Sunday, July 13, 2008

Old School Sharks-Renewable or Raw Product?

We have come a looong way with sharks. Just 60 years ago these animals were considered the "bane of man" to be exterminated at every opportunity.

With the advent of commercial shark diving brought about by the adventures of those few plucky early pioneers like Rodney Fox and others-sharks slowly evolved from "mindless man eater" to understood and respected wildlife.

At least as far as the diving public saw them.

You have to look at this image from 1946 with a bit of nostalgia. We're in a different world with sharks now. The abject fear of these animals is gone for the most part, and commercialization of them both in terms of renewable eco tourism and raw product (fins) have replaced that fear.

Now it's a race. Will we lose these animals to the raw product guys or will we save these animals with tourism?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Tourism get's my vote. Great post very inciteful look into this issue.