The practice of shark finning has caused the number of hammerhead sharks (on the endangered species list) to decrease rapidly. Not only is this a destructive practice, but it is also gruesome-it usually involves fisherman pulling sharks out of the water, chopping off their dorsal fins, then throwing them back into the ocean where they are left to bleed to death or drown.
image: metro uk
And shark finning is a big business-Defenders of Wildlife estimates that 26-73 million sharks are brutally killed each year for their fins. They are primarily used for shark fin soup and sell for about $400/lb. Also DoW’s website states, “A review conducted by TRAFFIC and The Pew Environment Group reports that the U.S. ranks as one of the top 10 shark catchers in the world. Finning is illegal here, but enforcement is practically impossible, just like it is in the other 60 countries where it has been banned. Worse, the demand for shark fin soup continues to drive the fin market, particularly in states like California. Fins are processed in and imported from Asia, making it impossible to track where the fins originated or whether they came from a protected species.”
Currently, there is a bill in the California which would further enforce the present ban on the trade by ceasing to be both a major supplier and consumer of shark fins through a ban on the possession, sale, trade and distribution of fins. Click here to learn more about this issue & see how you can help on the Defenders of Wildlife website.
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