Today’s #manomonday comes from Guy, who wants to know how shark economy/ecotourism can help our country, which is right up @oneoceandiving’s alley.... ——————————————————————————— I want to quickly touch on the differences between the terms ‘shark ecotourism’ & ‘shark economy’. I’m betting Guy was referring to ecotourism, so let’s first explore shark economy. Shark economy can be anything in which there is monetary gain garnered from a shark- be it from ecotourism or from something far less jawsome like selling parts of murdered sharks for profit: shark cartilage, shark teeth, shark meat, etc. The darker side of this shark economy, though while providing jobs, destroys the ocean ecosystem, compromises our oceanic food sources, & even the air we breathe. Pretty high price to pay. In some places though, there is no other option. I’ve been mentioning them a lot, but @projecthiu is working to solve the shark economy crisis in other countries by finding alternate ways of survival for small villages, in part by encouraging ecotourism over fishing. In this country however, there are more widespread options for economic stability available so we have the luxury of focusing more on just the brighter side- shark ecotourism. And to see the positive impact shark ecotourism has, we need look no further than @oneoceandiving. Pioneers in demonstrating that you can respect the ocean while making money & a difference all at once- this company has provided jobs, created merchandise lines (more jobs/commerce), hosted community beach clean-ups, changed countless perceptions on sharks while providing tools for folks to get involved themselves, & unequivocally proving that sharks are worth so much more alive than dead. To sum up, in the United States shark ecotourism is beneficial by providing jobs, stimulating commerce, protecting apex predators responsible for a healthy ocean, getting people involved in caring for said ocean, & educating people on a once unknown & terrifying animal of the deep; which in turn allows for a greater connection to, & understanding of, our world & even ourselves. ——————————————————————————— Post @trumermaid Video @oceanramsay feat. @jaymgreiner