Atho' Ullah

My Scholarship entry - The Shark Myth

Indonesia | Friday, October 24, 2014 | 5 photos

Shark has been known as a wild predator as seen in 1975 Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. The thriller shows how wild this snout-headed animal is. Shark represents a killing machine in the top of marine food chain.
But, not nowadays, since the 90s, the population of this superordo selachimorpa creature has decreasing especially the black-fin shark (carcharhinus melanopterus). Based on research, hundreds of millions of sharks are killed every year; most is for its fin. Even though shark relies on its fin to travel across the ocean around the world. What makes it worse is that the slowed-productivity and maturity is not directly proportional with the rate of exploitation of this cold-blooded mammal.
A bowl of Shark Fin Soup costs about 900,000 rupiah, which is a prestige and special menu in luxury restaurant. It has been said that it can cure diseases although in fact, it contains methyl mercury that is dangerous to be consumed.
Indonesia was ranked first in the list of shark’s exporter internationally. Conservation efforts in the form of regulation are less clear in this country. Lack of awareness of understanding the role of sharks is a major threat to marine life. The decreasing shark populations, increasingly threatening marine life. Marine food chain in chaotic, uncontrolled and damaging ecosystems, which will obviously give negative consequences in the future.

“Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.”, Socrates, (470-399 SM)