Shark's Best Friends: The Conservationist and Activist Perspective

People Against Shark Finning

Conservationists and activists strongly disagree with the practice of shark finning for several reasons. First and foremost, shark finning is an inhumane practice. Once caught, sharks’ bodies are not used efficiently, as only the fin is severed from the body while the rest of the shark is thrown back into the ocean to drown or to be eaten by fish (Stop Shark Finning 2013). Also, shark finning can lead to ecological disasters. Due to the growing popularity of shark finning, particularly in Asian waters, sharks are not able to reproduce as fast as they are being hunted, which could lead to extinction. According to The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, approximately one in three sharks are threatened by that fate (PETA 2012). Following the extinction of sharks, the entire ecosystem of the ocean would be thrown off-balance. Sharks are considered apex predators, meaning that they are at the top of the food chain. Sharks control overpopulation of their prey, such as fish, and if extinct, they would not be able to maintain the very delicate balance (Shark Water 2012). The goal of a conservationist focuses on the preservation the diversity of an ecosystem, and animal activists wish to protect all species from unnecessary harm. Shark finning threatens both of these practices, as it not only puts sharks at risk, but it endangers an entire ecosystem. In order to prevent this, many activist organizations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are encouraging people not to buy the soup and spread the message (PETA 2012).

Works Cited:

PETA. (2012) ‘Free the Sharks’ Week 2012. PETA. PETA. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.peta.org/features/free-sharks-week-2012/.

Stop Shark Finning. (2013) Shark Fin Soup what’s the scoop? Stop Shark Finning. Stop Shark Finning. (Date Accessed: February20, 2014.) http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/shark-fin-soup-whats-the-scoop/. 
Shark Water. (2012). Education Shark Finning Facts. Shark Water. Sharkwater Productions. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://www.sharkwater.com/education.htm

Shark Finning is Destroying the Livelihood of Small-Scale Fishermen

Small-scale fishermen in Asian countries are one group of people that are very opposed to shark finning. Many fishermen around the world are falling on difficult economic times. In the commercial fishing business, fisherman must be able to catch a certain number of fish a day, otherwise they will not make a profit. They are unable to do so in some cases when there are not fish to catch. Some "artisanal" fisherman who choose to participate in the shark finning trade are also put into an unfair situation, as they are in competition with much larger finning vessels. For example, at the height of the shark fin trade, which was around 2005, there were upwards of 150 foreign and large-scale fisheries positioned in East Asia with the primary intention of participating in the shark fin trade (Shark Savers 2014). Also, Shark finning is not a sustainable industry. In both the case of a small-scale fisherman, and a small-scale "artisanal" fisherman, the large global shark fin trade is detrimental to their livelihood. For the small fisherman, the excessive hunting of sharks, and the resulting population boom of large mammals and fish, has led to a decrease in smaller fish that fishermen rely on to make a living. Also, for the "artisanal" fisherman, the large-scale fisheries make the shark fin industry unpredictable. For example, in 2005, after the industry started becoming wildly successful in some parts of the world such as West Africa, it declined by 50% over the following three years (Shark Savers 2014). Smaller fishermen, whether directly or indirectly impacted by the actions of large-scale fisheries, oppose the global shark fin trade, as it has been disastrous toward their livelihoods.

Small-Scale Shark Finning

Works Cited:

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

Shark Finning: The Shocking Truth

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.

