[jsmth321]

We also need to keep in mind that many species of sharks have a slow reproductive cycle, Great Whites for example are beleived to take 12-14 years for a female to reach sexual maturity, and will produce 5 to 10 pups which science beleive take over one year gestation with briths happening every 2 to 3 years.

So removing any white sharks from the ocean can have a devestating affect on this species.

Thankfully New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and California have chosen to protect this wonderful animal in their coastal waters and economic zones, who has a bad reputation not from what it has done but from a hollywood movie that makes this shark appear to be an angry man killing machine out waiting to kill the next human when in reality very few humans are killed by this shark and pose little threat to us, yet we pose a huge threat to it.

People just dont seem to realize the damage we humans are doing to the worlds oceans from over fishing to pollution and everything in between.

Remember close to 50% of our planets oxygen comes from the ocean, without a healthy ocean our very existence is also in danger.

No doubt the great white has killed and attacked humans but its generally a mistake of identity since surfers in wetsuits resemble a seal to a shark. Since 1876 (yes 1876!) there have only been 65 deaths due to great whites, and only 242 attacks. Humans have likely killed and attacked far more great whites then vice versa.

Montery Bay Aquarium keeps great whites from time to time before releasing them back into the ocean, (no aquarium has had success keeping them for longer then 16 days) Monterey Bay keeps them in a 1 million gallon outer bay exihibit. Last shark was kept for 10 days due to feeding refusal, prior sharks have been kept for 6 1/2, 4 1/2 and 5 months before being released back into the ocean. They are an amazing animal to see up close. ( I saw my first at Sea World San Diego back in the 1990's)