Sharks are functionally extinct from one in five coral reefs, according to a study done by Mike Heithaus and Demian Chapman of Florida International University. The project, called Global FinPrint, focused on reef sharks and surveyed 371 tropical reefs in 58 countries and territories. Underwater cameras were attached to 1.5 meter long poles with shark bait at the end and a team of 120 scientists examined over 18,000 hours on video to find out how many of the reefs still saw shark activity. At 69 reefs (out of 371 sampled) no sharks were caught on video. This accounts to 19% of the coral reefs sampled (Stokstad, 2020). There may have been a few sharks that weren’t caught on camera, but the overall low numbers suggest that in these areas, sharks no longer play their ecological role in these reefs.
Ellen Pikitch, a marine biologist at Stony Brook University, says Global Finprint is, “the most comprehensive study that’s ever been done to look at shark abundance” (Stokstad 2020). She was not involved with the project. It was found that the places with fewer sharks have few or poorly managed fishing regulations and higher levels of poverty. The countries with the most abundant sharks tended to have protected areas, such as the Bahamas that has banned shark fishing for 30 years and has a healthy reef shark population (Florida International University, n.d).
Link to a snippet of footage from Global Finprint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnaSSpQeXtM&feature=youtu.be
So, what can the public do to support shark conservation and help end shark finning?
1. Support the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (S.877). The Act has been passed by the House of Representatives and needs to be passed by the Senate and signed by the President to become law. Contact your state senators and urge them to pass the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act.
You can find your senator's contact information at: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
For residents of California, your senator's information is listed below.
Dianne Feinstein
(202) 224-3841
www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
Kamala Harris
(202) 224-3553
www.harris.senate.gov/contact
2. Avoid buying any shark products.
3. Engage in sustainable ecotourism. A study done at the University of British Columbia found that shark tourism generates over $314 million annually worldwide, and is set to double in the next 20 years. The industry supports over 10,000 jobs and can lead to the protection of areas where sharks are abundant. Lead author of the study, Andres Cisneyos-Montemayor, says, "it is abundantly clear that leaving sharks in the ocean is worth much more than putting them on the menu" (University of British Columbia, 2013).
4. Get involved with ocean and shark nonprofit organizations by volunteering or donating.
5. Educate those around you! To change the stigma around sharks, we need to communicate effectively so that all parties are informed.