Is shark fining worth losing sharks?

            For centuries sharks have been hunted for their meat and skin, but now sharks have begun to be hunted for their fins; this process is called shark fining. Many fisherman hunt for sharks because it is a way to make a lot of money, off just a little bit of product. The sad thing about this process is that the rest of the shark is of no value to the fisherman and the buyer. Thus they do not realize just how many sharks have become impacted.

            It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed each year, due to either commercial or recreational fishing. Many of the sharks that are caught end up being sold for their fins. A fisherman can make about 300 dollars per pound on shark fins, which is what makes them such a prized catch. Fishermen capture live sharks, fin them, and then dump the finless animal back into the water. Finning involves removing the fin with a hot metal blade, resulting with an immobile shark that soon dies from suffocation or predators. Shark fining has caused many shark species to be depleted by up to 90%, though most shark species have been depleted by 70% on average. Only 26% of the world’s shark population is categorized as “not threatened”.

            China and Japan have the largest market in the world for shark fins. In these countries, and others, shark fin soup is regarded as a delicacy for the rich. Shark fin soup usually costs around 100 dollars a bowl; the fin itself only provides texture for the soup. Shark fins have no taste and they do not look nice. The only reason shark fin soup is popular is because it is expensive and rich families believe they must eat it to show off their wealth. Shark fin soup is a status symbol, just like name brands, big houses, and nice cars.

            If fishermen continue down this path there is an enormous chance that the world will cease to have sharks. A world without sharks may seem nice to many people. A predator of ocean life and a predator of humans will be gone. Although this is not true, sharks are among Earth's most ancient animal so if sharks were to leave the ocean it would cause a malfunction in the oceanic food chain and natural system of the ocean. Some might continue to argue that a human predator would be extinct and that another animal could take the sharks place, but again this is an untrue statement in two ways. One, sharks are a special breed of animal that have many subspecies that are perfect as the main predator and controller of waters. Two, sharks are not human predators. Each year soda machines, yes soda vending machines, kill more people than sharks do. So to say we should get rid of sharks because they are predators is to say we should get rid of soda vending machines. 

Gabriela d'Souza