Once again we have had a shark attack occur that has taken the life of a person, this time on the NSW coast. It is a sad situation, but is not one that needs to be dwelled upon by sensationalising it and whipping up a frenzied hysteria.
Whilst there are many more things that cause a loss of human life each day on this planet, I will not lower myself to list them, because like this, they need to be dealt with separately to reduce the possibility of reoccurrence in a responsible and sensible manner, and right now they suffer from the same condition which is ignorance of what we know, coupled with a human desire to live as we please. So instead I shall once again share my thoughts on what has happened and how we really need to address this alone.
Fact: The Ocean, like many places on earth is a wild and dangerous place. Humans spend most of their time on land and most people never go near the ocean due to either where they live being too far from it, or in some cases a fear of water itself. Those that do venture there get many different pleasures, and many of those people also understand the risks involved with it. The ocean claims many lives each year, through boating accidents, storms, and in some instances through human contact with the wildlife that lives within it. This wildlife includes many different creatures including all sorts of fish, large and small, plus a multitude of other creatures.
Sharks make up a very small proportion of animals that are the cause of death to humans in the ocean environment, yet they seem to get the biggest amount of attention. I question whether this is because sharks, like us, are apex predators and it is just the human condition that makes us want to conquer or dominate them. Maybe it is the condition that some humans suffer from which makes them believe that they have a right to do what they want, regardless of the expense to anything else? I do not have a definitive answer and I certainly don’t have statistics, but what I do know is that there is a risk when we enter the water.
The big question is, how well educated are people and do they understand the risks involved? I believe most people are well informed and that the choices they make are done so considering the risks. Where I have a great concern is that outside of that, the media, the government and people that really don’t know or care with in some cases hidden agenda, seem to run campaigns that succeed in blurring the facts and contributing to the ongoing issue. Drum lines, not totally effective and too indiscriminate, shark nets that are very similar in their application, these all add to offering a false sense of security for people who are not fully educated, and in some cases makes them believe that they are bullet proof, and caution that would normally be applied gets thrown to the four winds. There are effective non-lethal methods that will help, however they still need the same education and understanding and it must be understood that they are only part of the plan, not an overall solution.
Maybe, just maybe, if more effort was put into addressing other aspects, into properly informing and warning people about what leads to shark attacks, the conditions to be aware of, the dangers involved, then the loss of life may just reduce. Maybe a full page spread on the dangers and how to avoid them would be better, but then that would not sell newspapers would it? Understanding and respecting what other life on this planet deserves is so important, and accepting that may reduce the loss of life also. I have as much right to dive in the ocean as anyone, but I do not own it. I would never find the most beautiful spot on earth, then knowing it is full of sharks expect to have them all killed so I can dive there, yet that is as near as I can possibly explain the mentality that is applied now. Sharks do not lurk, they do not sit in wait for the next surfer or spear fisherman, they travel the ocean as they have for thousands of years, and they are opportunistic feeders.
Take more time to see the beauty than you do in seeing the horrors. Understand the complexity, yet the simplicity that is the ocean. Understand that it is a very fragile ecosystem that is under great threat through over fishing and over population. Realise that its contribution to our survival will ultimately be determined by the survival of the beautiful creatures that we borrow it from.
The drawing attached is by Cassie, but apparently modelled from –
http://lilywilliamsart.com/illustration/
Tagged: amazing, animals, Cassie, change, death, destruction, earth, fish, future, humans, life, mark jones, ocean, one world, respect, scuba, scuba diving, shark, shark attack, Solution, thoughts
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