 |
| Shark Fins on Board a Ship
Shark finning has been happening for centuries. It is the process of removing a shark’s fins and discarding its mutilated body back into the ocean, where it will sink to the bottom and die. It is a cruel operation that is still practiced today and threatens more than 73 million sharks annually (Save our Seas 2014). This is due to the astronomical price of shark fins, especially in Asian markets. For example, one pectoral fin of a basking shark can cost up to $50,000 (Shark Truth 2014). These fins are used in a traditional eastern Asian dish, shark fin soup. Shark fin soup is regarded as a delicacy and a symbol of wealth and status in Asia, which is why finning has not halted even though sharks face extinction. Shark finning has become more commercialized since the economic boom in China in the early 2000s; this is due to increased household incomes, allowing more people to buy shark fin soup (Lo 2012). Shark finning is a dangerous practice that, if sustained, will lead to devastating ecological effects. Sharks are apex predators, like bears and wolves on land, and they eat dead and dying fish and other species to maintain a healthy ecosystem (Shark Truth 2014).
|
 |
| Finning diagram |
Works Cited:
Lo, B. (2012) Shark fin what’s all the fuss about? Youtube. Youtube. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLTQORmB9TY
Save Our Seas. (2014). How Many Sharks Are Caught Each Year? Save Our Seas. Save Our Seas Foundation. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://saveourseas.com/articles/how_many_sharks_are_caught_each_year
Shark Truth. (2014). Shark Fin Trade. Shark Truth. Shark Truth. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://www.sharktruth.com/learn/shark-finning/
