What does "shark finning" mean?
The practice of shark finning consists of the terrible act of cutting the fins of a live shark and throwing the rest of the animal back into the sea, where it dies slowly and painfully. Fins are used mostly by several communities, as the main ingredient in shark fin soup. This soup is a traditional Chinese dish and serves as an indicator of social status, having no flavor or nutritional value.
The problem is not just the fact that the practice in question is inhumane. The problem is that humans are killing sharks at a much faster rate than the species itself can reproduce, which means a great risk of extinction.
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Why worry?
Many people are afraid of sharks and don't care if they survive or not. But ecologically, as top predators, their disappearance will disrupt entire marine ecosystems. From an economic perspective, these animals are worth more alive than dead, since shark diving has become a sustainable business, worth several million dollars, in contrast to the fleeting profits from shark finning .
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"Spiritually, an ocean without sharks is unthinkable - like the Serengeti without lions."
- Mark Carwardine
Are sharks being protected?
Although more than 100 species of sharks appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , less than half receive global protection.
In 1999, the UN developed the International Action Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, but no country is forced to participate and progress has been slow. In addition, shark legislation varies widely between states, from zero protection (in Hong Kong) to full protection (in the Bahamas).
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Recently, ANP | WWF , with the support of the Oceano Azul Foundation , released a report “ Sharks and rays: Guardians of the ocean in crisis ”, the first comprehensive study on the status of shark and rays populations in Portugal, on their fishing , trade and politics.
How can we reverse the problem?
Since the demand for shark fin soup is the problem, we have to reduce it. Fortunately, the consumption of this has decreased recently and many airlines and hotels have stopped serving it.
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However, despite progress, shark fin soup is still in high demand in many parts of the globe and shark finning is still happening. In addition, some consumers are starting to introduce shark meat into their diets, making it an increasingly popular trend.
In many countries, the shark meat trade has grown exponentially - so finning bans alone are not enough to reduce the number of sharks to be killed.