| Part 7 Conservation Today: What’s Better, What’s Worse, and Why It Still Matters |
| When I started paying attention to shark conservation, things were already slowly changing. Today, conservation is miles ahead of where it was in the 70s and 80s, when sharks were seen as disposable villains. Back then, nobody talked about ecosystems or the long-term consequences of wiping out apex predators. Today, thankfully, that kind of ignorance is harder to maintain. To be fair, my fascination with sharks didn’t start with Jaws. It began long before that—around nine or ten years old—and by the time the book came out, I was already obsessed. But once I read the book, I was completely hooked. Even now, in 2025, nearly 63, I’m still fond of sharks as a species. I don’t study them the way I did as a kid or a teenager, but I still watch documentaries, follow conservation news, and enjoy a good shark film—as long as it’s not the old “exterminate the monster” nonsense. It’s refreshing to see modern films give sharks more dignity and let them “win” now and again. I can enjoy the fiction without wanting the animal wiped out, which is more than can be said for some viewers even today. What’s interesting now is how much the public attitude has shifted. You no longer have to rummage through obscure books to find accurate information about sharks. It’s everywhere — documentaries, research groups, tagging projects, underwater footage, even school programs. Kids today actually love sharks. They draw them, write about them, and research them. Compare that to the generation who saw Jaws on release and vowed never to swim again, and it feels like a different world. And globally, many countries have made real improvements. Shark finning bans, marine protected areas, stricter fishing regulations, species protections — these things weren’t even on the table decades ago. It isn’t perfect, not by a long shot, but at least the conversation is happening and action is being taken. Even media outlets that once relied on over-the-top “killer shark” nonsense are now pushing education and science. That’s the good news. The bad news is that some shark populations have declined by an estimated 70% to 90% since the early 20th century, according to population assessments. Numbers of this magnitude are difficult to reverse because sharks grow slowly, reach maturity late, and produce few pups — they’re built for stability, not human exploitation. Overfishing, bycatch, and habitat loss remain substantial issues. Shark nets continue to kill more animals than they protect. Illegal trade persists, and climate change is altering their habitats in ways we are only beginning to measure. If you’re wondering what you can do, start today: make sustainable seafood choices, support shark conservation groups, refuse shark products, and call out sensationalist myths when you hear them. Every action—big or small—counts. Even how you talk about sharks matters. Let’s be the ones who help shift the narrative and protect these vital creatures for the future. It’s amazing how quickly someone’s fear dissolves when you explain that sharks only cause around five or six fatalities worldwide per year. Across the whole planet. You can practically see the gears turning when people realise their fear is based on decades of media hype, not reality. And once fear fades, curiosity tends to step in. That’s where understanding begins. I never outgrew my interest in sharks—it expanded to a broader fascination with nature, ecosystems, and the environment. Sharks made me notice the world and question how humans impact it. That curiosity helped shape my path as a gardener, showing how everything connects, whether underwater or in the soil. Looking back, it all makes sense — of course, I ended up working with nature. Sharks were just the beginning. The spark that lit everything else. |
Earthly Comforts 