Global shark populations are plummeting, as tens of millions of sharks are killed for their fins every year.
There are somewhere around 400 known species of the oceans’ apex predator: the shark. Many think that the oceans are swarming these predatory fish, just waiting to tear humans apart from limb to limb — but that simply isn’t the case. Sharks do not prey on humans and you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than to be attacked by a shark. Additionally, global shark populations have undergone alarming declines in recent years — including reductions of 90% or more in some species! These animals are being driven toward extinction mainly by ‘shark finning’ — a grotesque and inhumane way of ‘harvesting’ sharks’ fins.
Experts say 70-100 million sharks are killed for their fins each year. But they’re not just killed. Frequently, they are hauled onto the decks of the ships, where (often while they are still alive) butcher knives are used to hack off all of their fins: dorsals, pectorals, and caudal (tail) fins. With the rest of their body virtually worthless compared to the amount to be made from their fins, they are thrown back into the water to die. Without their appendages, they are unable to swim. Most fish have a gas-filled organ known as a “swim bladder” that keeps them afloat, but sharks do not. The de-finned predators are left to sink to a slow and agonizing death.
Conservation group, WildAid, and investigative journalist, Lisa Ling, teamed up to expose the shocking and heartbreaking nature of shark finning on the recent tv series, “Planet in Peril”. Please watch this phenomenal video clip from the series:
A bloody soup
Why is this happening? It all relates to demand for shark fin soup. For a long time, it has been a ‘delicacy’ eaten by the rich and at special occasions. However, it has now become a much more common meal because of the growing, affluent middle class of many Asian countries — primarily in China. In 2006, WildAid teamed with the Chinese Wildlife Association to conduct a survey of shark fin soup consumers and found that 35% of participants admitted to eating the soup in the past year. Restaurants advertise discounts on the soup and even corporate businesses, like Citibank Hong Kong, offer promotional discounts on the soup to their customers.
Some believe that the soup has a high nutritional value and contains cancer-fighting properties. However, shark fin is simply cartilage and contains nearly no nutritional value at all. Studies have also shown that shark fin contains absolutely no properties that cure, fight, or improve cancer. In fact, ingesting any part of a shark may actually be damaging to one’s health, as sharks are known to contain high levels mercury throughout their systems.
Existing laws lack bite
Some countries do have legislation against shark finning, but it is not always enforced. Also, shark finning is largely unregulated in international waters, where sharks receive next to no protection. The International Plan of Action for Sharks (IPOA-Sharks), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) are the only international regulations in place to protect these fish. 
In some places, the practice is allowed only if the whole shark is brought into harbor to be accounted for. Many times, only a fraction of the sharks killed are actually brought in and it is quite evident that there are far more fins than there are sharks.
While shark finning is happening in all of the world’s oceans, it seems it is most prevalent in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The waters off South and Central America have been identified as shark finning hot spots. In these areas, populations are being decimated at astonishing rates.
Public outcry has made some victories in stopping this industry that threatens to drive all sharks to extinction. WildAid was able to help the Hawaiian government enact an all-out ban on shark fins, making it illegal to sell, possess, or distribute the fins without a valid permit issued by the government. The government will only issue these permits for shark research or educational purposes. Effective July 1, 2011, it will also be illegal for restaurants to sell or possess fins for shark fin soup or other shark fin products in Hawaii. International fishing authorities are also considering banning shark fishing altogether in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. However, if these laws are not enforced, shark finning will continue unabated.
A lucrative business
The circumstances surrounding this shark finning are not uncommon. Like the poaching industry threatening many of earth’s land animals, shark finning is also tied to organized crime rings and shark finning mafias. A business believe to bring in billions of dollars a year. 
Of course most of the money being made in this industry is at the consumer level where the fins are sold alone or in soup. The people actually killing the sharks make very little profit comparably.
Shark fins are now the most expensive fish product available. A single fin of a Great White can cost as much as $10,000. The taste for shark fin soup has spread beyond Asia. WildAid has shown that most Chinese restaurants in San Francisco are selling shark fin soup for $6.95 to $85 a bowl. Indeed, demand for shark fin soup exists in the states and other countries, but to a much lesser extent that what is found in China, Japan, and other Asian nations.
The fact is, shark finning is threatening the world’s shark populations with extinction. The marine predators are also threatened by other factors, such as unsustainable sport fishing, entanglement in longline fisheries gear, decreasing prey species, and oil spills. If urgent measures are not taken to better protect sharks, they could soon be gone forever — which would have devastating impacts for all life on our planet.
Source:
Field, M. “Shark Finning — Who Is The Real Predator?,” Animal Legal & Historical Center, Accessed 8 August, 2010.
Image #1 by Joi on Flickr
Image #2 by cephalopodcast on Flickr
Image #3 by NOAA via Wikimedia Commons
Image #4 via Wikimedia Commons
I am a biologist-turned-writer, with a BSc in wildlife science from Oregon State University. I have been writing about global wildlife conservation issues since 2009. You may know me from my previous role at Bush Warriors or from my ongoing work with Annamiticus, Saving Rhinos, and Project Pangolin. When I'm not blogging, I enjoy loud music, creating art, hula hooping, and being outdoors. Read more of my articles here.
