Mercado, Francisco Dr. Lynda Haas WR 39C 22 May 2016 Shark Finning Sharks have roamed the oceans longer than humans have been on Earth, marine scientist Ryan Johnson illustrates them as “enigmatic and misunderstood”. Today, we look at shark behavior in a common way as they are often seen as aggressive and deadly. This paper will seek to cover the reasons why sharks behave in this aggressive form using multiple studies. Then a transition will be made to a current shark finning problem that is currently happening around the world. The main incentive for shark finning is profit which will be discussed in more detail. To solve this problem, both a global and individual approaches will need to be implemented to revert the damage done over the years. The global approach involves creating shark sanctuaries after first banning the practice. The individual approach rests more on the use of social media and other creative methods to effectively spread awareness of the problem. Mercado 1
Transcript
Mercado, Francisco
Dr. Lynda Haas
WR 39C
22 May 2016
Shark Finning
Sharks have roamed the oceans longer than humans have been on Earth, marine scientist
Ryan Johnson illustrates them as “enigmatic and misunderstood”. Today, we look at shark
behavior in a common way as they are often seen as aggressive and deadly. This paper will seek
to cover the reasons why sharks behave in this aggressive form using multiple studies. Then a
transition will be made to a current shark finning problem that is currently happening around the
world. The main incentive for shark finning is profit which will be discussed in more detail. To
solve this problem, both a global and individual approaches will need to be implemented to
revert the damage done over the years. The global approach involves creating shark sanctuaries
after first banning the practice. The individual approach rests more on the use of social media
and other creative methods to effectively spread awareness of the problem.
This following review of literature is intended to describe shark behavior, specifically in
its aggressive form. To showcase this area of study, unique perspectives will be provided using
multiple victims of the shark ranging from flatfish to humans. It is also meant address how they
behave towards each other specifically with the opposite sex. In the end, a conclusion will be
made with the most common reasons that will cause a shark to attack. Overall, the goal is to
clarify any misconceptions having to do with the study of shark behavior.
Shark Behavior:
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One of the ways scientists do research with shark behavior is using a method called
tagging to track them while they are free in the ocean. This is used since it does not harm the fish
and it allows scientists to come back to them at a later time (Hammerschlag). In the case of
sharks, tagging includes adding a video camera to observe their behavior from a distance. With
this, scientists are able to improve their results knowing the sharks will be exhibiting natural
behavior (Hammerschlag). Although not every study requires tagging, it still serves as a “tool in
the toolbox available for the study of wild sharks” (Hammerschlag).
To understand sharks, first their biology should be researched to
become aware of the factors that lead to their behavior. A.J. Kalmijn
(1971), professor at UC San Diego, claims that the shark Scyliorhinus
is sensitive to electric fields. The experiment uses flatfish to show how
the shark species uses their bioelectric sense to detect prey. Having an
electric sense influences shark behavior since it allows them to find
hidden prey (371). The experiments show how this species clearly has a
more directed behavior towards electric fields. In figure one, a
summary of the experiment is shown emphasizing how the sharks are
indeed affected by “Electrodes producing electric dipole field” (377).
Studying this particular influence on shark behavior is essential
since it gives insight into why sharks attack. They assault living things
that emit an electric field which means they could mistake something
like a human for an actual meal they naturally have like fish (382). The trigger that indirectly
causes a shark to attack is indeed influenced by sensing a magnetic field around them. In
summary, Kalmijn makes it clear that “In studying shark attacks, the electric fields of the prey
Fig 1. Shark reacting to electric field of flatfish vs experimental field. Both stimulate the shark’s senses. (Kalmijn 377)
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and the electric sense of the predators should be taken into account.” (383), so researchers should
know these sharks can indirectly detect prey.
To comprehend sharks, researchers chose to observe their behavior with natural prey that
live among them. Michael R. Heithaus (2001), Executive director at the Florida International
University, show shark behavior specifically on dolphins in their study of shark attacks. Heithaus
explores factors leading to predation of dolphins by sharks like population size, location, and
environmental factors. The study examines shark bites on dolphins of both gender and all ages,
then goes on to explain why they get attacked. Some dolphins showed that in some cases, they
were attacked by parasitic sharks (537). Theses sharks do not intend to kill the dolphin but
instead merely feed off of them by biting a piece of them off. They do this since “Dolphin
blubber, however, is a high-quality food item, and sharks may occasionally attack dolphins to
gain small, high- quality meals.” (537). This behavior supports the idea that aggressive shark
behavior is not always aimed at killing which can lead to a completely different result for both
parties involved (537).
