Shark Finning

Shark Finning

Shark finning is the process of cutting off all shark fins and discarding the live carcass in the ocean. It's barbaric. It's a major problem in today's society regarding the drastic decline in sharks recently. It's estimated that "up to 100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins alone and 44 species of shark in Chinese waters are endangered or face extinction." With sharks being threatened, the whole ecosystem's balance is in jeopardy. Since sharks are apex predators, they keep certain species in check. Without the predators, the populations of some species would grow and become imbalanced. 

Here's a short clip of what shark finning looks like. (These are shocking videos that might not be suitable for all viewers... Digression is advised.)

 http://vimeo.com/7645560#

You can see in this video just how large the shark fin trade is-

 This video is just one roof out of hundreds of thousands. 

Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years, and with better technology people can wipe out species in less than 100 years. Since sharks can only produce a few pups at a time and take a long time to mature, they can be wiped out if the fishing continues. 

When cutting off their fins they waste 90-99% of the shark. The fins people use are the dorsal, caudal, pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins. The rest of the body, which is usually still alive is pushed back into the ocean to die. The sharks die either by bleeding, being eaten, or drowning to death. They would drown since they need their fins to keep moving the air through the gills.

You can see in this chart that the recent capturing and killing of these majestic creatures has jumped in recent years. 

So why would people want shark fins? Well...

The country most known for shark finning is China. More than 95% of shark fin harvests worldwide are consumed in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan (Coonan). They make an Asian delicacy with shark fins called "Shark Fin Soup."

Shark fins soup is known for the rich and rising middle class as a delicacy meal. However, there is nothing special about the soup. It has no taste or nutritional value. In fact, there is a chance that there is high mercury in the soup.  Plus for this plain bowl, it  can cost up to $100 dollars.