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Sharks are a top predator of the ocean. However, sharks are a target

for humans. Shark finning is the process of cutting off a shark’s

fins while it is still alive and throwing the shark back into the

ocean where it will die. After getting their fins cut off, some sharks

can starve to death, get eaten by other fish or drown to death.

Fishermen hunt shark fins because the value of the fins are worth

more than the rest of the body. Shark fins can sell for $650 a

kilogram. Shark finning is illegal in many parts of the world. The

consequences of shark finning as led to the decline of sharks in the

world.

Fishing for Sharks

Shark fin soup originated in 968 AD by an emperor from the Sung

Dynasty. The emperor created shark fin soup to display his wealth,

power and generosity towards his guest. Serving shark fin soup

was seen as a show of respect. Chinese Emperors thought the dish

had medicinal benefits. Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in

Asian countries. Shark fin soup is commonly served at weddings

because the hosts show can show their guest their wealth. Today,

the price of a bowl of shark fin soup can cost $100. The price can

vary because of the type and style of shark fin served.

(SharkTruth)

History of Shark Finning

The Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000, was signed by former

President Bill Clinton. This act prohibited the process of shark finning in

the United States. This bans anyone in the United States jurisdiction from

shark finning, owning shark fins without the shark’s body, and landing

shark fins without the body. This act also has NOAA (National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries to give Congress a report

detailing efforts to implement the act. The Shark Conservation Act of 2010

was signed by former President Barack Obama. This act requires all sharks

in the United States to be brought to shore with their fins naturally

attached. (NOAA Fisheries). According to the PEW Research Center, in

2009, Palau created the first shark sanctuary. In 2015, areas in the Pacific

Ocean have joined together to create the first regional sanctuary in

Micronesia. As of 2016, there are 17 shark sanctuaries around the world.

(PEW Charitable Trusts)

Protection Towards Sharks Importance of Sharks

Sharks play an important role in the ecosystem. Sharks maintain the

species below them in the ecosystem and serve as a health indicator for the

ocean. The decrease of sharks in the oceans has led to the decline of coral

reefs, sea grass beds, and the loss of commercial fisheries. Without sharks

in the ecosystem, other predators can thrive. For example, groupers can

increase in numbers and eat herbivores. When the number of herbivores

decrease, macro-algae expands and coral cannot compete, letting algae

dominate the ecosystem. (Oceana)

References

Fairclough, Caty. “Shark Finning: Sharks Turned Prey.” Smithsonian Ocean.

August 2013. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/shark-finning-sharks-turned-prey

Geiling, Natasha. “Save the Sharks by Swimming With Them.” Smithsonian.com.

14 August 2014. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/save-sharks-swimming-them-

180952302/

“History of Shark Fin Soup.” Shark Truth. Accessed December 9th, 2018.

Retrieved from: http://www.sharktruth.com/learn/history-of-shark-fin-soup/

“Sharks.” WildAid. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:

https://wildaid.org/programs/sharks/

“Shark Conservation Act.” NOAA Fisheries. 24 January 2018. Accessed

December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/laws-and-policies/shark-conservation-act

“Shark Fin Trade.” Shark Truth. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved from:

http://www.sharktruth.com/learn/shark-finning/

“Shark Sanctuaries Around the World: Protecting the shark population.” PEW

Charitable Trusts. 18 March 2016. Accessed December 9th, 2018. Retrieved

from:https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-

sheets/2016/03/shark-sanctuaries-around-the-world

“The Importance of Sharks: In the Ecosystem” Oceana. Accessed December 9th,

2018. Retrieved from: https://eu.oceana.org/en/importance-sharks

“What is Shark Finning?” www.stopsharkfinning.net. Accessed December 9th,

2018. Retrieved from: http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/what-is-shark-finning/

Tiana Barron-Wright

Shark Finning

A bowl of traditional shark fin soup. (bionicgrrrl,

Flickr)

Population of Sharks

An estimated 100 million sharks are killed worldwide each year.

More than 70 species of sharks are endangered. According to the

International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the smooth

hammerhead shark and the scalloped hammerhead shark are two

species of endangered sharks. Between 1.3 and 2.7 millions of

these species are killed each year because of shark finning.

Around 73 million sharks are killed for shark fin soup. More

than 50% of shark fin trade in the world occurs in Hong Kong.

Today, the populations of sharks have decreased between 60-

70% because of human fisheries. (Fairclough, 2013)

This picture shows a

fisherman cutting of the

fin of a hammerhead

shark in the process of

shark finning. (Shark

Stewards)

The picture above shows a ship holding a large number of shark fins

on a ship and the amount of sharks impacted by the process of shark

finning. (EcoWatch)

The picture above shows shark sanctuaries around the world. The

top half of the picture illustrates the location. The bottom lists the

locations, sizes, and establishments of the shark sanctuaries. (The

PEW Charitable Trusts).

Tourism According to the University of British Columbia, shark tourism earns

around $314 million annually. The shark tourism industry is expected

to reach a total of $780 million annually over the next 20 years. John

Vater, the head of Ceviche Tours, founded the Whale Shark Festival.

At this festival, tourist can swim with whale sharks. Shark tourism

have whale sharks has the attraction because of their large size, slow

movements, and proximity to the surface. Whale sharks are filter

feeders that swim close to the surface to feed on plankton. Other

species of sharks have received attention as well. For example, great

white sharks have been spotted in New England. Areas in Cape Cod

have noticed an increase in shark tourism. (Geiling,2014)

.

Sharks play a huge part in the ecosystem. This picture shows how

sharks maintain the species below them in the food chain. (Shark

Business)

Shark tourism

is a popular

attraction in

some areas.

The decrease

of sharks can

negatively

affect shark

tourism.

(CNN)

Shark finning is practice of cutting of shark fins while the shark is

still alive. After the fins are cut off, the shark is thrown back in the

water alive. Some sharks starve to death, get eaten by other fish or

drown. Sharks drown because they need to keep moving to have

water flow through gills to receive oxygen. Without fins, the sharks

will drown. (www.sharkfinning.net). The fins compose less than

5% of the body but have more financial value. Shark fins can be

worth up to $650 USD per kilogram. The pectoral fin of a whale

shark can be worth up to $50,000 USD. The pectoral fin of a

basking shark can be worth up to $50,000 USD. However, the rest

of the body has less financial value, costing around 0.89$ USD per

kilogram. Shark finning requires less space on boats because

fishermen do not have to transport the entire shark. (SharkTruth)

Financial Value of Shark Fins

This picture was taken on January 2nd, 2013 in Hong Kong, one of the

biggest markets for shark fins. There are different types of shark fins

on the boat, depicting the importance of the fins. (Antony Dickenson)