Environmental Effects Of Shark Finning

Abstract

The word ‘shark’ is one of the few words that when heard can strike a person with fear, yet at the same time awe. Sharks are creatures that have evolved over 400 million years to become the ocean’s top predators, and to obtain physical perfection for survival in the worlds waters. If you ask someone what they think of a shark, the common reaction is negative. It’s not surprising though, really, considering the medias view on them, and the way they are portrayed in todays society. Pollution, the media, and shark finning are three human-caused situations that have impacted the population of sharks in various ways, and these three actions will be focused on in this paper, to research how they are linked, and to what extent they are

The sources of information used in this essay are books, the internet, documentaries and previously obtained knowledge, and these were used to support and provide evidence for my hypothesis; that humans are almost the sole reason for the decline in the population of sharks, and that killing sharks at the current rate will lead to undesired long-term effects for humans.

The argument this essay supports is that humans have had a major, mostly negative impact on the population of sharks in recent years. The research supports the idea that the current disruptions to the lives of sharks does not benefit humans to a degree which is ethically justifiable, and that the long term effects of killing sharks would be severe, causing disruptions in the food chain and damaging the seafood industry in numerous

Different countries have taken different approaches to shark finning, and some have come under criticism. The EU has passed a law to ensure that all sharks landed must have fins intact. This prevents shark finning on board the vessel, which is illegal, and makes it easier to regulate and control the population. Portugal and Spain were the only countries in the EU to oppose this decision, possibly because they both have valuable seafood industries. It is more difficult to control shark finning in China, because it is the country where shark fin soup is most popular. Chinese basketball player Yao Ming publicly stated he does not support shark finning, and would stop eating it, however the Chinese media didn’t report on this, for fear it would damage the seafood industry if people followed his example. This is evidence that its no only the physical killing of sharks that is damaging the population of sharks, but the lack of interaction. This is a similar case with many other natural and environment issues, such as global warming and pollution. Making people more aware of how sharks are treated, and the importance they have in the oceanic food chain, can help raise awareness of how important it is to protect sharks, which may lead to the population stabilizing, and maybe even increasing. This, however, is difficult because shark fin soup