WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderRockford diver: don't fear sharks

Rockford diver: don't fear sharks

By Bob Schaper

ROCKFORD (WREX) -- If you watch documentaries on sharks, like those on the Discovery Channel this week, you might think it's dangerous to go into the water. But a Rockford diver and shark fan says that's a misconception.

Thomas Sergent, who works for Shark Diver Magazine, has seen plenty of sharks up close. And he says if anyone should be afraid, it's the shark.

Sergent started diving when he was in the Marine Corps. Now, he's got plenty of shark dives under his belt, including a few to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. So far, he's never been afraid.

"Most shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity," he said. "It happens when the water is murky."

And even though this is "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel, with shows like "Blood in the Water" and "Great White "Appetite," Sergent wants people to know that sharks are the endangered species - not humans.

"There are only five shark attack fatalities on average per year," he said.

That's compared to an estimated 100 million shark deaths by humans, a number that's endangering many of the world's 375 shark species. In Asia, sharks are coveted for their fins, which are made into soup.

"Ninety percent of the world's shark population has been wiped out," Sergent said.

Restaurant owner Kiki Benson is a friend of Sergent. She refuses to serve shark or any other endangered species, but says other area restaurants may not be worried about conservation.

"I think being a good steward to the earth is probably not at the top of the list for a lot of the restaurateurs in town, so I think they probably don't care," she said.

Sergent visits Rockford classrooms and asks kids to sign pledges to save sharks. He calls them "Shark Ambassadors."