I wrote an E-mail to the Editor, The Star newspaper on the matter.
Educate The Fishermen
Dear Editor,
While I applaud the positive step taken by the Tanjung Dawai Fishermen Association to use Information Technology to auction off their catch (‘Fish Now Sold via the Net’ – The Star, Friday, July 7 2006), I am horrified by the picture of the dead juvenile Hammerhead Sharks. It seems that while the fishermen are into Information Technology, they know very little about sharks conservation.
As a scuba diver, I spend hundreds of Ringgits just to be able to see at least one of these magnificent creatures. It breaks my heart to see almost a dozen of them in the clutches of the fish supplier, knowing that hundreds more are caught daily in our waters. This species is considered to be “Near Threatened” by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a global union of states, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations in a partnership that assesses the conservation status of species. As a matter of fact, just over a week ago at the Pasir Penambang market in Kuala Selangor, I saw several juvenile Black-tip Reef Sharks being sold for RM10 per kg, and a Zebra Shark for RM14 per kg. Save for the dive I did in the salt water tank of the Aquaria KLCC, I have never seen a live Zebra Shark swimming before. Most sharks are viviparous and have long gestation period, making their cycle of reproduction slow, and mostly give birth to small litters. Simple mental arithmetic will tell you how soon will the numbers reach negative value.
Sharks are normally taken by longlines, gillnets and as bycatch in driftnet fisheries. The Fisheries Department should educate the fishing community to release the ones landed that are still alive. The relevant authorities and non-governmental organisations, too, should educate the general public on the importance of sharks. Sharks fins are tasteless and is akin to eating one’s fingernails boiled in broth.
I cannot stress more how sharks play a very important role in our marine eco-system; preying on injured and sick animals in order to ensure the fitter ones survive. When fish survive in abundance, we human beings have more to eat.
SeaDemon Says 