This petition is aimed at bringing to light the rapid decline in the shark population and creating a bill to protect the sharks that need to be protected. While some endangered sharks are protected under the Endangered Species Act, not all of them are.Sharks play a crucial role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems, and their loss could have devastating effects on ocean biodiversity. In the past 50 years, the shark population has declined by more than 70%. Scientists believe that there will be no more sharks by the end of 2040! We must act now to create legislation that will protect these incredible creatures from overfishing and ensure their survival for generations to come.

As apex predators, sharks play an important role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems, mainly regulating the populations of other marine species. By controlling the abundance of their prey, sharks indirectly influence the entire food web, helping to maintain biodiversity and ecological stability. So by preventing larger fish species, they also help to preserve the health of lower trophic levels, which includes organisms like phytoplankton and marine-worms. Furthermore, sharks target weak and sick individuals, which helps to strengthen the gene pool of their prey species. Additionally, their scavenging behavior helps to clean up and recycle nutrients in the ocean, contributing to nutrient cycling and the overall health of marine environments. 

Mako sharks are an example of why protective legislation is important. Mako sharks were put on the endangered species list in 2018. In 2022 they were no longer endangered, and removed from the list. Now they’re being overfished again and becoming endangered but aren’t protected by the Endangered Species Act again. 

Even without one species of shark, the ecosystem could be completely messed up, since mako sharks could eat some prey that other sharks won’t. If it seems small that one species goes extinct, it’s not. Even one species could cause the food chain to completely collapse and change how different species interact with each other, which might lead to more overpopulation or underpopulation in the aquatic ecosystem.

Please sign this petition to urge lawmakers to introduce and pass a bill that will stop shark overfishing immediately!