The Scratch' Post

A Valley resident recently walked into a shop and was dismayed to find rows upon rows of shark babies and fetuses in jars for sale. Beneath these were shelves stocked full of decapitated baby alligator heads - also for sale as souvenirs. The store also boasted bin after bin full of seashells.
You may be cringing at the idea of the dead sharks and alligators but wondering what’s so wrong with seashells?
Well, if you’re spending the day on the beach, getting some exercise and enjoying the outdoors while you collect shells you find empty - nothing.
But what a lot of people don’t know is that when you see seashells for sale in bulk at a store, those animals did not go through the natural life cycle, nor die of natural causes like predation or age.
The tiny, delicate, beautiful little animals that create those shells you see in bulk shops don’t even come from the wild. They’re farmed, for only one purpose and its not to eat. These animals are bred and then slaughtered for the sole purpose of providing tourists with their skeletons.
Sounds more like the typical excessive, callous overconsumption that seems to be the hallmark of the times, doesn’t it? It’s the same for all those alligator babies that were created for the sole purpose of slaughter so their heads could be sold as paper weights.
Imagine, doing that to an animal so you’re papers don’t blow away. And not just one animal. Thousands upon thousands. And why? Because people will buy them. It’s the law of supply and demand.
The shark babies in the jar bother me the most because sharks are being overfished everywhere in the world and they are one of the most vital members of our planet. No sharks in the ocean equals no humans on the planet. That important.
 And nearly every shark species is considered either threatened our outright endangered. So how are they still ending up in jars for sale as souvenirs??
The next time you see these types of souvenirs in a store speak up! Say something to management about how environmentally irresponsible it is. Urge them to go green.
And tell all your friends, family and neighbors. Make sure they know not to purchase these types of items. Encourage them to collect shells naturally on the beach, shells that have completed a natural life cycle. Educate them about the importance of protecting sharks in our oceans.
Help alleviate the demand and there will be no need for the supply.