Sharing the beach with sharks

By Bernadine Rodrigo
Sharks strike fear into the mind of almost anyone. The thought of their sharp teeth, enormous size, and lust for blood have tormented us as children and some fear their presence so deeply even in places where it is impossible to find sharks, such as in ponds at home or public swimming pools.
Unlike other majestic predators such as leopards, tigers, wolfs, and lions, the shark is not one to whom we are generally prone to show sympathy. They are always dangerous, but as they are not an endearing species, we may not feel bad for them even if something happens.
Nevertheless, as we now know as a result of all the awareness programmes done about animals in our current world, sharks too are vital organisms to balance the ecosystems of the world, and although some of us may not have noticed, their numbers too, just like the many other species, are declining.
Pigeon Island is a popular local brand known for their deep concern about the environment and its conservation. They have begun conducting a series of lectures to educate individuals about various species and what threats they face. On 27 January, 2020, their topic of choice was the magnificent creature that is the shark that, without the knowledge of the masses, has shockingly been faced with grave dangers.
Pigeon Island brought down Dr. Rima Jabado from India, who is Vice Chair of the Indian Ocean region of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She is a marine biologist whose work specifically focuses on the challenges faced by sea rays – such as the stingray – and, most importantly, sharks in the Indian Ocean, which is how she is extremely relevant to Sri Lanka as we are surrounded by these creatures in an unbelievable mass. Dr. Jabado, through her intense work, was awarded the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation in 2019, so that she may further investigate some of the most threatened sea ray species in the world.
Her research include finding out the base problems that result in the decline of these species and keep track of the trajectory of the number of species.
Ajai Vir Singh, Founder and Chief Creative Director of Pigeon Island, expressed his great joy in having Dr. Jabado start off the series. “We are very happy to introduce this lecture series that starts with the world-renowned Dr. Rima Jabado in partnership with Blue Resources Trust, as we strongly believe that for us to coexist, we need to better understand the marine environment because only then will we respect marine life and help conserve it. This is one of the key mandates of our brand, Pigeon Island.”
The Blue Resources Trust is an organisation in which researchers, creators, and other partners come together to raise awareness about the state of the oceans and to collaborate on projects that protect and conserve them.
As Dr. Jabado said, sharks are not simply limited to the common species which we have all seen and heard of on television. Even in the oceans, we have a large variety of shark species, each of which has their own niches – they have different roles they occupy in their habitats – and the specific ways of affecting the ecosystem. Sri Lanka is said to be functioning in the centre of a whopping 63 species of shark descending from 21 families. These organisms are feared for their predatory qualities, and that itself is the very reason why they must be protected.
Their consumption of smaller species is the maintenance factor which regulates the numbers in the population of these species at the bottom of the food chain. If the number of sharks goes down, the increase in smaller species will cause the plummeting of the population of the species that exist as prey to them rapidly into extinction – the rapidity is exacerbated as sharks do not develop and grow fast. Baby sharks, known as “pups”, take an extremely long time to grow. Even if the remaining sharks reproduce, it would take years for them to actually maintain the other populations the way they did before.
As Dr. Jabado pointed out, sharks are going extinct for a number of reasons, the main one being overhunting. This is quite a large issue in Sri Lanka, as we are a country which still consumes shark, not even as a delicacy, but in as an extremely common dish. This is the biggest plight faced by these majestic organisms as it has been for many other large land creatures such as elephants.
Sri Lanka is also a country where a lot of illegal fishing practices with regard to sharks take place. Further, the habitats of these species, once again like in the case of our elephants, are decreasing. With all the ambitious projects being done on the ocean surrounding this island, making our land bigger, the homes of these beasts are getting smaller.
Photos Eshan Dasanayaka