Shark Fins Essay

Submitted By lanebutler12
Words: 1097
Pages: 5
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Lane Butler
Mrs. Batzianis
Period 7
9 May 2011
Who’s the real animal? Shark attacks or attacks on sharks? People say that sharks are one of the most deadliest creatures on the planet. Every year around 60 shark attacks are reported worldwide The Florida Museum of Natural History compares these statistics with the much higher rate of deaths from other, less feared causes. For example, the average North American is about 15,000 times more likely to be killed in an automobile accident than in a shark attack. In comparison, 100 million sharks are killed every year by humans. Shark finning is the practice of slicing off the shark's fins while the shark is still alive and throwing the rest of its body back into the ocean where it can take days to die what must be an agonising death. Some sharks starve to death, others are slowly eaten by other fish, and some drown, because sharks need to keep moving to force water through their gills for oxygen. Shark fins are used as the principal ingredient of shark fin soup, an Asian "delicacy". Demand for shark fin soup has rocketed in recent years due to the increased prosperity of China and other countries in the Far East. Shark fin soup, which can easily cost $100 a bowl, is often served at wedding celebrations so that the hosts can impress their guests with their affluence. Because there is such a high demand for shark fins, traders can make a lot of money from shark fin, but it is the restaurant owners who really "make a killing" in this foul trade. Shark fins are known and claimed to be benifical to people's health, it supposedly brings nurishment from the fins. Based on Chinese medical books the shark fin includes skin rejuvenation, increased appetite, useful for energy, for kidney, lung, bone and other body parts. Presumably these health benefits derived from shark fins and snout made of cartilage. According to Shark Fin Cartilage Benefits, states that "sharks are known to have strong resistance to infection and immunity against cancer. Scientists trying to link this with proteins and minerals in shark fin cartilage." Although there is no evidence to support these claims and the reality is that shark meat is barely fit for human consumption. Shark fin contains significant amounts of mercury that may cause various health problems. According to Help Stop Shark Finning, states that "It is revealed that frequent consumption of shark fin soup may lead to sterility disorder in men, also the United States Environmental protection agency advises women and young children to stay clear of it." Because shark meat is worth much less, the now finless and often still-living sharks are thrown back into the sea to make room for more of the valuable fins. According to Stop Shark Finning it states that "In the ocean, the sharks either die from suffocation or are eaten because they are unable to move normally and slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is eaten alive by other fish." Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishers have only the fins to transport. Shark meat is considered low value and therefore not worth the cost of transporting the bulky shark bodies to market. Wasteful of protein and other shark-based products. Up to 99 per cent of the shark is thrown away. What are the benifits to the sharks? In the last few decades, the demand for shark fins has increased to a large extent. It is a multi-billion industry, in which one pound of dried shark fins is sold for as much as $300 and one bowl of shark fin soup costs about $350. According to Stop Shark Finning, describes that "Shark fin is one of the seafood products in the world's most expensive and most consumers of shark fin is China and Japan. While gaining money the ocean's sharks are decreasing. The loss and devastation of shark populations around the world. The massive quantity of sharks harvested and lack of selection deplete shark populations faster than their reproductive abilities can replenish populations.
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