If every picture is worth a 1,000 words, then this picture is worth a million words. This shark is just one of million of sharks that fall victim to shark finning. What is shark finning? Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins with the rest of the shark being discarded back into the ocean. The removal of a shark's fins occurs when the shark is still ALIVE. However, the the torture for the shark is not yet over. After the fins are removed the shark is thrown back into the water, still alive, to die a slow a painful death of suffocation on the bottom of the ocean. You don't have to be a shark lover to see the inhuman acts shark finning thrushes upon these magnificent animals. Shark finning is occurring all over the world and has increased over the past decade largely due to the increasing demand for shark fins for Chinese shark fin soup, traditional cures, improved market economics, and improved fishing technology (making it easier to find and catch sharks).
Some researchers believe that from 1996 to 2000, 26 to 73 million sharks were traded yearly. The annual median for the period was 38 million nearly four times more than the UN estimates, but considerably lower than those of many conservationists.
Shark finning is a billion dollar industry that needs to be STOPPED! Sharks can not endure this kind of fishing pressure much longer.
For further information on shark finning, please read my following paper (you will have to copy and paste the link).
