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Sharks are a top predator of the ocean. However, sharks are a target
for humans. Shark finning is the process of cutting off a shark’s
fins while it is still alive and throwing the shark back into the
ocean where it will die. After getting their fins cut off, some sharks
can starve to death, get eaten by other fish or drown to death.
Fishermen hunt shark fins because the value of the fins are worth
more than the rest of the body. Shark fins can sell for $650 a
kilogram. Shark finning is illegal in many parts of the world. The
consequences of shark finning as led to the decline of sharks in the
world.
Fishing for Sharks
Shark fin soup originated in 968 AD by an emperor from the Sung
Dynasty. The emperor created shark fin soup to display his wealth,
power and generosity towards his guest. Serving shark fin soup
was seen as a show of respect. Chinese Emperors thought the dish
had medicinal benefits. Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in
Asian countries. Shark fin soup is commonly served at weddings
because the hosts show can show their guest their wealth. Today,
the price of a bowl of shark fin soup can cost $100. The price can
vary because of the type and style of shark fin served.
(SharkTruth)
History of Shark Finning
The Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000, was signed by former
President Bill Clinton. This act prohibited the process of shark finning in
the United States. This bans anyone in the United States jurisdiction from
shark finning, owning shark fins without the shark’s body, and landing
shark fins without the body. This act also has NOAA (National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries to give Congress a report
detailing efforts to implement the act. The Shark Conservation Act of 2010
was signed by former President Barack Obama. This act requires all sharks
in the United States to be brought to shore with their fins naturally
attached. (NOAA Fisheries). According to the PEW Research Center, in
2009, Palau created the first shark sanctuary. In 2015, areas in the Pacific
Ocean have joined together to create the first regional sanctuary in
Micronesia. As of 2016, there are 17 shark sanctuaries around the world.
(PEW Charitable Trusts)
Protection Towards Sharks Importance of Sharks
Sharks play an important role in the ecosystem. Sharks maintain the
species below them in the ecosystem and serve as a health indicator for the
ocean. The decrease of sharks in the oceans has led to the decline of coral
reefs, sea grass beds, and the loss of commercial fisheries. Without sharks
in the ecosystem, other predators can thrive. For example, groupers can
increase in numbers and eat herbivores. When the number of herbivores
decrease, macro-algae expands and coral cannot compete, letting algae
dominate the ecosystem. (Oceana)
References
Fairclough, Caty. “Shark Finning: Sharks Turned Prey.” Smithsonian Ocean.
August 2013. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:
https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/shark-finning-sharks-turned-prey
Geiling, Natasha. “Save the Sharks by Swimming With Them.” Smithsonian.com.
14 August 2014. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/save-sharks-swimming-them-
180952302/
“History of Shark Fin Soup.” Shark Truth. Accessed December 9th, 2018.
Retrieved from: http://www.sharktruth.com/learn/history-of-shark-fin-soup/
“Sharks.” WildAid. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:
https://wildaid.org/programs/sharks/
“Shark Conservation Act.” NOAA Fisheries. 24 January 2018. Accessed
December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/laws-and-policies/shark-conservation-act
“Shark Fin Trade.” Shark Truth. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:
http://www.sharktruth.com/learn/shark-finning/
“Shark Sanctuaries Around the World: Protecting the shark population.” PEW
Charitable Trusts. 18 March 2016. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved
from:https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-
sheets/2016/03/shark-sanctuaries-around-the-world
“The Importance of Sharks: In the Ecosystem” Oceana. Accessed December 9th,
2018. Retrieved from: https://eu.oceana.org/en/importance-sharks
“What is Shark Finning?” www.stopsharkfinning.net. Accessed December 9th,
2018. Retrieved from: http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/what-is-shark-finning/
Tiana Barron-Wright
Shark Finning
A bowl of traditional shark fin soup. (bionicgrrrl,
Flickr)
Population of Sharks
An estimated 100 million sharks are killed worldwide each year.
More than 70 species of sharks are endangered. According to the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the smooth
hammerhead shark and the scalloped hammerhead shark are two
species of endangered sharks. Between 1.3 and 2.7 millions of
these species are killed each year because of shark finning.
Around 73 million sharks are killed for shark fin soup. More
than 50% of shark fin trade in the world occurs in Hong Kong.
Today, the populations of sharks have decreased between 60-
70% because of human fisheries. (Fairclough, 2013)
This picture shows a
fisherman cutting of the
fin of a hammerhead
shark in the process of
shark finning. (Shark
Stewards)
The picture above shows a ship holding a large number of shark fins
on a ship and the amount of sharks impacted by the process of shark
finning. (EcoWatch)
The picture above shows shark sanctuaries around the world. The
top half of the picture illustrates the location. The bottom lists the
locations, sizes, and establishments of the shark sanctuaries. (The
PEW Charitable Trusts).
Tourism According to the University of British Columbia, shark tourism earns
around $314 million annually. The shark tourism industry is expected
to reach a total of $780 million annually over the next 20 years. John
Vater, the head of Ceviche Tours, founded the Whale Shark Festival.
At this festival, tourist can swim with whale sharks. Shark tourism
have whale sharks has the attraction because of their large size, slow
movements, and proximity to the surface. Whale sharks are filter
feeders that swim close to the surface to feed on plankton. Other
species of sharks have received attention as well. For example, great
white sharks have been spotted in New England. Areas in Cape Cod
have noticed an increase in shark tourism. (Geiling,2014)
.
Sharks play a huge part in the ecosystem. This picture shows how
sharks maintain the species below them in the food chain. (Shark
Business)
Shark tourism
is a popular
attraction in
some areas.
The decrease
of sharks can
negatively
affect shark
tourism.
(CNN)
Shark finning is practice of cutting of shark fins while the shark is
still alive. After the fins are cut off, the shark is thrown back in the
water alive. Some sharks starve to death, get eaten by other fish or
drown. Sharks drown because they need to keep moving to have
water flow through gills to receive oxygen. Without fins, the sharks
will drown. (www.sharkfinning.net). The fins compose less than
5% of the body but have more financial value. Shark fins can be
worth up to $650 USD per kilogram. The pectoral fin of a whale
shark can be worth up to $50,000 USD. The pectoral fin of a
basking shark can be worth up to $50,000 USD. However, the rest
of the body has less financial value, costing around 0.89$ USD per
kilogram. Shark finning requires less space on boats because
fishermen do not have to transport the entire shark. (SharkTruth)
Financial Value of Shark Fins
This picture was taken on January 2nd, 2013 in Hong Kong, one of the
biggest markets for shark fins. There are different types of shark fins
on the boat, depicting the importance of the fins. (Antony Dickenson)
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