Take Action: Vulnerable Sharks
Why Sharks Need protection:
Human intervention has led to the extinction and decline of many shark species around the world. Around 35% of the 536 species assessed by the IUCN were said to be threatened. There is low data availability for many species who are predicted to also be threatened, meaning the severity of the issue can be higher than current data reflects.
How MPAs Protect Sharks:
Marine Protected Areas are an important conservation tool for reversing shark population reductions; but not all MPAs have equivalent benefits. The effectiveness of an MPA is determined by location, size, and protection level. No-take reserves have higher impacts on the region than reserves that permit commercial fishing. Many MPAs that exist today were selected based on political support rather than what will have the highest impact for target species. To optimize the benefits, more research regarding locomotive patterns, breeding sites, and feeding habits of target species must be conducted. In other words, if we know where vulnerable species are breeding, feeding, and spending lots of time, we can protect these areas to help the species population rebound.
Lack of enforcement in protected areas is not uncommon, making the ~8% of protected ocean area smaller than what is recorded. Effective MPAs will increase abundance of shark species by reducing exposure to fishers and other dangers. We need to implement well-researched conservation efforts that will replenish populations of threatened sharks. Future biodiversity within marine ecosystems is contingent on effective MPA network expansion that eliminates fishing pressures on diminishing fish populations.
Expert Insight:
Impact for Oceans spoke with Elasmobranch Conservationist and former President of the Blue Ocean Network Hub, Andrew Robertson, who noted that MPAs are one of the most effective tools for conserving sharks and the ecosystems they inhabit. He is currently pursuing his Masters to deepen his understanding of how environmental policy impacts these vital marine ecosystems. A major challenge to implementing effective policy is the lack of accessible communication from the scientific community and on the flip side, lack of understanding of research amongst politicians. Andrew notes that advocates like this amazing community at Impact for Oceans can help bridge that gap. So let’s get to work…
What You Will Do:
Email your federal representatives expressing your concern for the many threats to sharks and other threatened marine life. The purpose of this email is to let your representatives know that their constituents care about marine conservation so they should keep this in mind when voting for the annual budget and proposed legislation. It is important they know their constituents value marine protected areas and want to protect sharks, so they do not succumb to political pressures from the Administration.
Find your representative here (House and Senate).
Tip: Use the “Find Your Members By Address” field to quickly find your Representatives
Once you have determined who your Representative is in the House and Senate, copy their email into this template here.
If your representative has a contact me page on their website rather than an email, copy and paste the template below!
"Hello Representative {their name here},
I am concerned about the state of our oceans and fisheries. Sharks are important indicator species that show the health of our oceans and keep vital ecosystems in balance. Currently 35% of shark species are categorized as threatened. This does not include data-deficient species who are also experiencing population declines that have not yet been documented.
Here in the United States, only around 3% of our Marine protected area (MPA) coverage is no-take; no-take MPAs provide the highest level of protections which allows species and ecosystems to rebound. When our aquatic ecosystems are healthy, our fisheries do better and we receive more ecosystem services including carbon sequestration. This directly translates into economic benefits with a booming fishing industry and spending less money to replicate these ecosystem services artifically.
As an advocate with Impact for Oceans and a concerned constituent, I ask that you please take every opportunity to expand protections in our oceans. Vote in favor of new marine protected areas that are backed by the scientific community and fight for higher protections in existing MPAs. I also urge you to protect funding and support for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as they play a pivotal role in protecting marine ecosystems that sharks and other species rely on. Lastly, vote no for deep sea mining projects that will threaten the marine food web.
Thank you for protecting our oceans and sharks.
Kind regards,
{your name here}”
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