Sharks

Sharks, the apex predators of our oceans numbers are decreasing.  Various reasons can be given for this, but it all comes down to us humans killing them for our own consumption.  It makes me sick to my stomach when you realize how brutally these animals are killed.  One of the most inhumane practices is finning.  With this method the fins gets hacked off and the living body gets thrown back into the ocean.  The sharks either starve to death, are eaten alive by other fish, or drown.  According to some estimates, between 50 and 100 million sharks are killed each year.  Many of these sharks are “unintended bycatch”, but still get sold at the markets.  Sharks are especially vulnerable to overfishing because they grow slowly and produce few young.

A little more on shark fin soup:

While shark fin has no flavor and very little nutritional value, it does provide texture to soup, not to mention handsome profits to an industry estimated to be worth $500 million per year. Fins are dried, de-skinned, boiled and sometimes bleached, and then made into soup by the addition of chicken or fish stock, which provides the flavor. The fins of certain species are considered more valuable because of the length and thickness of the “fin needles” that they contain.

Until the 1980s, the consumption of shark fin soup was discouraged in China. However, the Chinese government relaxed its attitude towards what had been seen as an elitist dish, and consumption soared. Mainland China is now the world’s biggest end-market for shark fin: the effect on shark populations has been disastrous.

A bowl of shark fin soup can sell for as much as $100. Because of its perceived value, serving shark fin soup at private functions is a way of honoring one’s guests and signaling one’s wealth and status. Chinese people frequently express the view that no self-respecting host would ever leave shark fin soup off the menu, particularly at weddings and other important social functions, for fear of losing face.

Why do we need to protect sharks:

• Many shark species are strongly endangered and some are even on the brink of extinction.
• Sharks are highly specialized wild animals that play a very important role in the marine ecosystem.
• Sharks help to maintain a healthy marine fisheries environment by mostly preying on the sick, injured weak or diseased.