the brutal business of

Shark Finning
http://www.seashepherd.
org/sharks/shark-finning.html

by: Isaac Cox

Shark Facts
-There are more than 465 known species of sharks living in our oceans today
-Sharks live longer than most fish, and reach reproduction age at 15 to 16 years
-They reproduce very slowly, This longer breeding cycle makes them vulnerable to extinction
- Scientists have estimated that over 100 million sharks are killed a year. As a result, sharks
are being fished out faster than they can naturally recover

What is shark finning?

What is Shark Finning?

Shark finning is...the removal of shark fins while the rest of the shark is thrown
back into the ocean. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into
the water. Unable to swim, the shark slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is
eaten alive by other fish. Any shark is taken-regardless of age, size, or species.

Shark finning has increased over the past decade. Shark specialists estimate that
100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually. One pound of dried shark fin can
SELL for $300 or more. Its a multi-billion dollar industry.

UP TO 92% OF THE SHARK IS WASTED AND

THROWN BACK INTO THE WATER TO DROWN

SHARK FINS ON ROOF

Humans kill 100 million sharks a year

...and for what?

shark fins for a tasteless bowl of soup

shark teeth for jewelry

shark jaws for tourist souvenirs

shark skin for leather wallets/belts

shark cartilage capsules and powders for phony medicinal cures

shark liver oil for cosmetics/skin care products

Why sharks are important

Sharks play a very important role in the oceans in a way
that an average fish does not. Sharks are at the top of
the food chain in virtually every part of every ocean. In
that role, they keep populations of other fish healthy and
in proper proportion for their ecosystem.
Predatory sharks prey on the sick and the weak members
of their prey populations, and some also scavenge the
seafloor to feed on dead fish. By removing the sick and
the weak, they prevent the spread of disease and prevent
outbreaks that could be devastating. Preying on the
weakest individuals also strengthens the gene pools of
the prey species. Since the largest, strongest, and
healthiest fish generally reproduce in greater numbers,
the outcome is larger numbers of healthier fish.

Stop Shark Finning

I am very much against shark finning because the long term
effects are severely damaging, with no sharks, the ocean's
food chain and ecosystem will be screwed up, making the
species below overpopulate, and the species below them,
diminish.

statistics
-

The scalloped hammerhead shark, has declined by 99% over the past 30
years
Scientists estimate that shark populations in the northwest Atlantic
Ocean have declined by an average of 50% since the early 1970s.
With the current amount of sharks being killed every year (100 Million),
Scientist estimate that they could go extinct within the next few
decades

Sources
http://www.sharkwater.com/index.php/shark-education/
http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/shark-finning-sharks-turnedprey
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/tag/shark-finning/
http://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/shark-finning.html