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It's sort of mind boggling when you hear the number for the first time—it just doesn't make sense. Maybe because it's something most of us don't think about; sharks getting killed for their fins. But it's happening everyday. Everyday, "fishermen" catch sharks, pull them out of the ocean, cut off their fins, and throw the still-living remains back into the ocean, where they slowly bleed to death. It's called shark finning, and it's happening all over the world.
Gruesome, I know—but it doesn't seem nearly as gruesome until you consider the magnitude of the killings. And how many is that? How many sharks meet their fate in this repulsive manner every year?
Forty million. 40,000,000 sharks are slaughtered in this barbaric manner for their fins every year, according to National Geographic. That raises the issue from animal cruelty to global crisis.
And why are they killed? Primarily because shark fins are considered a delicacy in China. Shark fin soup is a luxurious meal, and sign of prestige in Chinese culture. And over the last few years, as China's economy has grown at a rapid-fire pace, so too have the number of affluent connoisseurs desiring the meal.
So the demand then predictably pushes up the need for supply—but there are only so many sharks in the ocean. Already, many sharks have been pushed to the brink of extinction—according to Stop Shark Finning, many species have had 95% of their populations decimated since the 1970s.
And yet, it's hard to fault the "fishermen," save the barbaric practice, as many of the sharks are fished in impoverished areas of Mexico and South America—and each fin can fetch 1,000 euros in Hong Kong. Around half a million sharks are finned every year in Ecuador alone. So realistically, the demand has got to fall for the practice to slow, and for the sharks to be spared. Measures for protection are already in place to prevent the trade in Europe.
For more information about the shocking trade, and to find out more about what you can do to help, head over to Stop Shark Finning. And if you see shark fin soup being sold anywhere, send the store offering the product a message, or alert the Marine Stewardship Council. Let's begin to put an end to shark finning.
More on Shark Finning:
Jean-Michel Cousteau: Sharks Need Our Help
Yao Ming Shuns Shark Fin Soup
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