Shark finning is a global issue, one that is depleting our oceans of the highly misunderstood shark species. Ever since the novel and movie 'Jaws' was released the public was hit with the image of a senseless, taste for human blood, evil, monster.
But the more you read, the more you understand that sharks are not the monsters they are made out to be. And it is only until more people understand this, that more people will be horrified at the slow torturous deaths sharks go through via shark finning, commercial by-catch, and sport/game fishing. Commerical fishing, whether by trawl, net or longline, brings up something in the order of 100 million tonnes of sharks per year, much of which is discarded as unwanted bycatch.
Waste and cruelty apart, these exploitation practices are unsustainable due to the slow reproductive cycle and biology of sharks. Sharks are not only targeted for their meat, but their oil, cartilage, fins and for the aquarium trade as well. The most wasteful of the above is finning, the valuable fins are carved from the animal which is then thrown back into the sea, still alive, to sink and drown. It can take up to several weeks for a shark to eventually die.
The demand, and therefore problem, is China. Due to their demand, mostly poorer countries take on the fishing responsibilities in order to export and get paid, these countries include: Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Spain, the United States (not many know this), Pakistan, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, France, the UK, NZ, Portugal, Iran, Nigeria, Brazil and Korea.
If you are from any of these countries I strongly suggest that you write to your governments to show that you oppose it. But the real problem is China, because as long as there is demand, there will be fishing. Shark fins used to be eaten by royalty in China, it showed high status as well as the completely wrong belief that you could gain the sharks strength and vitality and an immunity to cancer (even though sharks are susceptible to types of cancer.)
This centuries old belief is still permeated in society, even though it is available in even the cheapest Chinese restaurant these days. This perception needs to be changed before all of the shark species become endangered and then extinct. I suggest checking out your local Chinese restaurant to see if they sell it (can sometimes be translated as 'fish wing soup') and explain to them the eco-problems that arise from shark finning, because some simply do not know the damage being done to the environment.
There are many anti shark finning websites, save the shark websites and shark research websites out there that would appreciate your support and donations. From your chair you can send emails to necessary governments, and you can take action by organising legal protests outside restaurants selling shark products.
Sharks are being driven to the brink of extinction. Please help them.
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