by Adam Dorfman
This balance begins with the Apex predators, which are sharks. Sharks help keep the oceans ecosystem in balance by controlling the middle predators in the oceans food chain. Sharks are one of the most misunderstood and feared animals in the ocean and because of this, there has been very little public interest in protecting sharks and other important marine life. Currently, it has been reported that between 70 and 100 million sharks are being killed every year! Many of them, only for their fins used in shark fin soup, a delicacy in Asia. Sharks are not the only animals being killed to supply the Asian markets; mantas are also being killed for their gill plates that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. The people of the world need to be convinced; that marine life is worth more to local communities alive rather than being fished and killed and Ecotourism is one of the few ways to do this. Because ecotourism gives value to sharks and rays alive with their fins on rather than fished and killed. People have no interest in protecting the things that they fear and do not understand. Ecotourism provides education to people and helps reduce fears that they may have of sharks and other marine life. In this film, I dispel the myth that sharks are man eating monsters from the deep waiting to attack humans at every chance. This film also shows various ecotourism destinations where dive operators are offering human-marine life interactions. These interactions can be very productive both financially to the local communities as well as creating thousands of ambassadors for sharks and mantas, and these ambassadors have helped push through protection for endangered species that may have otherwise failed. Human-marine life interaction has been a very controversial subject. Despite more than 40 years of marine life feeds in as many as 40 countries around the world, there are many people that want it banned. The “to feed or not to feed” debate has been argued for many years, but rarely in a public forum by qualified credible behaviorists, researchers and science based local conservation groups in areas where feeding provides economic benefits. Does human-marine life interaction have its issues of concern? Absolutely, it is not a perfect situation, but the benefits outweigh the negatives for both humans and marine life. I am living proof that marine life interactions can change a person’s perspective on this subject; these very same ecotourism encounters that I participated in inspired me to become a shark and manta conservationist. If we all contribute just a little, together we can make a huge difference in the health of our oceans and this film is my contribution to that cause. Thank you for watching!
