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To end the barbaric practice of shark finning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo8K1-BVtNw
Please watch this video!!
Help save the Sharks and end Shark Finning.
What is Shark Finning?
· Shark finning is the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. Often the animal is still alive when it is tossed back into the sea. Unable to swim, the shark sinks to the sea floor where it dies an agonizing and painful death.
· Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers have only the fins to transport. Shark meat is considered of low value (due in part to its high content of methyl mercury) and therefore not worth the cost of transporting to market.
· Any shark is taken – regardless of age, size or species.
· Longlines used in shark finning operations are the most significant cause of losses in shark populations worldwide. Longlines also kill sea turtles, dolphins seabirds and many other species.
· Shark finning is widespread, and largely unmanaged and unmonitored.
· Shark finning has increased over the past decade due to the increasing demand for fins (for shark fin soup), improved fishing technology, and improved market economics.
· Shark specialists estimate that 70 million sharks are slaughtered annually, primarily for their fins.
· One pound of dried shark fins can retail for $300 or more. It is a multi-billion dollar industry whose profits are second only to the illegal drug trade.
Impacts of Shark Finning
· Loss and devastation of shark populations worldwide. Scientists estimate that within a decade, most species of sharks will be gone because of longlining.
· Unsustainable fishery. The massive quantity of sharks harvested and lack of selection depletes shark populations faster than the populations can be replenished.
· Threatens the stability of marine ecosystems.
· Local waters are invaded by large industrial, foreign fishing vessels that threaten traditional sustainable fisheries.
· Threatens socio-economically important recreational fisheries.
· Obstructs the collection of species-specific data that are essential for monitoring catches and implementing sustainable fisheries management.
· Wasteful of protein and shark-based products. Up to 99 percent of the shark is discarded.