Caribbean reef sharks are just one of many species of shark that love Cuban waters. Photo: EDF
Cuban waters are full of sharks. Americans don’t know that, though, because no one from the States can really go there, but it’s true. According to BBC, somewhere around 20% of the world’s species of shark call Cuba home. That’s a lot, considering Cuba’s size and the size of the rest of the world.
But, as everyone knows (do they?), sharks have been getting killed off left, right, and center. Overfishing, finning, and a variety of other human caused killing methods have driven many species into dangerous territory. Cuba already has a ban on catching sharks for their fins, which seems like a bit of a no-brainer (doesn’t it, China?), and after working with the Environmental Defense Fund, an American non-profit environmental advocacy group, for over two years, they’ve decided to implement a real conservation effort.
“Cuba is considered the crown jewel of the Caribbean, principally because of its incredible coral reef ecosystems, its mangroves, its seagrasses,” said Daniel Whittle, the Cuba program director. “Healthy sharks mean healthy corals. Healthy corals mean healthy sharks.”
Fish love that shit, and sharks love the fact that the fish love that shit, and tourists love that the sharks love that fact. The EDF claims that protecting shark populations is good for the tourism business, although Reunion Island may have a few residents that beg to differ.
The newly implemented plans force fishing boats in Cuban waters to record all their shark catches, and will cordon off areas where fishing isn’t allowed. Scientists will work directly with fishermen to figure out where the best places to implement the new strategies would be. “That information will be used by managers to develop new closed areas that sharks need for nurseries, management measures to protect juveniles, rebuild populations and help sustain them,” Whittle said to Yahoo News.
