Shark Fishing Essay Topics

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Sharks are some of the most feared predators by humans and of course my favorite animal. Their numbers are becoming dangerously close to extinction. The elimination of sharks would affect our entire ecosystem in ways we cannot even fathom. The biggest cause for the decline in shark population is shark fishing. Shark fishing is “the practice of cutting of the shark’s fins and throwing the still living shark back into the sea to die.” (Kettles) My goal is to explain how shark finning, which will lead to the extinction of sharks, will effect our environment and discuss the importance of their conservation.
As I mentioned earlier shark fishing is a cruel and inhumane practice by humans of cutting the fins off of live sharks. This wasteful technique uses about 1 percent of the sharks total body weight. Shark finning has been going on for thousands of years, but with the demand growing and the black market prices rising we are finding ourselves scrambling to try to help conserve our sharks.
The Ecologist posted an article by Nick Kettles Revealed: How Demand for Shark Fin Soup Fuels Bloody Harvest tells of the large amount of shark blood shed for the Chinese delicacy, shark fin soup. There are many efforts being set up to help the conservation of sharks but many fall short. One of the many reasons for this is that people flat out fear sharks. Why would they want to help an animal that has been portrayed as a dangerous and seeking to kill humans? The author of Jaws makes a point in saying he had no idea the impact his book and film would make on todays beachgoers. This attitude towards sharks needs to stop for shark conservation efforts to really take off.
Although many people fear sharks, almost a quarter of a million pe...

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...involved is to dive with sharks if you get the opportunity. Mentioned earlier was the importance of tourism on people’s views of sharks. Once out in the open with the creatures the divers will begin to care and want to see sharks protected. Another way is to speak out. Tell others about all the myths surrounding sharks, write articles to local newspapers, or contact community and government officials about your concerns. Sign petitions that will help to put a ban on shark finning and shark trade. Thousands of people are protesting against Western Australia’s Shark Cull. Carl Meyer defines a shark cull in Western Australia’s Shark Culls Lack Bite (and science) as the process of removing sharks from one area by capturing them or shooting them due to fear of attacks. Many are participating in protests because these actions will further diminish the shark population.

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