Shark Finning
Shark finning is the act of removing fins from sharks and discarding the rest of the shark. Oftentimes, the shark is thrown back into the ocean alive but dies within minutes. Without their fins, they bleed out or die of suffocation. Sometimes, they are eaten by other marine life as the smell of blood lures them in.
Why not just bring the whole shark aboard? Fins are much smaller, easier to transport, and are worth more than a shark carcass. Fins also make it difficult to identify which species it originates from. This allows the fisherperson to harvest endangered species because an untrained eye cannot tell which fin belongs to which species of shark.
It is estimated that 73-100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins (Fairclough, 2018).
This rate is unsustainable and is leading to the decimation of shark populations. Sharks are a k-selected species, which means that their lives feature slow growth, delayed maturation, long gestation periods, and the birth of few offspring. Other k-selected species include humans, horses, and elephants.
Examples of k-selected characteristics:
Lemon sharks sexually mature at around 13-15 years old, while a white shark matures at around 26-33 (NOAA, 2020).
The spiny dogfish has a gestation time of 2 years and the basking shark’s is estimated to be 2.6-3.5 years (Guy, 2017).
Sand tiger sharks can have a maximum of 2 pups at once and the dusky shark can only give birth to 3-16 pups every 2-3 years (NOAA, 2020).
Humans are killing sharks at a faster rate than they can reproduce. According to the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, 32% of sharks are threatened with extinction (IUCN, 2019).
Much of this demand is due to the demand for shark fin soup.
Shark fin soup is a delicacy dish in Chinese culture. The soup is a status symbol of wealth. It is often served at weddings, celebrations and holidays. The shark fins provide a stringy texture, but it is well-known that they offer no nutritional value or flavor. The taste of the soup comes from the broth itself. The dish is believed to have health benefits including an increase in sexual potency, improvement of skin, and prevention of heart disease. None of these claims have scientific evidence behind them and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have not confirmed any health benefits (Soest, 2016).
Why not just bring the whole shark aboard? Fins are much smaller, easier to transport, and are worth more than a shark carcass. Fins also make it difficult to identify which species it originates from. This allows the fisherperson to harvest endangered species because an untrained eye cannot tell which fin belongs to which species of shark.
It is estimated that 73-100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins (Fairclough, 2018).
This rate is unsustainable and is leading to the decimation of shark populations. Sharks are a k-selected species, which means that their lives feature slow growth, delayed maturation, long gestation periods, and the birth of few offspring. Other k-selected species include humans, horses, and elephants.
Examples of k-selected characteristics:
Lemon sharks sexually mature at around 13-15 years old, while a white shark matures at around 26-33 (NOAA, 2020).
The spiny dogfish has a gestation time of 2 years and the basking shark’s is estimated to be 2.6-3.5 years (Guy, 2017).
Sand tiger sharks can have a maximum of 2 pups at once and the dusky shark can only give birth to 3-16 pups every 2-3 years (NOAA, 2020).
Humans are killing sharks at a faster rate than they can reproduce. According to the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, 32% of sharks are threatened with extinction (IUCN, 2019).
Much of this demand is due to the demand for shark fin soup.
Shark fin soup is a delicacy dish in Chinese culture. The soup is a status symbol of wealth. It is often served at weddings, celebrations and holidays. The shark fins provide a stringy texture, but it is well-known that they offer no nutritional value or flavor. The taste of the soup comes from the broth itself. The dish is believed to have health benefits including an increase in sexual potency, improvement of skin, and prevention of heart disease. None of these claims have scientific evidence behind them and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have not confirmed any health benefits (Soest, 2016).