Out of the mouths of babes

I love talking to kids. They have an innate sense of social responsibility and a perspective on our natural world that‘s refreshingly honest. Kids are just dumbfounded by how many adults and people in positions of power treat living creatures, wild spaces and the environment—and for good reason.

Rhincodon typus Whale shark Recreational snorkelers playing with (or harrassing) La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico © Erkki Siirilä / WWF-Canon

I was recently reminded of these special traits when I spoke with my daughter, Sophie’s, grade four/five class about sharks. The students have been studying sharks as part of a larger unit on habitats. They’ve done research projects, read books and watched documentaries, including Shark Water.
I wanted to find out what they thought about sharks, and see if there was anything I could learn from them.
As soon as I started asking questions, I was impressed by all the arms that shot up in the air; a class full of children eager to talk about sharks, why these creatures get a bad rep and why we need to protect them.

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) stored in shallow water before slaughtering seen underwater from above. Pamilacan Island, Philippines © Jürgen Freund / WWF-Canon

Here are eight things to know about sharks from the grade four/five class at Garden Ave. public school in Toronto.
1. Sharks don’t like the taste of humans. It’s true. When sharks bite, it’s nearly always because they are curious, or they mistake a human for prey, such as a seal.
2. “People mostly don’t care enough about sharks because they are afraid of them and think they are dangerous and evil.” That’s what several kids pointed out, adding: “Sharks are dangerous like any animal but they are not bad.”
3. You are more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head than by a shark. True again. Here’s another sad but accurate fact one child pointed out: “Human beings kill more human beings than sharks kill people.”
4. If we don’t have enough sharks, the ocean ecosystem is out of balance. Sharks eat the small fish that eat phytoplankton in our oceans, and if there aren’t enough sharks, there will be too many fish eating phytoplankton and there won’t be enough oxygen in our oceans.
Jarrett Corke, WWF Canada’s shark project co-ordinator, adds that “many shark species are top predators and they help to keep our ocean world in check. The removal of such animals, especially at the rate we are removing them in some parts of the world, may have far reaching consequences on life in the oceans.”
5. Many sharks are killed accidently as bycatch, caught by fishing equipment that is not intended to capture them. Jarrett confirms that bycatch is, in fact, the no. one cause of death for sharks killed in Canadian waters.
6. Shark finning is like cutting off a person’s arms and legs. It’s cruel and if we wouldn’t do it to another human, we shouldn’t do it to sharks.
7.  Sharks are like people: some may look scary but that doesn’t mean they are not nice, or not afraid of us, too.
8. People shouldn’t spread bad rumours about sharks, it’s just not nice. Jarrett adds, “that’s true and it’s hurting our ability to sufficiently protect these animals.” He adds that movies, such as Jaws, that portray sharks as meanacing creatures have had a big significant, negative impact on sharks and conservationists’ work to help them thrive.
How you can help: You can support WWF Canada’s shark work by making a donation to our shark campaign, and helping us spread the word about this species on Facebook and Twitter.