Shark fining is perhaps one of the bloodiest, most wasteful, and most barbaric of all of the fishing practices used today with, perhaps, the exception of whaling. An alarming number of sharks fall victim to this barbaric and wasteful practice, in fact, estimates are between 100 to 200 million sharks are brutally killed by finning every year. These rising numbers are quickly driving many species of sharks close to the endangered species status and groups such as Oceana are working to get The Shark Conservation Act passed to protect the sharks and our oceans by putting an end to shark fining.
What is Shark Finning?
Shark finning is an inhumane method of hunting in which 
fishermen capture sharks, hack their fins off and then throw them back into the water to die a slow and painful death. Once the fins are removed the sharks are helpless in the water, bleeding, and unable to function. And they suffer this terrible fate merely so that greedy fishermen can sell the shark fins for a high end Japanese “delicacy”, shark fin soup, which sell for hundreds of dollars per bowl.
Why Must Shark Finning Be Stopped?
Not only is the practice of shark finning cruel and abusive to the individual sharks, but it is also throwing the entire ecosystem of the ocean off balance and driving several species of sharks towards the brink of extinction. When a top predator, such as a shark, is eliminated from an eco-system one of the first impacts that we see is an increase in the species immediately next in the food chain, the sharks prey.
This ends up being devastating for the entire ecosystem because once that species becomes over populated it consumes such a large number of its own prey that they to begin to disappear which in turn means that the animals which fed up on them will no longer have a source of food. So when we are talking about the reduction or even extinction of several species of sharks we are really looking at the negative impact on the entire ocean not just one particular species. This planet, and all life on it, depends up on the health and stability of the oceans and we need a thriving and stable shark population.
The oceans are the most essential part of our planet's eco-system and while it seems to be vast, the delicate balance that maintains the health of our oceans can easily be swung off track. It is imperative that we all work together to let those responsible for making and enforcing laws how important this issue is, not only for the sharks but for everyone who wants a safe and thriving planet to call home. And it is not only the sharks that are endanger, this chain reaction that would result from shark extinctions will destroy the food source for millions of people as well.
As you can see The Shark Conservation Act is of vital importance. To learn more about this issue or to get involved and write your representatives in support of this much needed piece of legislation visit Oceana's Petition in Support of The Shark Conservation Act or one of these sites devoted to shark conservation:
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