FINNING IS SICKENING

B4
|
THE BRUNEI TIMES | Tuesday, 31 March, 2015
FINNING IS
SICKENING
“A
S AN avid strayanimal rescuer, I
was absolutely
gutted when I
heard about this
unfortunate event (involving the
tiger shark). It is a shame how we
are killing these majestic animals that have been on the face
of the earth for several hundred
million years. This is an issue
that needs more exposure. Even
individuals who care about animals do not give a lot of thought
to sharks.
Hidden under the surface of
the ocean, it is difficult to understand exactly how much destruction we have inflicted. However,
we should be aware that the population of sharks is plummeting
at an alarming rate. This is a fact.
Sharks play a vital role in the
marine
ecosystem.
Without
sharks keeping the ocean ecosystem in check, there will be
catastrophic consequences for us
all.
I think education and stricter
shark hunting bans, alongside
stronger enforcement, are probably some of the best ways to try
and slow down the rate at which
sharks are being killed, be it intentionally or unintentionally.
And never underestimate the
power of social networking.
Divers feeding Bull sharks at the
SEA Aquarium in Singapore. Picture: BT/Kelvin Chua
Siti Nabilah Hj Nor Amin, 25,
postgraduate student at Universiti
Brunei Darussalam (UBD)
Lin Ji Liaw,
President of
BruWILD
Nowadays, more and more elders
are joining WhatsApp, Facebook,
etc. And these social media are
often used to disseminate informal news, so why not put it to
good use, right?
Now it is just a case of finding a
way to enforce the laws that have
been established. Some sort of
quota system could be applied to
meet interests of conservationists and fisherman. Sustainable
fishing would definitely lessen
the possibility of sharks being
caught.
Although Brunei has banned
shark hunting, it will only make
WOULD like to say that in
BruWILD's experience a
lot of the time fishermen
catch sharks by mistake. In other
words, sharks are a by-catch –
caught unintentionally. This
could occur if nets are left in the
sea for too long and sharks get
caught up in them.
Sharks are one of the top predators in the marine ecosystem.
Overhunting, over-killing and
over-extracting of sharks can
cause an imbalance in the
marine food chain/web. Top
predators are often key players in
maintaining the dynamic equi-
the activities of some people unlawful. It is unlikely to decrease
hunting on a wide scale because
poachers are hunting for a purpose.
I think all animals, including
sharks, should be protected. All
creatures are equal, so are
sharks. Human beings should
come to realise that we do not
live alone in this world.
So if individuals are concerned
about the plight of sharks, there
are plenty of things they can do to
help. I for one will stay alert and
join advocacy campaigns on
sharks.”
“I
A file photo of grilled shark meat being sold at Jerudong Wet Market. Picture: BT File
Get connected with
BT’s Youth Speak via email
at youthspeak@bt.com.bn and join our facebook page at
BTYouthSpeak, twitter @btyouthspeak
Through these interactive spaces, we hope to stimulate
active discussion among youth and publish your views,
concerns and ideas for the betterment of our future, our
Brunei.
librium of the marine ecosystem.
But how are we educating our
elders about it and what should
the awareness approach be? The
media is can be used to educate
and raise awareness.
Brunei has taken a bold and
positive step towards banning
shark hunting, selling and consumption. However, apart from
patrolling our local waters for
signs of illegal fishing (areas that
are not permitted for fishing),
regulations on the fishing techniques that can used should be
strengthened and efforts made to
ensure that only sustainable
fishing methods are employed.
Additionally, local fishermen
should always practise diligent
fishing and should not leave nets
out in the sea for too long. And
they should make every effort to
release
by-catch,
including
sharks, back into the sea.
BruWILD's mission is to give
the best educational support to
the public in Brunei Darussalam.
We have made efforts to increase
awareness on the importance of
our marine ecosystem (more info
on this at www.bruwild.org and
our Facebook page) and would
like to continue our pursuit by
also highlighting the significance
of sharks in our local waters.”
BT Youth Speak Team:
Amanda Yap, Analisa Amu, Billah Hasan, Izzan Kassim
Pictures: BT/Kelvin Chua, BT File and Agencies
Visual Team: BT Visual Team