Misjudged Creatures.

Sharks are probably the most misunderstood creatures of all time. Many people fear them for their ‘scary’ features. Movies like “Jaws” caused people to think sharks as monsters and make them fear sharks more. This is where people misunderstood sharks to monsters. When sharks sometimes do attacked people like swimmers, surfers and divers, it’s because they mistaken them as their regular food. Once the shark bites once, they immediately stop. It is not the shark’s fault since we, as people, invade their ocean. Truthfully, shark attacks hardly happen and the fatality is usually 6 per year worldwide. While people kills 100 million sharks per year. The sharks population has been decreased by 90%. Sharks are hunted down for their fins for the tasteless shark fin soup, teeth for jewelry, jaws for tourist souvenirs, skin for the leather, cartilage capsules and powders for medicinal cures that doesn’t work (*Do sharks hold the cure to cancer?
No. Contrary to popular belief sharks do get cancer. John Coffey a cancer biologist at John Hopkins University succinctly said: "I don't think there is any benefit to buying shark cartilage and eating it [as an anti-carcinogenic], any more than I think that eating rabbit will make me run faster.",) liver oil for skin and cosmetics products. Sharks are the top predators in the ocean and therefore its niche as a predator and as scavengers makes them important in the eco system. Sharks balance the eco system. If sharks are wiped out and extinct, it would cause serious damage to the eco system. The population of other species can increase or decrease causing the eco system to lose its natural balance. The impact of this would be phenomenal. In my opinion, people killing sharks are the same thing as killing ourselves. I think the slaughtering, finning and killing of sharks should be stopped because it only does not affect the sharks but to us too. If the sharks populations are wiped out then its impact would not only affect the ocean but to us too. Below are ways to save sharks (:

• Raise money and invest to organizations and campaigns that are helping to save sharks like the Sea Shepherd

• DON’T buy shark products.
• Boycott against restaurants and shops that sells shark products.
• Encourage people to watch Sharkwater. This way people can see the truth about sharks.
• Teach other people about the important role of sharks for the ecosystem.
• 2010 3rd trimester global issues class is going to hold an assembly educating others about sharks.
• Read these articles as well: http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/

Links to the sharkwater trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggtxA4wuXzY

* source- http://www.bite-back.com/sharks_faq.htm