Figure 1: shark fin soup (Source: Wikimedia Commons [accessed October 29, 2018])
Have you ever tried shark fin soup? A lot of people say it is very tasty but you know what, killing sharks for some delicacy? That does not really sound appetizing to me. Shark fin trade is the most common cause of shark population decline throughout the years. It is no surprise that sharks are now considered endangered and we need to do something as soon as possible.
Sharks are at top of the food chain and are considered “Kings of the Ocean”. They help control growing populations of invasive and potentially harmful species. Dr. Stuart Sandin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and his colleagues concluded that the decline in shark population may result in an ecological cascade that disrupts the marine food chain.
Sharks are natural predators but what makes them so important? They maintain the species below them in the food chain. Their predatory behavior attribute to the movements of different preys allowing variation of diet in the ocean. The decrease in shark population also resulted in the decline in seagrass and coral reefs, affecting many local fisheries.
Sharks mostly feed on rays. According to a North Carolina study, the decline in shark population increased the ray population. This resulted in a higher demand for scallops. The consumption of all available bay scallops forced the rays to find other bivalves for food. Local fisheries were forced to close as supply fails to meet demand.
Dr. Julia Baum and her colleagues were collecting data on swordfish and tuna from the United States open-ocean longline fleet. While conducting their study, they often caught sharks and recorded the data into their paper: ‘Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic’. This paper is cited more than 500 times and it summarizes the percentage decline of different shark populations in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean since the 1950s. This is shown on the table below:
Figure 2: Graph showing relative percent decline of shark populations in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (Figure by Jolean Endique; Data source: Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean by Dr. Julia Baum and her colleagues [accessed October 29, 2018])
According to the data presented, hammerhead sharks turn out to be the most vulnerable and is declining most rapidly than the other types.
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This image shows dead bodies of finless sharks laying across the ocean floor.
Figure 3: Image showing dead finless shark bodies laying across the ocean floor (Source: The Oceana Youtube Channel)
Who would leave these “Kings” lifeless at the bottom of the ocean? All this for a 100-dollar bowl of soup? Where did justice for these animals go? Shark fin soups must not be disguised as “fish wing soup” to raise awareness on shark fin trade. We need to start considering the impacts of harming these wonderful creatures. Those who are responsible for such cruel acts must realize that $100 is not worth a shark’s life. Shark fin trade must be officially banned for the sake of our marine ecosystem. Stricter fishing policies must be urgently implemented. Knowledge on shark fin trade must be disseminated especially to those who are uninformed.