The results from the study also show that factors such as location and hunger contribute
to shark attacks which means shark behavior can be predicted (Heithaus 538). Another major
factor for shark bites was revealed when Heithaus noticed that “Significantly more attacks than
expected, based on sample effort, occurred during months of high water temperature” (533). This
is due to higher temperatures causing the metabolism rate in sharks to speed up. Dolphin
fatalities in this case were victims to mere shark hunger and were in the right place and time for
them to happen. From these past facts, researchers can link shark attacks to environmental
reasons instead of saying they were done out of pure aggressive behavior.
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A direct interaction with sharks such as human intervention also contributes to factors
that affect shark behavior. Marie Levine, et. al. (2014), from the Shark Research Institute, Global
Shark Attack File, Shark Research Committee, and Natural Conservation Sector, claim that shark
attacks on humans are also due to environmental factors like the previous study done by
Heithaus. The authors, use data from shark attack sites in Sharm El-Sheikh to determine the
reasons behind shark behavior (263). In the study, five shark attacks all happen around midday,
which is around the time tourists interact with the sharks. Dive operators would bring sharks
close for the guests to photograph with food. All five attacks studied happened in the beachfront
of Sharm El-Sheikh. The victims were either bitten by a whitetip shark or mako shark. The areas
in which the tourists were in had sharks that were conditioned to being fed by humans.
The study shows that human activity such as feeding sharks greatly contribute to
aggressive behavior by sharks (264). Levine states that “The hand feeding by divers of the
oceanic whitetip shark was probably contributory to its assaults.” (268), so in this case the shark
behavior was due to human intervention. Recurrent feeding by humans attracts many sharks to
come close to shore which causes them to come back frequently (268). Millions of people visit
Sharm El-Sheikh and human usage of the sea increases, the negative interactions between sharks
and people increases (268).
The results from this study correlate with the previous study in that this study also
concluded that “Ambient water temperature is directly responsible for the metabolic rate of many
shark species” (Levine 267). This means that the shark’s aggressive behavior is caused by an
increased sense of hunger due to the environment (Levine 267). From this Levine qualifies the
statement “The elevated sea temperatures created the need for sharks to consume more energy
(food) more frequently” (Levine 267), to make the direct connection between shark attacks and
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temperature. The time at which the attacks happened in Sharm El-Sheikh was during midday
which also supports this theory (265). The study also notes that over fishing in this area has
reduced the natural prey for sharks causing them to move closer to shore where the attacks
happened all within a week.
Studying shark behavior on different species is essential but understanding behavior
among themselves is equally as important. David M. P Jacoby, et al. (2010), postdoctoral
researcher from the Institute of Zoology, claim that catsharks are separated among themselves by
sex. The authors, show the reasons behind sexual segregation among sharks and how it affects
them. The research finds include how strong social bonds between a group of female sharks
resists male harassment and female intruders (808). These females struggle “with high levels of
sexual harassment causing females to actively select areas of high predation risk and low male
presence” (808). This divide comes about by the behavior of the male catsharks. The groups
interact when mating season arrives and the result is often painful for the females. Together the
females will venture away from the males leading the decreased protection and oftentimes death
(809).
The study shows the particular type of social groups that result from the shark
segregation. It is also a fairly recent study particularly unique in having done research with these
shark social groups. Jacoby states that with catsharks, “males disrupt female social groups
through potential sexual harassment” (817) which is shown with the aggressive behavior of the
males. This area of study is linked to shark attacks since it contradicts the previous articles on
their behavior being environmental. To an extent, the catshark behavior can be seen as naturally
aggressive which shows shark attacks can indeed be intentional as well.
