How Many Sharks is Too Many? - Guy Harvey Magazine

Dive into our Executive Director’s (Stefanie Brendl) feature in Guy Harvey Magazine on the issues surrounding shark predation for anglers in Florida. This is not just a Florida issue, but global questions that we must address to get on the right side of protecting our planet.

“Why all that matters becomes clear when we look at the bigger picture. A lack of sharks can have many negative effects, such as smaller predators taking over and decimating reef fish, which results in changes such as increased algae covering that kills corals. Or it can cause changes in the behavior of animals that graze seagrass beds. That, in turn, affects the wide range of animals that live and thrive in these ecosystems. Sharks are also in charge of the important task of cleaning up the dead, culling the weak and sick, and keeping diseases from spreading. The strongest survive, and that is what keeps our fish populations healthy.

Why would we risk losing all that? Especially considering the added difficulties we face in the ocean. We cannot easily replace predatory fish once we lose them. We cannot reintroduce sharks as we have done with wolves on land. In the ocean, our only path of action is to protect sharks and help their numbers recover naturally. And since most shark species reproduce extremely slowly, achieving recovery is a highly complex and multi-decade-long endeavor. The good news is that we have seen that shark populations will recover if we give them a chance. And the even better news is that all we have to do is stop overfishing sharks. In most cases, no further action is needed. Just leave them alone, and nature will find a way to repair the damage.”