Selling of endangered marine mammals become a thriving business

Loy Madrigal, head of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force (CPAIFTF), ordered a tip from a pertained citizen, reminded the task force to arrange a checkpoint in Barangay Poblacion, Naga City, some 20.2 kilometers south of Cebu City. After some checkpoints, it paved them way to prove the presence of illegal capturing and selling of thresher sharks, giving them the right to detain those who violated the supported local ordinance. A member of the Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project, Gary Cases, said that the sharks captured were actually endangered species, taking them 11 years to mature and can only give birth to two offsprings.

Just like humans, they need to be treated with respect. People should give justice to their lives and pay close attention to the certain roles that they play in our society(aqua-marine life). Knowing the fact that they are depleting, humans should stop this ‘monkey business’. It’s not because we can still catch them up on pictures, videos, televisions, and on ocean parks, does already mean that they won’t be extinct or completely gone in time.

Poverty is present here in our country. Hence, different jobs and ‘rakets'(small or big) are being chased by different individuals just to earn money. However, people should refrain from capturing, selling, or eating sharks. First of all, sharks play an important role that the average fish does not. They serve as predators to regulate the natural balance of the ecosystems, helping the prey population to have a good condition. Second, eating shark meat is dangerous for one’s health because its meat contains a high ‘methyl mercury’, a toxic substance which is harmful for one’s health. Lastly, sharks are gems in our society. Just like in Palau, more than half of the tourists are drawn by diving excursions, each reef shark brings in about $179,000 in tourism revenue annually, or about $1.9 million during its lifetime compared to a shark fin, sold for shark fin soup, fetches only about $108.

Instead of abusing them, why not focus on ways on how to preserve them? People should be sensitive enough to protect their God-given nature as being considered the stewards and stewardess of their own habitat. If sharks are completely extinct, the future generations can no longer appreciate the widest diversity of the beautiful life. Good for the early generations, but what about the next one’s? Isn’t it that unfair? It’s never too late to stop this. Take an action as early as possible. Prove that Louis Armstrong is right in his hit song. What a wonderful world!

MARISCAL, Mark Ken S.