Here you’ll come to know some of the most interesting shark finning facts. Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins with the rest of the shark normally being discarded at sea. This is, indeed a cruel and wasteful practice for it makes use of 2 to 5% of the shark while the entire sharks are being wasted. Finning imposes a real threat not only on the shark’s population but also on the ecosystems, recreational fisheries, and other sustainable traditional fisheries. Currently, the shark fins are valuable so much so that the prices have a dramatic increase.
How many sharks are subject to shark fins each year in the Mediterranean region is still unknown. On the positive side, the International Council for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas imposed a ban on shark finning in the Mediterranean Sea and thus the practice is no longer common.
Shark Finning Facts
As a result of shark finning, sharks are now at the verge of extinction. Ban is also imposed on selling, trading, possessing of shark fins in Washington, California, Guam, and Hawaii. The trend to eradicate this practice is increasing in the masses. Several conservation groups are working to put an end to shark finning once and for all; some of these are WildAid and Sea Stewards.
Humans kill millions of sharks each year most of which are commercially significant for shark fins, oil, cartilage, folk treatments, and skin.
One of the largest hubs of shark finning is Hong Kong where 50 to 80% of fins are traded globally. Today, the European Union provides 27% of the entire fins to Hong Kong.
The reproductive life of sharks is also responsible for this much exploitation since basking sharks reach the maturity age after 15 to 20 years, with a gestation period lasts for 2 to 3 years producing 4 to 6 pups.
These fins claim less than 5% of the whole shark’s body weight.
According to the report, sharks living in the Atlantic waters have declined by 90% in the last 15 years.
A single set of shark fins is worth of US $700 per kilogram, with the Hammerhead Shark fins are the most valued by weight.
The whale shark fin is worth a US $15,000.
Unfortunately, it’s not illegal to sell shark products including shark fin soup unless the product is made from a threatened species. The European Union legislation is the weakest in the world.
Read More: Greenland Shark facts for kids
Image Courtesy of wildaid.org
Why Oppose Shark Finning? Shark Finning Facts
Although sharks are still alive without their fins but now it will be difficult for them to swim. Finning is a real wasteful practice since it covers less than 5% of the entire shark’s weight.
Sharks play a pivotal role in keeping a balance in the ecosystem by keeping the prey population in check. Shark’s extinction could mean that they have a damaging effect on marine ecosystems.
Real Shark Finning Facts
Although sharks are regarded as one of the most fearsome marine predators but their survival is certainly under question. The shark finning implies eliminating and retaining shark fins and the rest of the shark’s body is disposed of in the ocean. Nevertheless, the practice of shark finning has been banned in few countries as they insist on bringing the entire shark’s body to the port before removing the fins. Although sharks can still survive without fins but now they cannot move usually as they did before; besides, chances are there that they might be preyed upon by other potential predators.
One of the foremost reasons for the increased-level of shark finning is the rise in its commercial demand as these fins are employed for conventional cures and shark fin soup. The shark fins are traded for 540 million dollars to 1.2 billion dollars. These fins are regarded as the most expensive seafood products globally. The shark finning is prohibited across the United States. According to a study, around 26 – 73 million sharks are picked for their fins each year. Sharks that are frequently finned are thresher, blue sharks, blacktip, mako, hammerhead, sandbar, bull, porbeagle sharks.
These shark fins do not provide any taste but they are highly in demand as they’re served in special occasions in Asian cultures. Never mind the cruelty contained in slicing off a live animal’s body and returning it to the water where it likely won’t survive. This is one of the widespread causes of the major decline in the shark’s population. Sharks have long been recognized as the ferocious marine mammals and they also play pivotal role in the ocean web food.
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