Henderson+and+Assael+OpEd

Stacy and Demetria

Give 'Jaws' a hand.
 * __Give “Jaws” a Hand…__**

(Well, maybe not literally.)

But in fact shark species worldwide are in dire need of help. In 40 years, several populations have declined by as much as 80 percent.

The result? An ecological imbalance on the Blue Planet.

The public is in the dark on the important role sharks play. They're top predators -- a dominator -- in the world's oceans. They're part of a complex system of marine checks and balances.

One example: Fewer sharks have led to a decline in Australia's lobster fishing. Why? Because with sharks fewer, octopuses have more than picked up the slack.

The fishing industry has had a withering effect on shark poulations, eliminating some 73 million sharks per year. Shark reproductive patterns play a role. Most shark species don't mature sexually until their early teens -- later than most ocean animals. And unlike most fish, which produce millions of eggs a year, sharks produce only two to six pups a year. So why is it that sharks continue to take a bad rap compared to other marine species such as whales and dolphins? Movies like 'Jaws' don't help, but, in fact, sharks aren't so hazardous to humans. More people are killed by falling coconuts each year than by sharks, but hunts to eliminate deadly palm trees are few.

Seems there are just some times that data don't make a dent, and this is one of them.