Budding Solutions

Hong Kong controls about half of the trade

In recent years the crack down on the shark fin trade has been intensifying. Solutions like government intervention and athlete studded campaigns have aided in the ban of shark finning. Government officials across the world have passed plans in their communities to rid the trade of shark fins from their markets. In December 2010, the US government passed a law stating that all fins must be landed with the body still intact (Eilperin 2010). Conservationists have faith that this ban will make as much of an impact as an earlier ban which decreased shark finning 93% between 2000 and 2006 (Eilperin 2010). Earlier this year Chinese government cracked down on the serving of shark fin soup at official banquets. In previous years, China has gotten famous athletes such as Yao Ming to support the ban of shark fin soup (WildAid 2011). Ming states, “‘I urge China to lead by banning shark fin soup, and I urge business leaders to end the consumption of shark fin soup at business events. Unless we act now, we will lose many shark populations, impacting our oceans worldwide’” (WildAid 2011). This campaign has greatly reduced the consumption of the soup. Beijing’s Lianhong Marine Dry Products Market states that business has gone down by 70% and that prices of a half-kilo of the product have gone down from $165 to $110 to clear the shelves (WildAid 2011). Hong Kong controls about a half of the global shark fin trade, which is between $400 million and $550 million (Guilford 2013). When the market in Hong Kong starts to decrease, so will the rest of the world's intake and trade as well.   

Works Cited: 

Eilperin, J. (2010). Congress passes shark protection bill. The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://tinyurl.com/28kne5v.

Guilford, G. (2013) New York’s ban on the illegal shark fin trade won’t do much to protect sharks. Quartz. Quartz. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://qz.com/109052/why-new-yorks-ban-on-the-illegal-shark-fin-trade-may-do-nothing-to-reduce-it/

WildAid. (2011) Yao Ming Calls for a Shark Fin Ban in China. WildAid. WildAid. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.wildaid.org/news/yao-ming-calls-shark-fin-ban-china.

Loopholes to Shark Finning

The amount of meat has increased while the number of fins has decreased

Fishermen around the globe make their livelihoods off of exporting shark fins. In 2010 the United States Congress passed a new bill that prevented shark finning on the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico (Eilperin 2010). This bill stated that sharks had to be shipped with their carcasses still intact. Despite regulations and laws like this one, some fishermen have still found loopholes in order to keep the booming business in order. In 2013 it was reported that Costa Rican fisherman were removing the rest of the body down to the spine so that the fins were still considered attached to the body, which freed space in the cargo and allowed for more space for the fins (Xray Mag 2013). The fisherman who create loopholes like these threaten the populations of all species of sharks. 

Although bans have been placed in countries like the United States, loopholes are still discovered allowing for the trade to continue. The federal ban on shark finning stated that "fishing" vessels have to carry a 5% "fin to carcass ratio" in order for the vessel to be legal (Guilford 2013). Many fisherman have been able to bypass this rule because they are not considered fishing vessels. In 2011, American government has updated the law saying that the fish must be landed with their fins ("fins on" rule). By recognizing these changes, governments are able to decrease the amount of landed sharks with their fins still intact.

Works Cited:

Eilperin, J. (2010). Congress passes shark protection bill. The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://tinyurl.com/28kne5v.

Guilford, G. (2013) New York’s ban on the illegal shark-fin trade won’t do much to protect sharks. Quartz. Quartz. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://qz.com/109052/why-new-yorks-ban-on-the-illegal-shark-fin-trade-may-do-nothing-to-reduce-it/

Xray Mag. (2013). Costa Rican shark finners finds way around anti-shark finning regulations. Xray Mag. Xray Mag. (Date Accessed: February 19, 2014.) http://www.xray-mag.com/content/costa-rican-shark-finners-finds-way-around-anti-shark-finning-regulations

Want to get Involved?

Check out some of these links to learn more about this global issue and see what you can do to help. 

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society 

The website provides useful background information into the history of shark fin soup, and why it is still a prominent dish in China. It also gives opportunities to get involved not only with sharks, but with other endangered marine life such as whales and dolphins.

Shark Savers

Here you can find out more information about the topic, including recent news concerning shark finning. Most importantly, Shark Savers is a site where you can get actively involved in these issues through some of their programs, which even include building shark sanctuaries to help protect the animals.

Stop Shark Finning 

This website will give you a list of ways to get involved in the campaign against shark finning, which includes spreading the message through social media and local restaurants. It also give you the opportunity to go on diving expeditions to explore the underwater world.

The Humane Society 

Here you can get a brief overview of the issue, but most importantly you can sign The Humane Society's No Shark Fin Pledge to help show your support. By signing this pledge you will join thousands of other conservationists who are working to keep the oceans safe for sharks.