Will shark culling become a thing in the United States? Ever since I documented the political agendas behind shark culling in Australia I've had a fear that these ideals would continue to spread like a disease and eventually take seed in the Untied States. I expressed these concerns to Dr. Christopher Neff during an interview in 2014. He stated that if it were going to happen, Cape Cod would be the most likely place. He also made me aware of the fact that culling already has taken place in the U.S...more than once.
As far as I'm concerned culling takes place regularly across the United States. We just call it something else and hand people trophies for it.
As far as I'm concerned culling takes place regularly across the United States. We just call it something else and hand people trophies for it.
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Dr. Neff stated that each place he flew to as a consultant he ran into a similar theme, "Hey, they're killing sharks there, why aren't we doing it here?!" Indeed, the locations where shark culling currently takes place were all inspired by looking at the locations already doing it. Effectiveness doesn't seem to matter at all, it's just a case of seeming to "do something" about it.
But the United States is not innocent. Hawaii of all place conducted a shark cull for approximately 17 years! And according to Dr. Neff, the first long lines ever placed in the North Atlantic were actually meant as shark culling devices! |
Wherever there is fear, wherever there is suffering, a politician will be there to take advantage. Meet Ron Beaty.
One thing these politicians have in common is standing on a platform of "It' us vs. them! I will make you safe. I will bring you the war that is needed to protect you!"
If citizens don't know the facts of the issue this is indeed a platform that works. It's dramatic, catchy, and feeds on emotion. Speaking honestly, when it comes to shark bites, the majority of people are going base their decisions and reactions on emotion, not statistics.
One thing these politicians have in common is standing on a platform of "It' us vs. them! I will make you safe. I will bring you the war that is needed to protect you!"
If citizens don't know the facts of the issue this is indeed a platform that works. It's dramatic, catchy, and feeds on emotion. Speaking honestly, when it comes to shark bites, the majority of people are going base their decisions and reactions on emotion, not statistics.
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When a non-human hurts or kills a human we can go one of two directions:
1. Learn better survival skills so as to successfully coexist and implement those skills. 2. Kill everything that isn't us. A little side note on that. During the time it took for you to read this, more humans killed other humans than sharks will kill humans in the entire next decade. But sure, let's declare war on them. |
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Rather than jumping on Mr. Beaty's bandwagon you might consider looking at his record. Is public safety what this person's political career is all about? What have his campaigns in the past to make people safer consisted of? What's that? He has no record of trying to make people safer on any other matter? Interesting. Could he possibly be taking advantage of the buzz that always comes along with the words "shark" and "attack"?
Losing a loved one is sad, whether it's due to a shark bite or a car crash. Ron Beaty won't fix that. Learning how to behave when entering risky situations will. |
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Lastly, before we get too excited about culling not taking place in the USA, let's look at Australia's imminent threat policy and the catch and kill policy. Those are shark hunts. What are shark fishing tournaments if not shark hunts? These tournaments target the biggest sharks, the breeding age sharks, the pregnant sharks. With that in mind it could be argued that shark tournaments are as detrimental if not worse for a species that culling is! But here it's not only legal, it's sponsored. And if you remove the best specimen that species has left to carry on its kind - you get an award.
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