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To conclude for this review, determining the reasons behind shark behavior can be due to
a variety of reasons. Although the media suggests that shark attacks are purely out of aggressive
behavior, this can only be seen as partially true. The studies brought up do show that in some
species of sharks, aggressive behavior is shown within their own social groups. The first study
mentioned also shows how sharks have an electric sense that will trigger an attack. Together
these two studies make a strong argument that their behavior comes naturally. However, there
are studies that show their behavior is due to environmental factors as well. The victims of the
attacks were usually in a warm temperate setting which increased the hunger of the sharks. This
is a strong point since the attack could have been evaded if the tourists went to go see sharks on a
colder day or during a different part of the day. Another study also points that human
intervention, such as feeding sharks, is a factor that can easily cause an attack. The combination
of warm temperatures and defenseless victim results in an inevitable target for sharks. Another
reason is over fishing which is also due to human intervention. This causes the local sharks to
come closer to shore and feed on humans. Finally, some species of sharks do not even attack to
kill, they are parasitic and only attack to feed which mean their aggressive behavior is limited.
Sharks are dangerous, but going into a scenario in which the elements mentioned are involved
will easily provoke a shark to become aggressive.
Shark Finning Problem:
It costs $100 for a bowl of shark fin soup, according to the home base of a prominent
shark campaign website, StopSharkFinning.net. For this plate to reach many restaurants in the far
east, fishermen need to catch sharks and slice off just their fins. This practice has recently
become commonplace attributing to “The demand for shark fin soup has developed since 1985”
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(Sea Shepherd). As time went on, sharks disappeared from our oceans due to poachers answering
the demand for these fins. This problem needs to be treated globally now that many species of
sharks face extinction. Sharks kill a few people every year; however, we cannot justify ourselves
for killing 100 million of them a year (Sea Shepherd).
Sharks are known for their aggressive behavior and feared because of it. The home base
of a shark protection organization SeaShepherd.org claim, however, that they kill “No more than
12 people a year”. The problem is that we abuse these sharks because of our fear of them.
Richard Ryder, animal rights advocate and member of the Oxford group, best describes our
relationship with them with the term he coined – speciesism. He said it doesn’t make sense that
we get “more rights than the other species merely because we seem a bit more intelligent”
(Ryder). We as humans go further with our abuse and select only what we need from sharks and
throw the rest away. This process of killing sharks for their fins is known as shark finning.
Sharks have been endangered,
18 species are listed as endangered by
the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (Sea Shepherd).
This along with shark finning is causing
a rapid decline for the other sharks left
in our world. This soup, the primary
reason for the killing, is a delicacy we
can do without. It is highly prized in the
far east as it is used to impress family
members and friends (Sea Shepherd). It Fig 2. Shark fin soup, consisting of a flavored broth and bulk of a shark’s fin. (stopsharkfinning)
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is also used as a traditional dish used for wedding so that hosts can display their affluence
(stopsharkfinning). In figure 2, an example of shark fin soup is served which consists of one
shark fin. The shark fin itself is tasteless, and this is verified when chef Gordon Ramsay had a
plate for himself. He is a famous renowned chef and in his trip to Taipei, noted that the fin
“tastes of nothing” and adds that the only item spoiling the broth in which it is cooked in is the
shark fin itself (Ramsay).
The massive slaughter of sharks almost solely comes from killing them for their fins (Sea
Shepherd). Since over 8,000 tons of shark fins are processed every year, 200,000 tons of what’s
left of the shark are discarded (Sea Shepherd). The fins are then dried, stacked, and sold like any
other resource we exploit. The range of shark finning also reaches places like Ecuador and Costa
Rica (Sea Shepherd). The scavenge for these fins shows that the market for these fins is immense
and easily motivates the illegal practice. Some organizations like Sea Shepherd spread awareness
with their objective of stopping shark finning through postcards (Sea Shepherd).
The reason this practice continues has to do with loose legislation for shark protection
around the world. The difficulty with shark protection is that “each country with a coastline is
responsible for laws and regulations pertaining to fishing in their water” (sharkwater). Although
some countries like the US have strict laws protecting sharks, other countries like China fall
behind. Shark finning in these countries violates code of conduct and conservation plans placed
by the UN (sharkwater). Until laws are enforced in the remaining countries, sharks will continue
to be endangered. Another reason shark finning continues is that traders make a lot of money
from shark fins to which restaurant owners follow through and make their fortune
(stopsharkfinning).
