From: sdodd@OES.ORST.EDU (Stephen M Dodd)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: more on sharks - a backward step for Hawaii?
Date: 27 Jul 92 05:56:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: talon.1992Jul27.055643.1832
Organization: Oregon Extension Service, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Or.

In article <1992Jul27.041426.2445@cs.su.oz.au> gregr@ (Greg Ryan) writes:
>Following the recent thread of discussion on sharks in this group, I opened
>my newly arrived April '92 edition of Ocean Realm (it takes a while for this
>to make it to the Antipodes) to read of a decision by the State House Marine
>Resources Committee of Hawaii to invest $200,000 on the eradication of
>tiger, gray and Galapagos sharks in near shore waters.  The article claims
>this is in response to the first fatal shark attack in over thirty years.
>
>Does anyone have any details on how they plan to do this?
>Without knowing anything about the Hawaiin conditions, this eradication plan
>sounds like an over-reaction to me.
>
>				Greg Ryan	gregr@cs.su.oz.au

   [Been out of the water too long and I feel a flame rising]

   Hum, maybe they should explain just how they intend to do this.  I
   mean a suggestion like that might be measured in terms of function.
   It upsets us all to hear someone plotting the demise of a species, but it
   really mngers me to see the government throwing my money away so
   stupidly.

   They need to show how they are going to erradicate these species of
   sharks when there are probably millions of others waiting one notch
   further out at sea.  How many sharks do they anticipate eliminating
   per dollar.   I say the government shouldn't get any funding for
   obvioulsy non-functional studies.
   
   I don't know population statistics for those mentioned above but I have
   heard there were about 200 Blue Sharks for each square mile off
   Oregon.  I hate to think about how many square miles there are at sea.
   
   The Japanese are reportedly catching millions a year for
   shark fin soup out of the same Oceans.  It is amazing one hung out
   around Hawaii long enough to kill anyone.  Perhaps the Hawaiian
   government should ask the Japanese to come pick the others up.

   Hawaii stands in the middle of the deep.  Oceanic sharks of these
   species are found in all the surrounding areas clear accross the
   Pacific.  I not olny do not think they can do it, I don't even think
   they can study it for that amount of money.  Perhaps spending the
   money will give comfort to some.  Perhaps the funding will sponsor a
   Professor and one student helper for a two year study.  It'll keep
   emm busy.

   The greater threat to sharks is polution and the Japanese.  The
   polution through the food chain but the Japanese though attacking
   their breeding population directly.  Buy the time they start the
   study discussed above they may be hard pressed to find a dangerous 
   shark.

   Steve


-- 
- Stephen M. Dodd, System Analyst, Oregon Extension Service
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sdodd@oes.orst.edu          Internet          Oregon State University
503-737-0699                                  Corvallis, OR 97331
Newsgroups: rec.scuba