Population Cycles Could Lead to Extinction

Shark Extinction

Shark finning could lead to extinction of sharks for another reason: shark reproductive cycles cannot compete with the rapid rate of shark finning. For some types of sharks, reproduction can take up to three and a half years (Shark Savers 2014). This only occurs after full maturation, which, especially for sharks involved in the shark fin trade, can take as long as 25 years (FAO 2014). Even then, most sharks do not produce more than 10-15 pups at a time (Du Plessis 2014). With increasingly efficient tools to practice shark finning, and the inefficient length of shark reproduction cycles, many experts predict that within the next decade sharks will become endangered and eventually extinct. For example, organizations such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have already put 18 species of sharks on the endangered species list (Sea Shepherd 2012).

Works Cited:

Du Plessis, W. (2014) Sharks Info. Sharks-Introduction. Sharks Info. Sharks Info. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.sharksinfo.com/

FAO Corporate Document Repository. (2013) Biological characteristics and reproductive potential of sharks. FAO Corporate Document Repository. FAO. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x2352e/x2352e06.htm.

Sea Shepherd. (2012) The Brutal Business of Shark Finning. Sea Shepard. Sea Shepard Conservation Society. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/shark-finning.html

Shark Savers. (2014) Finning and the Fin Trade. Shark Savers. Shark Savers Inc. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://tinyurl.com/kttsq9v.