How to Help

My previous post went over one of the biggest effects that shark finning has on the planet, and it briefly talked about shark fin soup. Go ahead and check out the last post if you're interested. Today however, I'll share some ways in which we as individuals can go out and help reduce the demand for shark fins. Now, the first thing to keep in mind is that it is not going to be an overnight process. The task is a never-ending battle, much like the war on drugs...there will always be a demand, but the task at the moment should be focused on first reducing the demand, which will then eliminate the practice altogether. That sounds difficult, but it is as simple as going out to local restaurants and asking them to remove the item from the menu. It is slow and tedious, yet effective. Another way might be to go out and inform the public. If people are not aware, how will they help? I was not aware that this even happened, nor had I ever heard of shark fin soup. As long as we keep informing others their are bound to be positive results, not immediately, but surely. My next post will show some pictures, graphs and even a a link to a video or two. Until then, have a good one.  

Apex predator and Shark fin soup

Thanks for tuning back in. Today I will be talking about one of the major effects of shark finning and what the real purpose behind the awful practice is. Many people do not know, but the shark is the apex predator in the oceanic ecosystem, keeping everything in check and making sure nothing falls out of order. To give you some numbers, there are an estimated 70-100 million sharks that are killed each year JUST FOR THEIR FINS!  There are more sharks killed for other purposes but it is quite shocking to see how many sharks are killed for some fins. If we continue to kill sharks for their fins, they will go extinct from the planet within 30-50 years. That would have terrible consequences because everything in the oceans ecosystem would fall out of place. It would do so because of the lack of an apex predator.

          The fins, which are the main target, are very expensive, and for that reason many sharks are killed then discarded. The fins have more value than the rest of the shark carcass combined, plus they take up less space than the carcass does. The fins are used in a few ways, the most popular being shark fin soup. The fins are placed on a rooftop usually, then they are left for a couple of days in the sun to dry. Once dried, they are added to any broth to add texture. I have not tried them, but I have heard they have no taste at all. We do all of this for a tasteless piece of cartilage which simply adds texture to a broth...something is definitely wrong here. Join me next time, where I will share a few ways in which we can go out and try and stop finning.

What is it?

Shark finning is a practice in which people go out and attack sharks to take their fins off. The process itself can be slow and very inhuman to a shark. The fins are usually removed while the shark is still alive! After the fins are removed, the rest of the shark (usually more than 90%) is thrown overboard and left to drown, and ultimately die at the bottom of the ocean floors where it will be eaten alive by other larger predators. All of this is done for a piece of cartilage which has no beneficial use to humans what-so-ever. The whole purpose of taking the fins from the amazing animals is to use them in a food called shark fin soup. Stick around for my next post,which will go into some of the effects that shark finning has on the ocean's ecosystem and I will also talk about shark fin soup briefly.

A shark sinking to the bottom after the fins were removed(above)