Sharks are Being Hunted to Extinction

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Recommended: Negative impact of wildlife on human life

According to Animal Planet, sharks, on average, kill ten humans per year, while humans kill eighty-eight to one hundred million sharks per year. Humans hunt sharks for their meat, internal organs, skin, and primarily for their fins in order to make products such as lubricants, make-up, and mainly shark fin soup. The growing Chinese economy has cause an increase in the demand for shark fin soup. Some species of sharks have reduced over 90% in population for a bowl of soup that has no scientifically proven nutritional value. The poaching of sharks as seen in the shark fin trade should cease because it causes a collapse of the marine ecosystem and endangers the shark species.
Shark finning began as a Chinese tradition around six-hundred years ago. (Techera 602) In Chinese culture, eating shark fin soup signifies a person’s wealth and status. According to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, when Fishermen hunt and catch sharks, they cut off their fins regardless if their alive or not. (The Brutal Business) Fishermen do not keep the whole body of the shark because it is considered valueless and there is limited space of the fishing boats. (Ling) So most of the sharks are thrown back into the ocean, where they are unable to swim without their fins. Furthermore, the sharks will bleed out and/or get eaten by other marine animals. (Verlecar 1078) Verlecar reports that sharks fins are being sold for more than seven hundred dollars per kilogram. (Verlecar 1078) Close to one-hundred and twenty-five countries are involved in the industry of shark fins. (Verlecar 1078) As reported by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, “…the oceans are literally being scoured clean of sharks…Poachers are invading national marine parks like the Galapagos ...

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....p., Web. 28 Jan. 2014. .
"The Brutal Business of Shark Finning."Shark Finning - Sea Shepherd. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. .
Ling, Lisa . "Shark fin soup alters an ecosystem." CNN. Cable News Network, 15 Dec. 2008 Web. 28 Jan. 2014. .
Techera, Erika J. "Fishing, Finning and Tourism: Trends in Pacific Shark Conservation and Management." International Journal of Marine & Coastal Law 27.4 (2012): 597- 621.Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
Verlecar, X. N., et al. "Shark Hunting -- An Indiscriminate Trade Endangering Elasmobranchs to Extinction." Current Science (00113891) 92.8 (2007): 1078-1082. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

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