'Historic' day for shark protection

Yes I was quite aware...
OK.. For now, lets just say it died of "natural causes" !!

Theres a good few crocodile farms in the Philippines, never mind Australia. Heres one:

http://www.travbuddy.com/photos/blogs/5030930

For more info on crocodile farming and crocodile conservation in the Philippines have a look at these two sites:

DENR:
http://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/component/content/article/429.html


CROCODYLUS POROSUS PHILIPPINES, INC.:
http://philippinecrocodile.com.ph/

What is the point of Crocodile Farming, do you mean?

A modern and sustainable hunting lodge perhaps?
I`d join.
I wonder if they could have one for man eating sharks too?
I`d join.

Its all about apex predator's and ecosystem equilibrium.

Would you have us cull all of the top predators?

You mean before they cull us at will?
IMO.. The fittest and their offspring survive...If they have any sense!!
From my knowledge of natural history,that is the way it has always been.

Good point.

If we cull all of the top predators then the fine balances in the worlds ecosystems will change. And not for the good. Its quite a complex subject area. But a quick google on the topic(s) will reveal an abundance of material on the pitfalls of culling the top predators when they are facing extinction.

Control is one thing but culling to extinction is another.

“Clearly, the absence of a law forbidding the catching of sharks gives people the courage to continue the practice, which could eventually lead to the extinction of shark species in the country, especially that they reproduce slowly,” Legarda said. “Sharks, as predators of the sea, play a vital role in regulating the ecological balance, particularly the health of important commercial fish species, population balance, and protection of coral reefs. Being a country with about two-thirds of the known marine species of the Pacific living in its coastal waters, the Philippines plays a crucial role in protecting marine species,”

http://sharkmans-world.blogspot.com/2012/02/philippines-senator-proposes-total.html

There is a lot of material like this readily at hand.

Food for thought at the very least. How far do we want to push our luck?

"Estes and his coauthors cite a wide range of examples in their review, including the following:
The extirpation of wolves in Yellowstone National Park led to over-browsing of aspen and willows by elk, and restoration of wolves has allowed the vegetation to recover.
The reduction of lions and leopards in parts of Africa has led to population outbreaks and changes in behavior of olive baboons, increasing their contact with people and causing higher rates of intestinal parasites in both people and baboons.
A rinderpest epidemic decimated the populations of wildebeest and other ungulates in the Serengeti, resulting in more woody vegetation and increased extent and frequency of wildfires prior to rinderpest eradication in the 1960s.
Dramatic changes in coastal ecosystems have followed the collapse and recovery of sea otter populations; sea otters maintain coastal kelp forests by controlling populations of kelp-grazing sea urchins.
The decimation of sharks in an estuarine ecosystem caused an outbreak of cow-nosed rays and the collapse of shellfish populations.
Despite these and other well-known examples, the extent to which ecosystems are shaped by such interactions has not been widely appreciated. "There's been a tendency to see it as idiosyncratic and specific to particular species and ecosystems," Estes said.
One reason for this is that the top-down effects of apex predators are difficult to observe and study. "These interactions are invisible unless there is some perturbation that reveals them," Estes said. "With these large animals, it's impossible to do the kinds of experiments that would be needed to show their effects, so the evidence has been acquired as a result of natural changes and long-term records.""

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110714142128.htm

I find that humans are the root cause of all upsetting movements of the balances in our world.

A positive for sharks in Malapascua.

"The Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project is based on Malapascua and studies the sharks and their relationship with Monad Shoal, the also study the impact that tourism and the fishing industry has on this unique place. The project accepts volunteers nearly year round so if you’re an aspiring shark/marine biologist then don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.
While tourism contributes a lot to the protection of Monad Shoal it also comes with it’s problems, unfortunately bad diver practices have destroyed some cleaning stations which can have an impact on the reason why the sharks come here in the first place. A lot of people are involved in Malapascua to protect Monad, Anna Oposa from Save The Philippines Seas is trying to establish a shark sanctuary there and with the Thresher Shark Project based on the island and educating the young ones and dive shops about the importance of this place, the future looks bright and hopefully Monad Shoal and Malapascua can serve as an example for sustainable eco tourism."

http://stevedeneef.com/?p=249

John.. Deep down,I think I know you are probably right about nature and balance etc..
I suppose my questions and ill thought out comments are based on ignorance and an illogical human instinct of self preservation etc..
I must admit that I also feel the same way about Mosquito`s as Im not sure what their purpose is either apart from biting us,sucking our blood and spreading deadly diseases such as Malaria,dengue etc etc.. Im sure that nature has reasons that I cannot or will ever fathom!!
Thanks for the interesting read BTW!!

I don't think that mossies could be termed "apex predators" though they used to love biting chunks out of my ex wife, but they do seem to have their niche in the food chain. They would be sorely missed by birds bats and spiders and many aquatic species that eat the larva.