Bycatch Incidents and Fin Soup are Wiping Out Shark Populations Worldwide
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 02.17.08
Image courtesy of The Lilac Breasted Roller via flickr
Long vilified as ruthless "man eaters," sharks have, in truth, never held a candle to nature's real apex predators: us. Indeed, surging global demand for their precious fins and frequent bycatch incidents have already frittered away large numbers of the vulnerable animals; Reuters' Timothy Gardner reports that a new report issued by the World Conservation Union, or IUCN, estimates that several species have witnessed declined of over 95% in their populations since the 1970s.
The hardest hit species include the tiger, bull and scalloped hammerhead sharks; the latter, in particular, has seen its numbers plunge in recent years as fishermen have indiscriminately targeted both adults and juveniles, which often swim in shallow waters- it also doesn't help that its fin is particularly prized for use in soup. It will be listed on the IUCN's 2008 Red List as one of several globally endangered species.
In addition to being hunted down for their meat and fins, millions of sharks are often taken as bycatch each year in tuna and swordfish fisheries. The great hammerhead, which was added onto the 2007 Red List, has seen its numbers plummet by almost 80% over the last quarter-century.
While shark fishing in international waters (inexplicably) remains unrestricted, there may yet be some hope for the beleaguered animals: a newly proposed U.N. resolution would call for immediate catch limits and for a complete ban on shark finning. A bit late in the offing, we'd say, but, if successfully enacted, it would still be a huge improvement over the status quo.
See also: ::Jean-Michel Cousteau: Sharks Need Our Help, ::Sharks Need Your Help, Seth
Poor sharks :-(
Vile practice. I had shark fin soup years ago at a Chinese wedding. It tasted like a weak chicken soup. I didn't see what all the (taste) fuss was about. I didn't know how bad it was for the animals. I assumed that the meat of the shark was used as well as the skin and cartilage etc.
No dice .... The poor things are caught, finned (fins removed) and then tossed back to spiral slowly and agonizingly to their deaths.
I fish every now and then and I release or give to people who like to eat. It's not the best practice and it is incidental to my putzing around on the water here and there. But finning is like cutting someone's legs off and putting them on a highway.
Very sad. If people want an aphrodesiac, let them take viagara.
vsk
I've been trying my best to tell people around me not to eat shark fins, but I'm in vain! I'm a Chinese, but I don't eat shark fin soup if they are served in dinners or weddings. Well, that's the best I can do despite being called "stupid" because I don't eat shark fin soup.