by Angela Williams

Created on: September 02, 2011

With over 100 million sharks dying each year, around 78 million of them are due to shark finning. Shark finning is an inhumane practice that needs to be stopped. Shark finning is defined as catching a shark and cutting off its fins and tossing the animal back into the ocean to die. The sharks fins are cut off while the shark is still alive. The body is then thrown back into the water to suffocate or be eaten by other fish.

Shark fins are used for many different reasons, the most common is shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. With the rise of upper class rising in countries like China, the demand for shark fin soup is at a high. Other uses for shark fins are for medical reasons such as fighting off cancers and protecting oneself from various of diseases. There is no scientific proof backing these allegations.

Having so many sharks dying each year poses a threat to our future. Sharks have been in the oceans for more than 400 million years. They have helped shape the evolution of our life. They maintain the balance of the ocean ecosystem. A fragile system that humans are destroying. With the decline of sharks, of its prey are able to start destroying the ecosystem. Phytoplankton is disappearing a lot faster now than what it did even 15 years ago. Many coral reefs are being destroyed by sharks prey because there is an abundant number of these animals to wreck havoc on the ecosystem. More jellyfish, squid and octopus are moving into more shallow and warmer waters because there are not enough sharks to keep the numbers down. Sharks are slow reproducing fish. A single female shark won't reach maturity until the age of 15 years old. She will become pregnant with up to 45 pups and after a year or longer of gestation, only one or two pups may survive.

The shark finning industry is a billion dollar industry. One pound of shark fins can bring in over 300 US dollars a pound. Sharks are caught illegally with the use of long lines in protected waters as well as open oceans. Only the fins of the shark are used, the rest of the shark is discarded. Finning does not discriminate, any species of shark may fall prey to this vicious act.

Experts have come to the conclusion that within a decade, many species of sharks will be extinct. There are many sharks on the IUCN red list, such as the Great White, Whale Shark and Giant Scalloped Hammerhead. Many of the shark species are marked as vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered.

Sadly, in international waters, there is no regulations for shark finning. Many countries are now starting to prohibit shark finning.    Hawaii was the first state to ban shark fin possession or the selling of shark fins in summer 2011. The state of California is trying to follow suit. Their bill goes to senate in the next few weeks. Hong Kong Disneyland took shark fin soup off their menu due to protesting and boycotts. Many celebrities and animal activist groups are rallying for the saving of our sharks. Several world wide celebrities have taken the I Pledge Not To Eat Shark Fin Soup campaign very seriously.

With the awareness raised and many voices fighting for sharks, perhaps one day, we will see the ban on shark finning and the rise of the populations of sharks.

Learn more about this author, Angela Williams.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.