Shark Finning

Sharks worldwide are dying out because of shark finning. Shark fins are harvested from various species of sharks by fishermen in Europe.

10  to 100 million sharks die every year just for their fins to be harvested. When brought aboard, only some survive while having their fins cut. When they are dumped back into the sea, they slowly drop into the bottom of the sea, where they bleed out, die of starvation or killed by predators / scavengers. 3 sharks every second are in the operation of having their fins cut off by fishermen.

When the fins are sold to restaurants, they are boiled then made into soup. The dish is very common in the East Asian Cuisine. The fin is like a decoration for the soup. People who have eaten the fin described it as tasteless.The taste of the soup is mainly from other ingredients. Shark fin soup is sold for $350 a bowl! In the olden days, shark fin soup was only eaten by rich and wealthy people because of the cost.

Even though shark finning is reducing the shark population, the fins are also used its medicinal value. It prevents  heart disease, increases energy for kidneys, lungs, bone etc. Shark fins, believe it or not, actually contain a little more iron, riboflavin (vitamin B),  and zinc, but also a bit of phosphorus (phosphorus is poisonous).

Sharks should live freely through the ocean. They have done nothing wrong to have their fins cut off. If fishermen do still cut off shark fins, they should at least cut off only one fin at a time with a limit of 3 fins a week. The fins cut off should only be used for medical purposes.