Reasons why we should respect sharks - Writing Wednesday
Hello everybody and welcome back to another blog post,
I watched Steve Backshall's Blue Planet Live, with my family on Monday evening. I wasn't sure what the documentary would be about but I found it quite interesting because in this episode of the series, Steve was talking a lot about Sharks and why we should respect them. Respect means that we shouldn't fear sharks even if they're a top predator in the ocean and it also means that we should protect their population and the habitat that they live in. Since some of my family are Japanese, I understand some of the traditions there are with eating sharks in countries like Japan and China and it does sadden me a lot. Sharks are a vital part of our coral reefs because without them, there would be no balance of species below them and no diversity of species would be maintained as there would also be nothing to balance out the competition. These apex predators are also vital to us because they are indicators of healthy reefs and oceans where we would normally fish for food and without them, the seafood market would struggle to exist. So it does disappoint me when I see little respect for these animals, especially when they're extensively fished for shark fin soup because the fishermen cut off their fins and throw them back into the ocean, whilst they're still alive. Like with a lot of other wild animals, we need to learn to co-exist with them because surprisingly, they have a role in maintaining the health of our own population and the ocean as a whole.
In the documentary a woman called Cristina Zenato, who was also known as the Shark Dancer in the area, showed us how she'd managed to build an extraordinary relationship with these sharks. She has a passion for scuba-diving, and often goes diving into the ocean with sharks. You'd expect the sharks to be territorial around her but actually, they were unusually affectionate towards her and often swam up to her for almost an embrace, kind of like a dog. In return, she often grabbed fishing hooks out of their mouth and it offered them a lot of relief.
This is why I think that things like diving with sharks, maybe a great way for people to learn about them and also how to respect them. In the Bahamas, it's a big industry and many people actually enjoy the experience. Some say that it can disturb their environment and behaviour. I can completely understand that but as Steve said, it seems to be a popular thing to do and it has the capability of being something quite educational to people who want to learn more about sharks. There are even diving experiences for young children and it has proven to be a great way to get them out of their comfort zone and teach the younger generation how to respect sharks. I don't know if I would personally do it myself but I know that my biology teacher went swimming with sharks in Belize and she found it absolutely fascinating. Some people can respect sharks from a distance but for others, experiencing the behaviour of sharks in person, is an effective way to find out more about them.
In Réunion, which is a French colony just off the coast of South Africa, there are many shark attacks by bull sharks. When I go on holiday there to visit my family, there are often times when you can't swim in the sea because of these attacks. However, this is because people don't respect their environment and often go surfing and swimming in their habitat. This causes the sharks to swim closer and closer to the shore. This is why I think it's important to respect sharks as wild animals. We cannot just treat their habitat like it's our own. We have to learn to co-exist with them and protect their species.
I watched Steve Backshall's Blue Planet Live, with my family on Monday evening. I wasn't sure what the documentary would be about but I found it quite interesting because in this episode of the series, Steve was talking a lot about Sharks and why we should respect them. Respect means that we shouldn't fear sharks even if they're a top predator in the ocean and it also means that we should protect their population and the habitat that they live in. Since some of my family are Japanese, I understand some of the traditions there are with eating sharks in countries like Japan and China and it does sadden me a lot. Sharks are a vital part of our coral reefs because without them, there would be no balance of species below them and no diversity of species would be maintained as there would also be nothing to balance out the competition. These apex predators are also vital to us because they are indicators of healthy reefs and oceans where we would normally fish for food and without them, the seafood market would struggle to exist. So it does disappoint me when I see little respect for these animals, especially when they're extensively fished for shark fin soup because the fishermen cut off their fins and throw them back into the ocean, whilst they're still alive. Like with a lot of other wild animals, we need to learn to co-exist with them because surprisingly, they have a role in maintaining the health of our own population and the ocean as a whole.
In the documentary a woman called Cristina Zenato, who was also known as the Shark Dancer in the area, showed us how she'd managed to build an extraordinary relationship with these sharks. She has a passion for scuba-diving, and often goes diving into the ocean with sharks. You'd expect the sharks to be territorial around her but actually, they were unusually affectionate towards her and often swam up to her for almost an embrace, kind of like a dog. In return, she often grabbed fishing hooks out of their mouth and it offered them a lot of relief.
BBC Earth
This is why I think that things like diving with sharks, maybe a great way for people to learn about them and also how to respect them. In the Bahamas, it's a big industry and many people actually enjoy the experience. Some say that it can disturb their environment and behaviour. I can completely understand that but as Steve said, it seems to be a popular thing to do and it has the capability of being something quite educational to people who want to learn more about sharks. There are even diving experiences for young children and it has proven to be a great way to get them out of their comfort zone and teach the younger generation how to respect sharks. I don't know if I would personally do it myself but I know that my biology teacher went swimming with sharks in Belize and she found it absolutely fascinating. Some people can respect sharks from a distance but for others, experiencing the behaviour of sharks in person, is an effective way to find out more about them.
In Réunion, which is a French colony just off the coast of South Africa, there are many shark attacks by bull sharks. When I go on holiday there to visit my family, there are often times when you can't swim in the sea because of these attacks. However, this is because people don't respect their environment and often go surfing and swimming in their habitat. This causes the sharks to swim closer and closer to the shore. This is why I think it's important to respect sharks as wild animals. We cannot just treat their habitat like it's our own. We have to learn to co-exist with them and protect their species.
BBC Earth
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XOX, Juliette
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