1998 - 1999 Theme
Wild & Endangered . . .
Sharks Aren't the Bad Guys!
Sure they have sharp teeth and strong jaws. And they kill other animals for food. But sharks are definitely not the bad guys. They rarely attack people. In fact, it is the sharks that are under attack. And they're being attacked . . . by people.
Every year, fishermen catch millions of sharks. They sell sharks to people who want their meat, skins, internal organs, and jaws. Millions more sharks die when they get caught in fishing nets and on hooks. Numbers of some populations of sharks have dropped 80% or more in just the last 20 years. If nothing changes, some sharks may become endangered or even extinct.
In April 1997, the U.S. government cut in half the number of large, coastal sharks that fishermen could catch in the Atlantic Ocean. And fishermen are not allowed to catch some species of sharks on purpose. Those are the species that are most in trouble, bigeye sand tiger, basking, sand tiger, whale and white sharks.
Sharks grow slowly and have very few young at a time. So it will take a long time for their numbers to grow again. Sharks live in waters across the globe, and some species migrate thousands of miles. There need to be rules in place worldwide, not just in a few counties.
 Grades 6 - 8 Ricky Tubbs |
Sharks are strong and graceful predators. They deserve our respect and our help! For more information visit the following sites: |
Winning Posters
 Grades K - 2 Andrew Morejon |
 Grades 9 - 12 Rachel Morejon |
 Grades 3 - 5 Mariana Ellin |