Overfishing

We see problems with overfishing among many of our aquatic animals. As fishing for food became more common at the peaks of our industrial age, the populations of many of these desired food sources plummeted and we saw an increasing extinction rate for these fish. Authors Darcy and Steven of an article titled “Extinction Risk: counting the cost of overfishing on sharks and rays” feel as though sharks are rays need to be advocated for. Sharks and rays share characteristics that make them vulnerable to extinction when being targeted for fishing (Bradley and Gaines, 2014). They mature later, have long gestation periods, and create few offspring (Bradley and Gaines, 2014). A sharks habitat also spans long ranges into more than one nation which makes efforts to protect them become more difficult as they now require international coordination (Bradley and Gaines, 2014).

Shark fin soup is a delicacy in Asia. Although the soup is rumored to have an unpleasant taste, it is still of high value and is observed as a status symbol to many high class individuals. To obtain the fins sharks are often caught, fins cut from their bodies, and thrown back into the waters to die a painful death instead of using parts of the shark for other purposes. This is a harsh and inhumane process that contributes to the declining population of sharks in our marine ecosystems which further cause indirect effects that change the ecosystem as a whole. Without sharks we could see a major change in our marine ecosystems. So if by any chance you are traveling in Asia and are offered this soup, SAY NO.