Every year, approximately 73 million sharks are killed, mainly for their fins. Sharks get a bad reputation, even though they are not the beasts most make them out to be. Roughly 50% of Americans admit to being afraid of sharks. However, there are only 60-65 unprovoked bites and 6 deaths from sharks globally each year. You are more likely to die from a falling coconut than a shark attack!
Shark finning is the process of removing fins from sharks and discarding the rest of the body at sea. Some may wonder, “What do you use shark fins for?” Some cultures have a delicacy named shark fin soup. Traditional Chinese culture values this dish as a sign of wealth and good fortune. It is sometimes served at Chinese weddings to show hospitality and respect. As for the taste, it is said to be bland and stringy. Shark fin soup has started to become rejected in many cultures to protect the sharks and the ocean. The US, Costa Rica, Europe, and some countries in Asia have banned shark finning. Trade for the fins is now illegal, but there is a lack of enforcement and many loopholes.
When the shark’s fins are cut off, they are thrown back into the ocean. They are alive when individuals harvest their fins. Once they re-enter the ocean, they are unable to swim without their fins. Sharks must constantly keep moving so the water can pass through their gills. Without swimming, they are not getting oxygen. Without oxygen, they are slowly suffocating.
Reproducing for sharks takes a long time, so every individual shark matters. Some of the sharks hunted for their fins are endangered species, like the Hammerhead and Oceanic Whitetip. Sharks actually help the marine ecosystems. They are apex predators; thus, removing sharks from the ocean disrupts the food web and causes the collapse of reefs and fish populations.
The media does not help the reputation of sharks. Jaws and other films portray sharks as aggressive, mindless hunters of humans, when in reality, they are not as aggressive. The popular show Shark Week and news headlines exaggerate shark attacks, making them seem more common than they actually are. The fear of sharks is a factor in why people who harvest shark fins feel little to no remorse. Some fin harvesters believe they are doing a good thing by eliminating sharks and lowering the risk of attacks. But sadly, they are mutilating innocent creatures and harming the ocean’s ecosystem for a disgusting soup.