The Effects of Shark Finning An ecosystem is an environment in which a community of organisms live in. Our ecosystem is threatened by a numerous of things. If the ecosystem is put off balance or destroyed, it could disrupt the food chain and cause several shortages. The act of shark finning is one of these factors disrupting our ecosystem. Fishermen harmfully reap the fins of sharks for money. This cruelty is only for one meal called shark fin soup. It is an old asian delicacy that is still around today. If shark finning continues and sharks are led to extinction, the ocean would not operate correctly causing the ecosystem to be put off balance. Shark finning is banned in some countries and it has improved their surrounding areas. Sharks are
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In other countries there are restrictions or it is allowed. When shark finning is restricted in different countries there are still plenty of loopholes allowing fishermen to continue their work. With these loopholes it allows fishermen to land sharks in full so they can get away with collecting the fins. Shelley Clarke, a part of the Oceanic Fisheries Program and secretariat of the Pacific Community discovered data in 2009 that “finned sharks accounted for 43% of sharks that were recorded by observers. In 2010 less finning was recorded but shark retention (keeping dead sharks in whole form) increased such that overall mortality remained stable” (Clarke). Even though shark finning was restricted these fishermen still continued to do their job but worked around the law. The amount of cruelty is still at the same rate, but it is recorded differently. Other than restrictions on shark finning there are global protections of shark species. These protections allow for only a handful of shark species to be protected globally by an agreement through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (Cains). Bans have been enacted on only a few species allowing other species to be hunted down more. It would be more beneficial for the ecosystem if all species are banned instead of a handful. The United States Congress supplied data about the shark finning in Hawaii through a shark finning …show more content…
As fishermen are doing their jobs, the shark population is dropping catastrophically. The environmental engineer and writer of Scientific and Educational Publications talked about the shark numbers in the ocean and that the “populations of dusky, oceanic whitetip, and silky sharks in the Gulf of Mexico have declined by 79% to 97% since the 1950s due to overfishing. Massive declines are also reported over the same time period for blue, mako, oceanic whitetip, silky, and thresher sharks in the tropical Pacific Ocean” (“Threats to Aquatic Environments”). As the fishermen continue their job the percentages a dropping more. The lowering percentage is not only directed to one shark species. There are several species affected by the process of shark finning. As the shark species lower in numbers they will soon go extinct. Europe has relentlessly continued with the action of shark finning. A study has found that due to the continuation of shark finning in Europe, they are increasing the extinction of different shark species. (Connor). Knowing the relationship between cause and effect can create the conclusion that shark finning is a factor that causes the extinction of shark species. Therefore, stopping this cause will lead to a regrowth in shark populations. Shark finning does indeed supply a downgrade in shark population, but the sharks reproduction is not
In other countries there are restrictions or it is allowed. When shark finning is restricted in different countries there are still plenty of loopholes allowing fishermen to continue their work. With these loopholes it allows fishermen to land sharks in full so they can get away with collecting the fins. Shelley Clarke, a part of the Oceanic Fisheries Program and secretariat of the Pacific Community discovered data in 2009 that “finned sharks accounted for 43% of sharks that were recorded by observers. In 2010 less finning was recorded but shark retention (keeping dead sharks in whole form) increased such that overall mortality remained stable” (Clarke). Even though shark finning was restricted these fishermen still continued to do their job but worked around the law. The amount of cruelty is still at the same rate, but it is recorded differently. Other than restrictions on shark finning there are global protections of shark species. These protections allow for only a handful of shark species to be protected globally by an agreement through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (Cains). Bans have been enacted on only a few species allowing other species to be hunted down more. It would be more beneficial for the ecosystem if all species are banned instead of a handful. The United States Congress supplied data about the shark finning in Hawaii through a shark finning …show more content…
As fishermen are doing their jobs, the shark population is dropping catastrophically. The environmental engineer and writer of Scientific and Educational Publications talked about the shark numbers in the ocean and that the “populations of dusky, oceanic whitetip, and silky sharks in the Gulf of Mexico have declined by 79% to 97% since the 1950s due to overfishing. Massive declines are also reported over the same time period for blue, mako, oceanic whitetip, silky, and thresher sharks in the tropical Pacific Ocean” (“Threats to Aquatic Environments”). As the fishermen continue their job the percentages a dropping more. The lowering percentage is not only directed to one shark species. There are several species affected by the process of shark finning. As the shark species lower in numbers they will soon go extinct. Europe has relentlessly continued with the action of shark finning. A study has found that due to the continuation of shark finning in Europe, they are increasing the extinction of different shark species. (Connor). Knowing the relationship between cause and effect can create the conclusion that shark finning is a factor that causes the extinction of shark species. Therefore, stopping this cause will lead to a regrowth in shark populations. Shark finning does indeed supply a downgrade in shark population, but the sharks reproduction is not