Why no uproar on shark killing?
A Swiss man, Joe Waldis, caught and killed a 1,056lb six gill shark off the Clare coast this week. Newspapers printed photos of the proud pensioner standing beside the huge hanging corpse of this "prize".
The day before, Mara Beo aquarium in Dingle proudly announced that it had bought four sand tiger sharks for display at the aquarium. Newspapers reported that tourism might increase as a result.
What is the passion we have for killing and capturing these magnificent creatures? How can we justify putting four huge, three-metre sharks in a small glass cage?
What benefits are there in killing a magnificent four-metre shark, purely for the thrill of killing it? The same treatment of a wild tiger or elephant would cause uproar.
Dolphins have long been captured and held in cruel environments all over the world and we flock to their prisons for a quick glimpse. A wild dolphin will live for about 45 years -- his cousin in captivity will be lucky to average five years! A wild dolphin will swim up to 100 miles every day -- his cousin would kill himself off the pool wall if he ever managed to get up to his full speed.
Compare their lives to Fungi, the wild dolphin of Dingle bay that has famously chosen to befriend his human neighbours for 30 years. If only he knew!
Ronan Quinlan
Broadway Road, Dublin 15
