This is what happens when they cancel after school reading programs.

At the risk of looking like some kind of perpetual cheerleader for our buddies at Underwater Thrills--we don't agree about everything and occasionally even argue--they have drawn our attention to a sweet Op Ed piece by Shark conservationist and main man behind the Shark Free Marina Initiative, Luke Tipple. The piece runs in the Destin Log. Why the Destin Log? Because, Destin, Florida is running a popular Shark fishing tournament in October called Shark Saturday. Luke presents a rational argument against Destin's Shark kill tournament.

While recreational shark fishing regulations do exist, they are tough to monitor and therefore seldom enforced. If the objective of Shark Saturdays is to increase the number of people fishing for “threatened” species, then we have to ask the obvious question: Should we really be promoting species eradication?

Somewhere along the line, there has to be a change in how we view the ocean and the animals that make up a healthy ecosystem.

Specifically targeting breeding-age sharks for slaughter is ecologically unsafe. This action contributes significantly to overall population decline as competitors inevitably wait to catch the largest sharks, which are usually female and quite often pregnant.

[source]

Because of Luke's writing, the editors of the Destin Log have posted a poll as to whether the upcoming Shark kill tournament should be held or not. So, if you don't want to see Sharks get killed needlessly, make sure to vote. Gogogo.

--Sharky