I was cruising around Facebook and found this photo of a Blue Shark caught at a fishing lodge in Pelican, AK in 2016. It was sad to see such a beautiful creature killed for sport. I looked up its status on the world stage for endangered species. In 2009 it was labeled “near threatened”. That was nearly 10 years ago, and I’m sure its population since then has decreased, like all other sharks around the world.
Knowledge is the key here. If this guy was presented with information on how sharks are disappearing from the world’s oceans, I’m sure he would reconsider dragging this shark on board. “Most” hunters understand the importance of saving a species and believe in regulation to conserve populations of any animal. I grew up hunting and learned the importance of this from my father. Although, if you don’t diversify your circle of friends, you’ll never be presented with another opinion on things you may not understand. Ultimately, the person has to make the conscience effort to expand his knowledge and do the research himself. Sometimes that spark happens from a documentary, friend or simply a stranger talking about a different topic.
In my case, we had a series of guests that broadened my mind on things I hadn’t thought about before. I think everyone could benefit from having a different perspective discussed. You don’t have to agree; just be willing to open your mind to the possibility that something might work better. I all too often see the pendulum swing to far one direction with trenches built in for the long run.
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