To Shear a Shark

The finning of millions of sharks each year raises two very serious issues: firstly, the inhumane nature of the slaughtering, and secondly, the unsustainable rates which

sharks are being killed at.

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Distressing Details What is shark finning? - Shark finning is the action of cutting off the fins of a shark (often while it is still

alive) and discarding the body at sea.

Why does it occur?- There has been an increased demand for shark fins because of the booming

popularity of shark fin soup.- In far eastern cultures this is a major commodity. Serving shark fin soup

signifies wealth and prominence.- Sun-drying of fins requires low technology, making it an appealing means of

revenue in developing tropical countries.

Who’s involved in shark fining, and where? - Finning occurs worldwide and is most common in high seas fisheries where

long-line fishing is practiced.- Hong Kong is the world’s shark fin trading center, accounting for 50%-80% of all

fins traded worldwide.

The True Threats

38%

19%

32%

8%

3%

Beach Related Death' s in the USA

Boating Accident

Drowning

Driving to the Beach

Collapsed Sand Well

Shark Attack

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Please see reference numbers: 2,3,4 for data on this chart

Horrible Inhumanity • Sharks are often finned alive and their bodies are thrown back into the water. Once into the water they will suffer to death one of three ways:

1. Drowning- Sharks need to move for their gills to function. With no fins they cannot transfer oxygen from the water into their blood.

2. Eaten Alive- Sharks that have been finned cannot move and are eaten alive by other fish.

3. Starvation- If only the dorsal fin is cut off (top fin) a shark cannot swim straight and cannot catch enough food.

•Long-line fishing catches and injures many other species that are discarded because of their lesser value.

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Utterly Unsustainable

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• Finning is extremely wasteful- fins only account for 5% of a sharks body mass. Carcasses that are discarded could have provided significant amounts of protein, especially in developing nations.

• Developing countries such as, South Africa and Brazil, depend on shark meat as a source of protein are finding this subsistence based resource dwindling.

• Oceans make up approximately 2/3 of the earth’s surface, and within them sharks are the top predator; therefore, they control 2/3 of the earth’s surface via the food chain. The environmental impact of removing large numbers of sharks from the ocean ecosystem is complex and unpredictable. Removing the main predator is likely to have a damaging effect on marine ecosystems.

• Over the past 15 years some Atlantic shark populations have declined by up to 80%.

• Sharks are vulnerable to exploitation because their species grows slowly, mature late, and only produces a few pups in a lifetime. Reproduction rates of sharks remains relatively horizontal while the number being fished increases yearly.

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Depopulation

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10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2000 2001 2003 2004 2005

Amount Fished

Population

Nu

mb

er

of

Sh

ark

s (m

illio

ns)

*9The data from this chart is estimations calculated by the University of Florida. Notice how the amount of sharks being fished is increasing while the population remains relatively unchanged.

Present Protection

• Current protection for sharks and laws against fish finning are minimal.• Sharks are more difficult to protect due to their vicious portrayal in the

media and movies. People chose to advocate for more sociable species.• The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has developed

a n International Plan of Action (IPOA) for sharks. They have recognized the problem and are developing protection plans. The plans are voluntary. Implementation depends on the states independent fisheries are in.

• Organizations like Sea Sheppard are tracking the problems throughout the oceans. They intervene in international and in marine reserve waters. They also campaign for stricter protection laws.

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References Graphics:1. www.rogerhorrocks.com/storage/Tiger-Shark-Rog.com2. http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/Boating_Statistics_.pdf3. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/Statistics/beachattacks.htm4. http://www.seashepherd.org/longline/longline_shark_finning.html5. http://www.globalresponse.org/graphics/longline.jpg6. http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/08/man-bites-shark/7. www.all-creatures.org/hope/img/earth-light.jpg8. www.uae.gov.ae/.../Fisheries/img/fish5.jpg9. Http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/innews/sharkplunge2006.htm10. http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/Little-Mermaid-6-web.jpg11. http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h122/dclott/SeaShepherd1.jpg

Facts:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0116_030116_sharks_2.htmlhttp://www.sharktrust.org/content.asp?did=26881http://www.seashepherd.org/longline/http://www.adventure-life.com/articles/galapagos-update-3.php