Shark Finning

Sustainable solutions for shark finning

Sustainable solutions for shark finning are needed to keep the ocean healthy. By not eating shark fin soup or anything that includes shark fins, this will stop drawing attention to the sellers of shark fins. Also raising awareness to this situation by using setting up organizations like WWF, Sea Sheppard and Wild Aid or spreading the message on social media. Banning shark finning or introducing new stricter laws for shark finning can reduce the amount of killed sharks each year. New Zealand had banned shark finning along with the other 100 countries like Australia and Canada that have already banned shark finning. There are many solutions for shark finning which will work really well if it is obeyed.

Shark Finning

Main Causes of Shark Finning

Negative consequences of shark finning

-high value in the market

- environment

Banning shark finning sign

One of the main cause of shark finning is that they have high value in the market; 0.45kg of fins are worth around $300. On average 100 million sharks are killed each year for just their fins. The fins are only kept from the shark, as it is the most valuable part of the shark. Any shark will be finned despite of its appearance like the species, size or age it is. Shark specialists have estimated that on average 100 million sharks are killed for their fins every year. Overall the high value that shark fins have cause them to be targeted and they have the risk of becoming extinct.

The negative impacts shark fining have on the environment is the number of sharks that are kill each year disturbing the marine life. 70-100 million sharks per year have their fins cut off and are chucked back into the ocean to die in an un-peaceful way. Sharks keep the food chains in balance and the ocean depends on them for stability. Sharks are apex predators so they are at the top of the food chain; they have slow growth and late maturity, which makes them in danger to overfishing and decreasing population. The population of sharks has decreased globally by 70-80% and if shark finning continues in 10-20 years sharks could be extinct. Sharks contribute to the stable marine life the ocean has and by killing sharks it disturbs the food chains and marine life.

Main Causes of Shark Finning

- Shark fin soup

Food chain of the ocean

How is shark finning a sustainability issue?

Amount of the shark that is used.

Hundreds of shark fins drying in the sun.

The other main cause of shark finning is that it is used for shark fin soup. Shark fin soup is made for traditional cultural reasons mostly Asian and served for special occasions like weddings. Shark fin soup represents wealth as it costs about $100 for just one bowl of soup. It is served mostly in Asia but also England and Britain offer shark fin soup as well. The fins only give texture to the soup and the broth makes up the taste so the fins are really not needed for the soup. Shark fin soup is very valuable but also causes the decreasing population of sharks.

Negative consequences of shark finning

- People

Shark fin soup

Shark Finning

The negative impact shark finning has on humans is that the fins can be very harmful to the body and could potentially kill them. Shark fins contain mercury and other toxins, which can cause disruption to the nervous system and damage many other parts of the human body. Eating shark fins in any form like pills, soup and drinks are scientifically proven to be unhealthy as it contains toxic mercury. Fins of a shark are not necessary, as it bring no benefits to humans apart from showing that you are wealthy.

Shark finning is when the shark fins are cut off the shark and then the shark is thrown back into the water left to die. The shark is alive when this process happens and it is pretty gruesome, the shark is discarded back into the ocean alive unable to swim since the shark now has no fins. The shark sinks down to the bottom of the sea while getting eaten by other fish, and rotting on the bottom of the sea.

References

Shark fin cut of the shark

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/sharks-are-in-trouble/the-impact-of-the-shark-fin-trade/

http://fin-free.com/factsheets/top-reasons-to-ban-the-fin/

http://www.seashepherd.org/operation-requiem/why-we-need-sharks.html

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/the-value-of-sharks/sharks-role-in-the-ocean/

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/our-programs/i-m-finished-with-fins/learn-more/shark-fin-soup-harms-our-oceans/

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/help-stop-shark-finning/

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/anti-shark-finning-campaigns/

http://www.sharktrust.org/en/celebrity_supporters

http://www.asianewsnet.net/Philippine-Airlines-hailed-for-ban-on-shark-fin-ca-59646.html

http://www.sharktrust.org/en/news/article/370/stronger-shark-finning-ban-clears-final-hurdle-in-eu.html

http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htm

http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/shark-finning-sharks-turned-prey

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/shark-finning.htm

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/videos/

http://sharkangels.org/index.php/issues-facing-sharks/shark-fin-soup

http://www.sharktrust.org/en/shark_fin_trade

http://www.seashepherd.org/operation-requiem/a-toxic-treat.html

http://www.livescience.com/18636-shark-fin-soup-neurotoxin.html

http://fin-free.com/factsheets/top-reasons-to-ban-the-fin/

http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/the-value-of-sharks/sharks-and-ecotourism/

http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/campaigns/shark-finning-new-zealands-shame

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/shark-finning.htm

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11311831

Shark laying dead on the bottom of the ocean after being finned.

Sustainable solutions for shark finning

The process of shark finning is very cruel and it only happens to satisfy human’s desires. First of all to catch the sharks long line fishing is used, which is a commercial fishing technique when the main line has other lines coming off it with hooks attached, are spaced out along the line. The sharks are pulled in regardless of their species, size or age, sharks hang over the side of the boat while they get clubbed and stabbed to weaken them. The fins are cut off the shark by a large knife. After that the sharks are chucked overboard back into the sea where they have a slow death as the shark cannot swim it is eaten by other sharks. 8,000 tons of shark fins are shipped around the world to fulfill consumer’s request. The devastating process of shark finning only occurs to complete the craves of people to make medicine and food.

Long line fishing - how it works

By: Megan Gordon