(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, August 12, 2013 ) San Francisco, CA -- Sharks are as fascinating as they are menacing. From hammerheads to great whites, sharks send fear into the hearts of even the bravest of souls. Still, most humans are interested in seeing sharks; so long as they are on television and a million miles away. While the movie “Jaws” continues to scare mass audiences in syndication, there is a new threat on the high seas. This, however, is not in the form of a shark but rather finning boats and shark poaching vessels.
Sharks are prehistoric creatures that have truly stood the test of time. With all the recent buzz about the Megalodon, there was a time when giant sharks blanketed the oceans and seas. As part of “Shark Week”, the Discovery Channel will pay homage to sharks of all shapes and sizes. This includes a special on the Megalodon, which dominated the oceans some 1.5 million years ago.
As we prepare to entertain our greatest fears, the sharks themselves are in great danger. In fact, a number of shark breeds are on the endangered species list. This is courtesy of finning, which kills 3 sharks per second. Like elephant poaching, shark finning is banned and outlawed in many countries. Sadly, this illegal and immoral act continues despite stringent warnings from the Shark Conservation Society and other shark and animal rights group.
Over the years, shark fin soup has become a popular delicacy in the Far East. While it’s certainly an acquired taste, thousands of sharks are massacred each year to meet this growing demand. Whether for fins or their meat, sharks have been targeted by finning boats at alarming rates. These fishermen, of course, are handsomely paid by investors that prefer to remain anonymous. While everyone stands to make a profit, it’s the shark that simply has to suffer. In fact, most sharks are alive when their fins are removed. This is both cruel and inhumane.
Shark meat and fins are also considered the most expensive seafood in the world. In fact, a bowl of shark fin soup costs anywhere from $70 to $150 in the U.S. For a nation that prohibits finning, it is amazing that shark fin soup is served at countless restaurants across the country. As long as the demand is there, however, the U.S. remains like any other country that is trying to salvage and save its shark population. According to finning boats and vessels, they believe the act of releasing the shark back into the water is humane.
Even if the sharks are released back into the water, however, they have little to no mobility. Without fins, sharks have no strategic guidance system to effectively navigate the waters. This renders sharks useless, along with making them the perfect prey for other predators. A number of sharks also succumb to their injuries and eventually die within the cold and dark waters.
