"I Like Sharks in the Ocean, Not in My Soup"

Shark.

When you read that word, you probably thought of one thing—an enormous great white shark, flashing its malicious, toothy grin, or perhaps attacking a surfer. Maybe you thought of a tiger or bull shark, or maybe even an oceanic whitetip, all of which can also be dangerous.

But I’m prepared to bet that you gave no thought about the other 436 species of sharks, which do not pose a threat to humans. Most of their populations, however, are on the decline, and a major reason for this is the practice of shark finning.

Shark finning, if you are unaware, is the practice of catching a shark and cutting off its fins, and often throwing the living, finless shark back into the water. (CNN). Scientists estimate that up to 73 million of these oceanic predators are killed annually to be sold for shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy denoting wealth and status (New York Times).

Because most people think of sharks as mindless eating machines, little has been done in the past to protect these apex predators—something that is necessary for the health of the oceans. Progress is being made, however, even if it is slow and long overdue. In the U.S. Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington have each banned the sale, trading, possession, and distribution of shark fins, and Florida, Maryland, Illinois, and Virginia have legislation pending (New York Times).

While there will, of course, be opponents of these bills, it is vital for them to be passed. Few people realize that stopping the trade of shark finning would actually help all other fishing trades, and therefore our country’s general economy. Being apex predators, sharks contribute to the environment by killing off weak and sick fish, and also by controlling all fish populations. If sharks were to disappear from the oceans—something that is rapidly becoming more possible—fish populations would become imbalanced and out of control, ruining the fishing industry.

Hopefully, the new proposal of an anti-shark fin bill in New York will help more people realize that these fascinating creatures of the sea are valuable, and should not be driven to extinction-especially in such a brutal fashion. Perhaps people will begin to stop viewing all sharks as the stuff of horror movies—though that discussion is for another time.