Shark Conservation:
So far in the process of my research, there's one thing that has been clearly established. The perception towards sharks by humans is almost entirely due to their lack of awareness toward shark behavior. The movies only show us what sharks do to humans. But do are they aware of what humans do to them? The next step in this area of research for me will be to focus on the human activities that have directly led to the demise of these now endangered animals.
A new phenomenon and obsession with sharks have become surprisingly popular amongst our society today. Shark silhouettes and varieties of sharks are proudly promoted on t-shirts, bumper stickers, sport team logos, etc.
But did you know you can find them on a menu? That's right. Restaurants in many parts of the world include endangered shark species on the menu. Not for the whole shark, but only for the fins, to make shark fin soup, a popular dish in certain Asian countries. This involves fishermen cutting off the fins of the sharks and then tossing their bodies back into the ocean, leaving them to die. This is unfortunately a practice of cruelty that is accepted in many parts of the world where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy.
Shark fin soup originated in the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century. Originally enjoyed by the nobility and aristocracy, as sharks were rare and hard to catch. During the Qing Dynasty of the 18th & 19th centuries more and more people began to consume shark fin soup. The increase in commercial fishing and trade during this time only increased the availability of the fins. It was then that Chinese traditional medicine made it part of the treatment for many ailments. Shark fins, in Chinese medicine, are believed to prevent cancer, heart disease, lower cholesterol, improve all major organs.
When the Chinese economy boomed during the mid 80's, the demand shark fin soup more than doubled. As a result, so did the hunting of these animals, leading to a rapid depletion for some species by 95% over the next two decades. Fishermen in Asia have been noteworthy of being secretive about overfishing sharks. This is why it took so long for the people of China to figure out where this dish came from. A recent poll showed that roughly 75% of Chinese residents didn't know that soup meat came from sharks, as it's simply referred to as "fish wing soup" in most cases. 19% of these people also thought that shark fins would grow back.
Once people saw the damage this was doing to the shark populations, China prohibited the serving of shark fin soup at state banquets, while also banning the importation of shark fins into the country by air carriers. Today, a total of 21 countries, including the US, have restrictions against shark finning. Yet it hasn't been enough to lower the demands in China and Vietnam, both of which still pose a clear threat to the future of sharks.
Shark are still known to be captured by illegal fishing vessels, often coming in with thousands of sharks per vessel. Fishermen are bringing the carcasses back so as to convince people that they're using the whole body of the shark as restaurant seafood. In reality, however, this has been proven to be a cover up, so they can de-fin the sharks later without people noticing.
It's time that we start stepping up to the plate to put an official end to the continuous culling of these creatures. It's almost as if these people don't care about whether or not sharks are important toward the environment. They're just in it for the profit, as they know the demand for these animals is relatively high in the fishing industry, so they'll just go for whatever money-making opportunity they can get. That's something that has become a major problem in today's society. We only pay attention to how something will affect us right now, and ignore the effect it will have on us in the long run.
There is truly a need for humans to understand the seriousness of this problem. The killing off of sharks, mostly in Asian and Indonesian waters, although shark fishing tournaments around the world and close to home, does impact our immediate future. The balance of nature is fragile. Our oceans are vital to the worlds health. Our health. Yet, the ecosystem is taxed and stressed by pollutants, garbage, plastics, carbons, climate change. The human impact that has continued to cut into the chain of the health and well-being of the oceans ecosystem needs to cease in order to rebuild.
A new phenomenon and obsession with sharks have become surprisingly popular amongst our society today. Shark silhouettes and varieties of sharks are proudly promoted on t-shirts, bumper stickers, sport team logos, etc.
But did you know you can find them on a menu? That's right. Restaurants in many parts of the world include endangered shark species on the menu. Not for the whole shark, but only for the fins, to make shark fin soup, a popular dish in certain Asian countries. This involves fishermen cutting off the fins of the sharks and then tossing their bodies back into the ocean, leaving them to die. This is unfortunately a practice of cruelty that is accepted in many parts of the world where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy.
Shark fin soup originated in the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century. Originally enjoyed by the nobility and aristocracy, as sharks were rare and hard to catch. During the Qing Dynasty of the 18th & 19th centuries more and more people began to consume shark fin soup. The increase in commercial fishing and trade during this time only increased the availability of the fins. It was then that Chinese traditional medicine made it part of the treatment for many ailments. Shark fins, in Chinese medicine, are believed to prevent cancer, heart disease, lower cholesterol, improve all major organs.
When the Chinese economy boomed during the mid 80's, the demand shark fin soup more than doubled. As a result, so did the hunting of these animals, leading to a rapid depletion for some species by 95% over the next two decades. Fishermen in Asia have been noteworthy of being secretive about overfishing sharks. This is why it took so long for the people of China to figure out where this dish came from. A recent poll showed that roughly 75% of Chinese residents didn't know that soup meat came from sharks, as it's simply referred to as "fish wing soup" in most cases. 19% of these people also thought that shark fins would grow back.
Once people saw the damage this was doing to the shark populations, China prohibited the serving of shark fin soup at state banquets, while also banning the importation of shark fins into the country by air carriers. Today, a total of 21 countries, including the US, have restrictions against shark finning. Yet it hasn't been enough to lower the demands in China and Vietnam, both of which still pose a clear threat to the future of sharks.
Shark are still known to be captured by illegal fishing vessels, often coming in with thousands of sharks per vessel. Fishermen are bringing the carcasses back so as to convince people that they're using the whole body of the shark as restaurant seafood. In reality, however, this has been proven to be a cover up, so they can de-fin the sharks later without people noticing.
It's time that we start stepping up to the plate to put an official end to the continuous culling of these creatures. It's almost as if these people don't care about whether or not sharks are important toward the environment. They're just in it for the profit, as they know the demand for these animals is relatively high in the fishing industry, so they'll just go for whatever money-making opportunity they can get. That's something that has become a major problem in today's society. We only pay attention to how something will affect us right now, and ignore the effect it will have on us in the long run.
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