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From this, it is simple to conclude that sharks are the real victims to our abuse. People
should care for them since they are “valued citizens of oceanic eco-systems” (Sea Shepherd).
These apex predators naturally stabilize fish populations; without them we wouldn’t know the
impact they would have on our oceans. We should also care about sharks since they don’t
replenish as fast as we kill them. To visualize this, “Many sharks take up to fifteen years to reach
maturity and then produce only one shark pup per year” (Sea Shepherd). A simple deduction
here then becomes that shark populations “may never recover from the damage we have already
inflicted” (Sea Shepherd).
A counter argument some may have would comes from thinking that sharks are
aggressive toward humans so protecting them deems unnecessary. I did discuss their aggressive
behavior in my review of literature but also that they only kill a dozen humans a year (Sea
Shepherd). Humans are the aggressive species killing millions of them a year (Sea Shepherd).
For this reason alone, humans should become considerate and stop the careless act of shark
finning. It is difficult to care when humans exploit them for profit like any resource. Only when
this resource is gone will we know that we should’ve cared for them more. There is still a
solution to this problem, involving both a global and individual approach.
Global solution: Shark Sanctuary
Shark finning has gotten attention on a global scale, but it’s solution is not so
straightforward. The home base of an organization made to help sharks Sharksavers.org, claim
although “finning is illegal in several countries”, the practice is “difficult to enforce, especially in
the high seas” (sharksavers). Laws have been placed around the world to ban shark finning. For
example in United States, states like California have a statute, West's Ann.Cal.Fish & G.Code
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§§ 2021, 2021.5, which outlaws the possession or sale of shark fins (sharksavers). Shark finning,
however, requires a solution beyond the scope of simply outlawing a practice. In short, “Banning
the practice of finning is a start but not a solution to the problem” (sharksavers), which means the
sharks will literally need constant protection.
One approach to this comes from the idea of giving sharks a sanctuary where they will be
sparred from shark finning. These shark sanctuaries are “marine areas where sharks are fully
protected by strong laws and enforcement and with the support and cooperation of local
communities” (sharksavers). This is an actual solution to saving the sharks since they not only
benefit the sharks but people as well. The primary benefit is providing sustainable growth for
sharks. This is possible once a country has designated a certain area as sanctuary; current shark
sanctuaries are located in places like the Bahamas and Indonesia (sharksavers). The Bahamas
made an amendment to the Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act (Chapter
244) to create their shark sanctuary (sharksavers). Countries with a coastline can pass legislation
like the Bahamas to create more of these shark sanctuaries. To make this happen in more places,
there needs to be greater awareness of the effects shark finning are causing.
Change for the shark finning problem not will not happen on a global scale without the
help individual approaches. The simple solution for anyone would be to not eat shark fin soup.
This can seem like common sense but if there were no incentive to eat this soup, there would be
not drive to practice shark finning. One should stop eating this soup and also more importantly
tell others not to eat this soup. Spreading awareness is a powerful tool people can use in their
communities and worldwide through the internet. This is important since “Very often people are
unaware of the effect that their eating habits have on the environment.” (stopsharkfinning). By
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spreading awareness of the importance of the effects of shark finning, the “huge increase in
demand for their fins over the last 20 years” (stopsharkfinning) will finally revert.
People can also take initiative and follow prominent organizations fighting for the end of
shark finning. They can “Sign up to the mailing list and take part in the campaigns”
(stopsharkfinning) which includes following them on their social media pages. Educating others
about this issue through public speaking or banners can also spread awareness in communities
(stopsharkfinning). People can become part of the solution to end shark finning, according to the
home base of an organization protecting animals globally - Humane Society International. They
also mention creative ways can also be effective like switching shark fin for other entrees when
hosting a Chinese marriage (HSI). Showing health problems that can emerge from consuming
sharks can also persuade public views on shark finning (HSI).
Overall, the methods discussed can have a profound effect on the shark population if they
are implemented. Sharks are controlled by human intervention but we should follow Richard
Ryder’s advice of not abusing animals because we are simply more intelligent (Ryder). Instead
we should be tasked with saving rather than killing these sharks. They are a keystone in our
marine ecosystems and will suffer if we don’t act now.
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Works Cited
Hammerschlag, Neil. "Shark Tagging & Tracking: Separating Fact from Fiction." National
