. Scientists have already seen a drop in shark population around the globe and we can only hope we have not started the conversation efforts too late to reverse the damage cause to the oceanic food chain.
Sources –
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/InNews/InNewsShark.htm
