Sharks are in Danger

100 million sharks are killed each

year-by longlines, by "sport" fishermen, or by a barbaric practice known as

shark finning. Hooked sharks are hauled onto boats their fins are sliced off

while they are still alive. These helpless animals are then tossed back into the

ocean where, unable to swim without their fins, they sink towards the bottom and

die an agonizing death.



Half of the oxygen we need for survival is produced via phytoplankton

photosynthesis. Photoplankton is responsible for taking in carbon dioxide

molecules and turning them into oxygen. Millions of these tiny marine plants

drift near the ocean’s surface. Tiny animals called zooplankton eat the

photoplankton, as well as clams and other small fish. Jellyfish, some whales and

other fish in turn eat the zooplankton. Larger fish eat the animals that feed

off of the zooplankton and so forth and so on. Any link in this food chain that

is missing will create an imbalance.



Sharks control the population of

species that feed off photoplankton. With a decline in the shark population,

there is going to be a steady decline of photoplankton, therefore affecting the

oxygen levels of the oceans. Oxygen on Earth is very dependent on the oxygen of

the ocean. If we neglect this fact, we are bringing death to the Earth.

Sharks have been part of our ocean’s ecosystems for 420 million years. The practice of shark finning is depleting the

ocean’s shark population by over 70 million. Sharks are slaughtered to meet

consumer demand, most are killed just for their fins. As a result, Some species

of sharks have reduced over 90% in population for a bowl of soup that has no

scientifically proven nutritional value.



In short, the

world’s fishing fleets are killing sharks faster than they can reproduce and

nature can’t keep up. Unless this

situation is halted, shark populations face

certain extinction.