Professor Puppy reporting on Shark Baiting and other concerns

I, Professor Ruffles, would like to talk to you today about Internet rumors, social phenomenon, networking, and googling (as the kids call it). Earlier today, my two-legs received an unsolicited invitation on “Facebook” (an increasingly popular online social networking site and known time sink) to join a group called “Stop the usage of dogs as live bait for sharks!” My two-legs just ignored the request, as he does most of the requests and invites he gets (he is not terribly social but he is learning), I decided to hit up Google and see what I could learn.

http://www.google.com/search?q=baiting+sharks+with+dogs

The first hit is a to a National Geographic article written 4 years ago that appears to have gotten this whole thing started. This is the most oft quoted article and contains the bulk of information. It tells the story of a film crew for Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis (the Thirty Million Friends Foundation) who traveled to Réunion, a small French-controlled island off the southeast coast of Madagascar in the India Ocean. They found a few accounts of this happening, mostly local independent fisherman. They took photo and video, the most widely circulated is a 1min 10sec clip of a rescued 4-legs at a vet getting fixed up. The article also looks at the French government’s response and public outcry. The government believes it to be isolated incidents and reiterate that this practice is against the law and will not be tolerated. The article goes on to describe one local fisherman who was arrested and fined €5,000. Then there is information about petitions you can sign, organizations offering rewards, and other “What you can do” info at the end.

The next hit is Snopes.com. Snopes is a “urban legends reference page” that looks at rumors and legends and attempts to view them from a skeptical rational eye. I would deem them as pretty good at what they do but, like everyone, they can be wrong. In our case, they are mostly just unhelpful. The article has not been updated since 2005 (shortly after the NG article aired) and contains most of the same info. It also contains a letter from the US French Embassy reiterating France’s stance on the practice. Their stance (in case you forgot) is they are against it.

Further down the page we have links to the video I mentioned earlier. There are also links to various blogs, forums, and websites. Most tend to have the same information, peppered with moral outrage, and of course, the photo of the 4-legs with the snout piercing (which I opted to not repost here out of respect for my reader’s tummies). There are also a handful of petitions you can opt to sign.

For whatever reason, there appears to have been a surge of interest recently. Many blogs and forum postings are from early/mid June of 2009. My thought is that the Facebook group (I do not have an account so I cannot tell when the group was created) rekindled the interest of this unfortunate story and now you two-legs are just hurling the same outdated information around. As far as this young pup can tell this is a barbaric practice perpetuated by a small, deranged subset of local fisherman in a remote part of the world.

Here is what I think you two-legs should go out an do: find these monsters, stick hooks through their ankles, drag them through the ocean and see how they like it. Nothing. “Nothing?” Well, nothing in a loose sense of the word. Petitions and groups expressing your outrage and concern on a practice last reported to have happened in 2005 is all well and good but little can be done with that. The practice has already been banned. It is not accepted by the government. “Well,” you say, “I want the government to step up its enforcement.” Yes, that would be nice. However, the police (even the French police) cannot be everywhere at once. They certainly cannot be constantly trolling the waters of the Indian ocean in the dead of night (when it is said the fisherman set their traps for sharks). Even if they could, that is a great deal of petrol to burn. Besides, these people are criminals. Not just ordinary criminals but insane, heartless criminals with no regard for life (no matter the species). These people generally cannot be reasoned with, and any fine you give them will just make them work harder at baiting sharks to pay off the fine. I hear you say, “We could kill them.” Yes. Yes we could.

The most sensible, and least glamorous, is to stop the demand. Sharks fetch a high price in many markets and are often seen as a delicacy. Having never had shark, I would not know. And I plan to never know. I will not eat shark. “What if it is killed humanely?” you ask. My answer is probably still no. With so many other delicious things to eat why would I want shark? “But Ruffles,” you query, “I’m just one person. How do I get everyone to not eat shark.” Aha, therein is one of the thorny problems of this greater issue. Do you have the right to tell others what to do? And if so, where does the line end?

Indeed you two-legs often get upset by reports of people eating 4-legs or other animals you deem too cuddly to simply be eaten. However, other parts of the world have not had the same relationship with four-legs as most Western countries have had. To some, we are just another animal. But bear in mind, our practices in Western culture are not all sunshine and rainbows. Can you guess which creature that American two-legs eat a couple times a week is actually revered as a sacred animal. The cow! And what crazy sect of two-legs society believes the cow to be symbol of the earth? Hindus! I do not think Americans would react too kindly if Hindus started sending them letters and emailing petitions to stop eating our bovine brethren.

Two-legs and four-legs have come a long way since we domesticated each other. We have learned and loved our way through many millennia and we continue to grow closer every day. The world is not perfect. It never has been, it never will be. The “good” of the world is always marred by the few agents of “evil”. That will continue. All we can all do is be as morally upright as we can and encourage others (through open dialogue, good works, and brotherhood) to do the same. The Internets are a starting point but it is how you conduct yourself in reality that really matter.

Aside:
A few of the petitions I ran across felt like scams. One asked for an email password in addition to your email address (typically this is so they can then spam your contact list). Others just looked odd. Just a reminder that there are a number of derelicts out on the tubes that are not there for the good of world and just looking for a way to make some $$$. Prof. Puppy out. (I will post something more uplifting tomorrow hopefully)