Cross posted at OC Progressive.
Discovery Channel is having it's infamous SHARK WEEK and showing many amazing documentaries about sharks and exactly how they operate.
They've dedicated an impressive part of their website to shark conservation and their State of the shark map which reports on their numbers, health, etc. by region.
But right now the biggest threat to sharks is something that's completely preventable and human caused. And it's not only something we can stop, it's a barbaric practice, one that ethically should end as well.
Shark Finning is the removal of shark fins for human consumption and the disposal of what is left of the shark into the ocean. They are left to die either by starvation or drowning. They also are defenseless and can be consumed alive by smaller predators. They are basically maimed and left for dead.
Now the demand for this practice is driven by the market for Shark Fin soup. From Stop Shark Finning...
Shark fin soup is a soup or broth of Chinese origin made with shark fin and flavoured with chicken or some other stock. The fin itself has very little flavour and it is used primarily to add texture to the dish and because it is seen as a delicacy. It is often served to guests at important events such as weddings and business banquets. Shark fin soup is not cheap - it can easily cost upwards of $100 per bowl, this fact has helped ensure a steady supply of fins as fishermen and middlemen (sometimes associated with mafia-type gangs) slaughter sharks wherever they can find them in order to satisfy the market. With the sudden increase in prosperity in the Far East, shark fin soup is being consumed in vast quantities, placing an unsustainable and crippling demand on shark populations.
Stop Shark Finning as an organization has been working on a total worldwide ban of this practice because it is not only barbaric, sharks are being hunted to the brink of extinction because of unsustainable fishing practices.
And the good news? Someone here has taken notice, someone who can help do something about it. Senator John Kerry has announced legislation to help end this practice and is working with Discovery Channel through PSA's to talk about why we must end shark finning it immediately.
Discovery will run public service announcements and push an online campaign encouraging viewers to call their senators to support Kerry’s shark preservation efforts. For Discovery Channel, these efforts mark a new phase in their work to promote shark conservation.
"Huge demands on the foreign fin trade have fueled massive population declines and a serious disruption of our waters," said Kerry. "We need much stronger solutions to finally end this illicit trade, and current protections haven’t gotten the job done. We need to get serious, and I’m thrilled to see Discovery Channel’s willingness to roll up its sleeves and help get the job done."
Shark finning, a practice where fisherman slice off a shark’s fin primarily for use in shark fin soup, seriously disrupts marine ecosystems and has led to a seventy-five percent decrease in certain shark populations over the last fifteen years. In April, Kerry introduced the Shark Preservation Act of 2009 to close a loophole for shark fin transport and strengthen enforcement measures to ensure sharks are transported with their fins attached.
Earlier this month, the Pew Environment Group brought shark attack survivors to Capitol Hill to lobby congress to pass Senator Kerry’s legislation.
Do you want to help? You can sign a petition here from the Ocean Conservancy to push for international laws to stop this horrific practice.
So why care? Seriously, why care about this? Because sharks are an important part of how our oceans function. So they aren't cuddly or cute (although I think they are beyond cool as does my six year old and deserve as much protection as dolphins and whales) but they help maintain a balance in our oceans...
What will happen to the oceans of sharks become extinct?
The consequences of the decline in shark populations on ocean life are immense. The large shark species are "apex" predators, they are ecological stablisers, once they are gone, all hell will break loose. For example along the US East Coast where large sharks such as black tip and tiger sharks have been virtually elimated, there have been declines in shellfish numbers and a reduction in water quality (shellfish filter sea water). Populations of small sharks, rays and skates have increased rapidly, consuming shellfish at an unsustainable rate. If you remove apex predators from an ecosystem the result is the same as removing the foundations from a building - total collapse.
You don't have to like sharks and you don't have to be an environmentalist to care about this issue. Just as many of our fisheries are being over fished, the shark population is in dire need of protection.
This video is graphic but demonstrates a shark finning in its entirety.
Thank you to John Kerry, Discovery Channel, Ocean Conservancy and Stop Shark Finning for all the work they are doing to help protect this most fascinating of creatures and could also serve as an umbrella species. In protecting sharks we can insure the survival of many other species in the ocean.