The objective of this lab assignment is to identify the role of sharks in an ecosystem and the impact of their extinction on the marine. Secondly, the research seeks to evaluate how fishing and protecting sharks can coexist. Sharks are dangerous animals but play a vital role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem within the ocean. Sharks feed on other small fishes, which reduce the number of prey population overbreeding in certain areas in oceans. However, the endangered species have dramatically been affected by human activities such as overfishing and shark finning. Such activities may lead to their extinction and disrupt the marine ecosystem.
Overfishing and illegal fish finning may cause coastal destruction where a surge in algae would destroy coral reefs, which are habitats for different fish species. However, the complete banning of fishing and fish finning would eventually affect other sectors. Fishing provides livelihood and healthy food to many people worldwide, not to forget it reduces the number of shark attacks on the coastline (Lawson, 16). A shark conversation program is essential to protect the sharks from extinction, but it is also necessary to consider other sectors that benefit from fishing.
Marine-protected areas, for instance, are a measure to protect the sharks and encourage fishing in the sea for commercial use. The importance of protecting marine areas is to allow endangered fish species to breed and recover. This will ensure increased fish stock for future generations to continue fishing, selling shark meat, and shark fin. It is essential to limit and control the number of endangered species catch. The shark population would recover and replenish if the government and other support groups limited the number of sharks caught by fisheries (Finkbeiner, 1187). A shark conservation program is a way to cease overfishing, and is also concerned about people’s livelihood and maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
References
Finkbeiner, Elena M., et al. “Reconstructing overfishing: moving beyond Malthus for effective and equitable solutions.” Fish and Fisheries 18.6 (2017): 1180-1191.
Lawson, Julia M., et al. “Extinction risk and conservation of critically endangered angel sharks in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.” ICES Journal of Marine Science 77.1 (2020): 12-29.