SAVE THE SHARKS!
Quoting yuumei of DeviantArt (http://yuumei.deviantart.com/)
"The ironic truth:
Ever since the movie, Jaws, people have had an irrational fear of sharks. The ironic truth is that humans are the ones killing off all the sharks. You’re more likely to die from lightning strikes or falling coconuts than sharks. There are only around 60 shark attacks per year, and only around 4 of those attacks are fatal. The shark attacks are usually accidents in which the shark mistakes a surfer for a seal. However, over 104,000,000 sharks are killed by humans every year.
Around 78 million of the 104 million dead sharks are killed only for their fins to be put into shark fin soup. The soup is a popular dish in Asian countries, and falsely believed to have health benefits such as sex life enhancement. Shark finning is the cruel act of cutting off the shark’s fins while it is still alive, then the still living shark is wastefully thrown back into the ocean to die a slow and painful death. Can you imagine the agony of someone chopping off your arms and legs and leaving you to bleed to death just so they can have a make believe better sex life?
The irony of the situation is that due to all the pollution we dump into the ocean, the sharks and other apex predators like dolphins and whales have accumulated a dangerous level of toxins such as mercury (this process called biomagnication is not as bad with fish on the lower food chain so we can still eat those). Eating animals like sharks can cause mercury poisoning, which will not only cause nerve damage and eventual retardation, but also decrease your sexual performance.
Why it matters to YOU:
Sharks are an important part of our ecosystem. They have been around for 430 million years, and that time, all of the ocean’s life have evolved around sharks. If sharks go extinct, the fragile balance of the ocean will be thrown into chaos. Without sharks to eat fish on the lower food chain, those fish will breed out of control and eat all the plankton that’s needed to produce oxygen.
Unlike some fish that lays thousands of eggs every year, sharks only produce 2-20 pups per year. If we catch them at the same rate as other fish we eat, they will go extinct. What worse is that people don’t even eat the shark itself, just the fins because they believe it will help their sex life.
How you can help:
Shark finning is technically banned in many countries, but there is no real effort to stop the illegal trade of shark fins. However, just by simply spreading awareness about the toxic truth behind shark fin soup, we can help bring down the demand for shark fins which will ultimately break down the illegal trade. If people are educated about the fact that shark fin soup doesn’t actually make them better at sex, and that it can actually poison them, then they will no long want to buy it.
A simple way to spread awareness is to post this picture on your own dA, blog, or website along with the info above. You have my full permission repost this drawing anywhere you want. Also tweet and facebook it to all your friends and family. The more people who knows, the more difference we can make!"
Quoting Humane Society International (http://www.hsi.org/issues/shark_finning ... nning.html)
"Every year, in oceans around the world, tens of millions of sharks are hunted to meet the demand for shark fin soup. Sharks’ fins are often removed when the animals are still alive; the sharks are then thrown back into the water to endure a painful death from suffocation, blood loss, or predation by other species.
Sharks are apex predators who play an essential role in marine ecosystems. The cruel and ecologically devastating practice of shark finning endangers their survival—and that of the species that rely on them."
"Sharks have roamed the oceans for millions of years. Today, one-fifth of nearly 550 species are threatened with extinction. In the United States, some populations have declined 90 percent in the last 30 years. Some are slaughtered for their fins (used for soup) and others are killed for sport in tournaments."
Quoting WorldAndI.com (http://www.worldandi.com/newhome/public ... /nspub.asp)
"Mention the word sharks, and what goes through your mind? The movie Jaws? Ferocious giants of the sea ripping up helpless swimmers, surfers, and boaters? The word is even applied to people who engage in extortion, preying on others through deceptive practices.
Yes, sharks are predators that occupy the top layer of the marine food web, and many are large and powerful enough to be capable of harming a person. Even so, only certain species pose a definite danger to people who venture into their habitat, while most are inoffensive. On a worldwide scale, the number of shark attacks on humans amounts to about 100 per year, of which only 5 to 15 are fatal. In most cases, the attack ends after the initial contact and the shark does not kill or eat the victim.
By comparison, many more people die each year from water-related activities that do not involve sharks. Even the number of casualties from lightning strikes is much higher. Unfortunately, each shark attack is sensationalized by the media, and these stories then shape public perception of sharks.
On the other hand, human activities exert a key influence on shark survival. In recent years, as fisheries relying on other types of fish have declined, shark captures--both intentional and accidental--have greatly increased. According to an estimate reported online by NOAA Fisheries, over 100 million sharks are killed each year. Consequently, populations of many species have been dramatically reduced.
To gain a better perspective on these conflicting issues, it is important to understand sharks in terms of their biological features, life cycles, dietary habits, and role in marine ecosystems. In addition, we need to consider how they are affected by commercial and recreational fishing."
Since 1950, the shark population has declined by 90 percent. They are pulled up to a boat, still alive, have their fins cut off and are thrown back into the sea to drown and/or bleed to death. Each year alone over 100 million are killed. Sharks attack a mere 100 people a year { Normally and mostly they do this as just bites out of curiousity to say what the person is. They don't have hands like us to figure it out. Also, They may mistake a person for a seal-but will abandon their attack as soon as they figure out that their "prey" is a human. } of which 5-15 are fatal.
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