Sharks are often misunderstood and feared animals, but they are actually an essential part of the ocean's ecosystem. As apex ( top of the food chain ) predators, they help to control the amount of other marine animals such as seals and sardines, keeping the food chain from tumbling out of control. Without sharks, the populations of their food would grow like grass, leading to overfeeding of the other sea creatures, and great reduction of the sea's resources. Sharks are also a super cool marine mammal, one of my favourites.
Despite their scathing importance, sharks are facing threats from different sectors, some examples would be : Overfishing, Habitat destruction, and overconsumption are all taking a toll on shark populations all over the world.
Here are some numbers
30 percent of all shark and manta ray species are endangered or near-endangered with extinction.
75 million sharks are killed every year for use in shark consumption companies and demand for shark fins
Only Nine species are protected by law.
Fifty Percent of all sharks captured are caught unintentionally by fishing gear then thrown overboard, dying slowly, as the sea monsters get picked apart by smaller creatures of the ocean, suffering a slow and painful death, the absolute worst kind. Imagine that happening to you, dear readers.
Overconsumption
In China, Shark Fin Soup is very popular for important occasions such as weddings, birthdays and banquets. Many people do indeed believe the conspiracy that shark fin actually does taste good, while it actually is just tasteless cartilage ( soft bone ) , that many years ago the Emperor of China ate, and in turn the people would want to eat what the emperor wants. So far, only 4 out of the four thousand seafood restaurants in Hong Kong have resorted to taking shark items off the menu. Shark Fin is also high in arsenic, lead and other poisons which is also a big downside to eating it.
“In 2016, the NGO WildAid tested samples of raw shark fin samples from Hong Kong and Taiwan dried seafood markets and found that all contained above the permissible amounts for arsenic and more than half exceeded levels for cadmium, a known carcinogen.” said CNN
Have you ever eaten fish and chips at a restaurant ?
Chances are, you may have eaten shark, let me explain. In the early 1990s, due to extreme overfishing, supply of cod fish was super low, and in turn very very expensive. The shortage still runs to this day. Many restaurants affected, in different parts of the world, then resorted to using cheaper fish ( Shark ), which were probably not mentioned by the supplier. Many endangered species such as Hammerhead and Mako, have been found after tests. You may not have noticed, as they sell under names that would give little to none suspicion.
As SKY news puts it “Endangered shark meat sold in Australian fish and chip shops, study finds. Researchers from the University of Adelaide found meat from four threatened species, including the shortfin mako shark and smooth hammerhead, being sold as "flake" in some takeaways in South Australia. ” Crazy right ! Another example of eating shark would be Ceviche, an innocent looking dish, but in many poor areas, where shark is cheap, shark is added. Ceviche is popular in the country of Brazil, which is the number one consumer of shark products. This is only for one word, MONEY, which is just toxic to sharks and the environments.
Other Goods
In South Korea, where the cosmetics industry is booming, many kinds of Lipstick contain part of shark, as it gives more moisture. It is not just lipstick, even makeup, moisturisers, creams and even paints are huge culprits of dead sharks. Outside of cosmetics, expensive bags and shoes made out of shark leather are being sold, there is probably a shop near you. That is exactly why we have to be smart consumers and check the label. A final use is Shark Liver (squalene) which is promoted as a healing additive, with no scientific proof. This is mad. Squalene comes from Shark Liver, which keeps the animal buoyant( floating ) and if the liver is extracted for the impractical squalene, the shark sinks and dies.
Overfishing and Habitat damage
As I mentioned before, Overfishing is a big problem. I have talked about Fish overfishing, would like to say another word. When large amounts of Fish are hauled up onto big, giant fishing trawlers do not just take fish, but many endangered animals, such as sea turtles and Sharks around, causing them to tangle into the nets, make scars and get the sharks injured, and also reduce the fish in the ocean. You might say it is the food chain, but we have crossed the line, and taken too much, way too much. An example would be the Third runway expansion in Hong Kong. The rare pink dolphins native are losing their habitats, and almost have no space at all to live or breathe. This causes them to pass away and feel claustrophobic. This is the same for many shark habitats around the world, who are not just affected by development, but by plastic pollution, and air pollution below.
Sharks are not mean
You may have heard the stereotype about sharks being fierce creatures who want to kill you. Let me debunk this myth. If you are swimming on a surfboard or even swimming, you may look like their normal prey, a seal, and go for you. They do not have any interest in harming or attacking you. Per year, there are only six deaths caused by sharks in the whole world, compared to a giant 38,824 people dying from car accidents in the United States Of America Alone.
How you can help
If you feel hopeless after reading this article you are not alone.
Here are some ways you can help. Dear reader, you could do a beach clean up to help preserve shark habitat, raise money, and tell your class/ office about shark conservation to raise awareness. To stop sharks being held in captive in marine zoos, simply stop visiting them.
No matter how small you are, you can make a difference.
This article is dedicated to HKSF ( Hong Kong Shark Foundation) for raising shark awareness
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