thou shalt not kill sharks

my sweet yap holidays #7
Originally uploaded by pats0n.

I must admit, sharks never strike me as beautiful or anything the conservationists claim; i don't want to be anywhere near them nor do they stir anything in me the way pandas do when they appear on tv. however, i see the necessity of conserving them for their important function as a potential keystone species, regulating the food web in the marine ecosystem. i doubt the government would risk the ire of the citizens and cripple a multi-million industry for the sake of a disappearing species, important as they may be for the good of the environment. what we can do is contribute to the growing awareness that we all risk dangerous environmental repercussions if we consume sharks to their extinction.
no, i'm not an ardent crusader for shark conservation; this is just a response to my friend's blog post.