{"id":826,"date":"2018-06-28T09:45:50","date_gmt":"2018-06-28T14:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diveinfo.sorca.tgchosting.net\/wp\/?p=826"},"modified":"2018-06-28T09:45:50","modified_gmt":"2018-06-28T14:45:50","slug":"samoa-joins-the-list-of-growing-shark-sanctuaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diving-info.com\/samoa-joins-the-list-of-growing-shark-sanctuaries\/","title":{"rendered":"Samoa Joins The List of Growing Shark Sanctuaries"},"content":{"rendered":"

In March 2018, the Independent State of Samoa was added to the growing list of shark sanctuaries throughout the Pacific Ocean. Over two dozen different species of sharks and rays live in the waters that surround Samoa, and without protection, they are all risk of becoming overfished and extinct.<\/p>\n

In an age where sharks are often viewed as the villainous creatures of the sea, and people either love them or hate them, many don\u2019t understand the purpose of a shark sanctuary. Let\u2019s take a closer look at why shark sanctuaries<\/a> exist and why it\u2019s essential to protect diversity in our world\u2019s shark populations.<\/p>\n

Different Species of Sharks<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People are often shocked to hear that there are well over 400 species of sharks across the globe; all of the species of sharks are divided into eight subspecies. Take a visit to your local zoo or aquarium, and you\u2019re likely to see a variety of shark species<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some of the most common species of sharks<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that live in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean are considered to be large sharks, such as the Great White, Whale sharks, or Basking sharks. Although large sharks can be intimidating, they aren\u2019t all as aggressive as the Great Whites.<\/p>\n

According to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, some of the common species that live in Samoa include blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, hammerheads, tiger and whale sharks; Eagle rays are the most commonly seen type of ray in the waters around Samoa.<\/p>\n

\"Different<\/a>
Photo credit to Pinterest<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why Do Sharks Need Protection? \u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even though sharks have a bad reputation for being flesh-hungry man-eaters, they don\u2019t kill nearly as many humans as the number of sharks that humans hunt every year. According to National Geographic, your chances of dying from the flu is 1 in 63 while your chances of being killed by a shark, during your lifetime, is about 1 in 3,700,000.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that sharks don\u2019t have the potential to be dangerous, but in many shark attack<\/a> cases, a swimmer or diver just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Humans, across the globe, are responsible for killing an estimated 100 million sharks<\/a><\/u>\u00a0every year and many experts believe that it\u2019s a conservative estimate.<\/p>\n

Protecting sharks is essential for a number of reasons, but mainly because they grow slowly and are also slow to reproduce. Some sharks have pups every other year, and others have less than 10 in a calendar year. We simply cannot restock a dwindling population of various species that are at risk of becoming endangered.<\/p>\n

Since most people view sharks as the \u201cbad guys\u201d of the water, many assume that the killings by humans are keeping the waters safer and doing everyone else a favor. If people continue to hunt sharks at an alarmingly high rate, the entire ecosystem of the ocean will change (and not for the better). So to answer the question, \u201cDo sharks really need protection<\/em>?\u201d The answer is a definite yes.<\/p>\n

A Shark\u2019s Role In The Ecosystem<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sharks are alpha predators, also known as apex predators, and without a healthy number of them swimming in our bodies of waters, the ecosystem begins to fall apart.<\/p>\n

As the apex predator, a shark will get rid of weak or sick fish and help with species diversity. Not only do they help keep the ecosystem in order but sharks are also known to play a role in the keeping coral reefs<\/a> alive and well.<\/p>\n

If sharks were completely obliterated from our oceans, large predatory fish (like groupers) would feed on herbivores. Without the herbivores, coral reefs are smothered with algae and would eventually kill all of the coral reefs (which are already in danger<\/a> due to climate issues).<\/p>\n

Sharks can also play a role<\/a> in saving and boosting the economy. In North America, the clam shortage can be directly linked to the elimination of sharks. Without the sharks, the ray population grew, and they ended up eating scallops and clams.<\/p>\n

According to Oceana, another example of a live shark benefiting an economy is ecotourism in destination hotspots like the Bahamas or Belize. A shark that is caught and killed by a fisherman may be worth less than $100, but having live sharks in an area where people dive<\/a> on vacation can bring in hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Photo credit to Shark Business<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Growing List of Sanctuaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With Samoa being the latest country to committing to end the commercial fishing of sharks and help to keep the ecosystem healthy, there seems to be hope and anticipation that more shark sanctuaries will be built shortly.<\/p>\n

When the announcement of the shark sanctuary was made, the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Aiono Sa\u2019ilele Malielegaoi described the sanctuary as a 50,000-square mile zone. In that zone, possessing, selling, or trading sharks (or products containing shark) is unlawful. It is also illegal to use fishing gear that\u2019s specifically designed to target and lure sharks.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at the other shark sanctuaries (besides the one in Samoa), their location, size, and when they were established:<\/p>\n