This is another addition to the ever expanding list of endangered species and once again the culprits are the human beings. According to a recent study some of the shark species in the Mediterranean region have seen a decline as high as 96% over the last couple of centuries.
The prime reason being cited is fishing. While fishing might be a mode of living for a section of people, it has to be done with some precaution as over fishing can spell disaster. Especially if fishing is done during the breeding season it can really hamper the growth of the species. This holds good everywhere and that is why in several places bans are imposed on fishing during the breeding season.
Coming to the sharks, I think a lot of people don’t sympathize with the sharks as it is considered a dangerous and aggressive species. Just like it took decades for us to realize that we need to save the tigers and the lions too. What we need to understand is that each creature plays an important role in the ecosystem. Disappearance of any of the species might cause serious imbalance in the system. Predatory species like the sharks helps in keeping a check in other populations. Otherwise we might see an overgrowth of other smaller fishes which might collapse the entire marine ecosystem. Just like overgrowth of deer in absence of tigers might turn this planet into a desert!
Anyway there is still time remaining and we can still save the sharks if we wake up now. More stringent fishing laws might be one way of doing it. At the same time we also have to be careful about the marine pollution. NGO’s and other such organizations will have to play a proactive role in this regard. In fact I came across this site which I think is a good effort in that direction.
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Source NY Times