Comment from Van de Pas, Grace
Grace Van de PasOpposeIndividual
Summary: The commenter, who identifies as an avid diver, opposes the proposed action because they believe it will lead to an increase in the taking of apex predators like sharks. They argue that sharks are essential for ocean biodiversity and that the proposal favors corporate interests over the preservation of wildlife.
Shark fishermen are not the only people impacted, fishermen are not the only people who are impacted, ALL people are impacted by this threat to the sharks in our Atlantic waters.
As an avid diver, I travel where I can find sharks. Not just because I enjoy diving with them, but because I know there is a greater diversity of life in the areas with them. For those of us who love diving, who love the ocean, and love seeing biodiversity thrive in the most critical ecosystem of all, having sharks is essential.
Any increase from our already lax limits on taking of apex predators is a huge mistake, and with the advisory of only special interest groups, NOAA is considering taking away the wildlife from the people and giving them to corporations for sport fishing and commercial fishing when they are invaluable in their live state as regulators of our ocean ecosystems