Cape Cod Officials Want to Cull Sharks – Why This Is an Irresponsible and Irrational Idea

A Cape Cod commissioner, Ron Beaty is proposing a “shark hazard mitigation strategy” after a shark attacked a seal off of a Cape Cod beach on Monday. Beaty wants to, “deploy baited drum lines with hooks near popular beaches in the hopes of catching great white sharks” and if the sharks don’t die on a hook, Beaty said officials would shoot the animal. Ugh!

All because, according to Beaty, there is a “shark infestation” and the sharks are swimming too close to beaches. Beaty said in an email, “It is only a matter of time before someone’s child is killed or maimed at a Cape beach because of an encounter with one of these man-eating sharks!”

The ocean is where sharks live …  aren’t humans the ones infesting the waters?

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Really, all Beaty is doing is fear-mongering because, in reality, the last fatal shark attack in Massachusetts was in 1936, according to state marine biologist Greg Skomal. In fact, you are more likely to be killed by lightning, than by a shark.

Skomal also noted in an interview with the Boston Globe that this type of proposal would need to go to the federal level first because the intentional killing of white sharks is currently prohibited. Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a non-profit organization that tags and tracks the sharks, slammed Beaty’s plan as, “ill-considered, indiscriminate, and will not influence beach safety.” What’s more, according to Sea Shepherd, “Studies are already indicating that regional elimination of sharks can cause disastrous effects including the collapse of fisheries and the death of coral reefs.”

There are over 400 species of sharks swimming in the oceans worldwide, yet most people are only familiar with the foreboding image of the Great White. We have been trained to associate these sharks with fatal attacks on humans, and thus, refer to them as “bloodthirsty” killers – or “man eaters” as Beaty did – when in fact, these creatures are not petty animals with a hunger for human flesh. Rather, the Great White and their many shark species cousins play a vital role in the ocean’s health. Sharks are considered apex predators, so they play a central role in the health of oceans. Indeed, the Great White sharks presence in Cape Cod is a sign of a healthy eco-system, with the sharks swimming there to feed. As of 2010, some species of sharks were down 50 to 90 percent and up to a third could be facing extinction, largely due to human threats.

On average, 100 million sharks are killed by people a year. About three-quarters of these animals are mercilessly de-finned and tossed back to drown all for the sake of shark fin soup. What’s more, sharks are targeted by trophy hunters, killed for their cartilage and liver oil to make supplements, and made the unfortunate victims of drum-line culls that are really nothing more than pathetic ploys to keep tourism dollars up.

So really, are WE the ones who should be afraid here? 

There are ways for humans to help instead of hurt sharks. One option is to educate others, for example, through an educational event at a local school or community center. Many organizations, like Shark Savers, offer educational materials.

To learn more about these important marine animals, check out the following resources:

• 100 Million Sharks Are Killed Every Year! Sign Petition and Tell FedEx to Stop Shipping Fins
• Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds! Why Humans Need Sharks
• Why Sharks Should be Afraid of Humans

Lead image source: Elias Levy/Flickr