Shark Finning

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Sharks are so ancient that their earliest fossil records predate tree fossils by nearly 100 million years. They are essential for the optimal health of all other creatures within their ecosystem. This is called a keystone species. Changing the population of any keystone species affects all other life in their ecosystem and beyond. One example is in Costa Rica, where the diminishing numbers of tiger sharks has caused the overpopulation of green turtles, which causes the overgrazing of sea grass, which is effective and important in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Sharks also store carbon. When they die naturally, they sink to the ocean floor and their stored carbon remains there for thousands of years. They are eaten by bacteria and other marine species, meaning their carbon is not released into the atmosphere. When they are hunted and killed, this process is interrupted and the carbon is released straight into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. An estimated 6.4% - 7.9% of the world’s sharks are killed every year, contributing to climate change and environmental destruction. It has taken less than 50 years to wipe out 70% of the world’s shark and ray populations, after hundreds of millions of years of survival. Sharks are hunted for their fins, which are cut off and turned into soups or medicine. After this cruel process, they are returned back to the sea, often still alive, with no fins. They die soon after. This process is now restricted or illegal in many places, but the illegal practice still continues.