Poor Sharks

Where should I begin? The sharks…are dying! Okay, there, it’s all out in the open now. Whew, that feels better. Now…the question is what are we going to do about it? “Nothing” you say? “Because they eat people,” you add? Well, I’m not here to go into detail about how us humans are encroaching upon their marine territory, trying to claim their rightful habitat as our own. Nor will I mention the fact that we jump into the water flailing and wallowing around like seals, their natural prey. How dare they get confused by these willing intruders that have appeared in their rightful home resembling their dinner. In reality the “Jaws” hype of killer sharks is completely unwarranted, considering that being killed by a shark is far less likely than being struck by lightning or being killed by a pet dog in your neighborhood, with less than one person being killed by a shark per year, and most attacks being non-fatal exploratory bites. So do they really deserve this? :

I don’t think so, and neither does WildAid. That is why they began the “Say no to Shark Fin Soup” campaign to protect the sharks from who else but us, mankind. We’ve hunted these animals to near extinction, the great white shark being especially close to termination with less than 3500 great whites left in the wild. Studies suggest that tigers are more numerous than great whites at this time, due to the public stigma against these oh so “dangerous” creatures.

Some people are already on board with this campaign, Hawaii being the first state to put a legal ban on shark fin. This makes them the global leader of shark conservation.

Global - pertaining to the whole world; worldwide; universal

That’s right…the US’s fourth smallest state is the WORLDWIDE leader of the conservation of an animal that resides all over the planet. They’re ranked higher than countries all over the globe; a fact that they know all too well. “Globally shark catches are unregulated and unsustainable. The shark fin trade is completely unregulated worldwide. This is a first step in giving sharks a future,” says Stefanie Brendl of Shark Alliance. Sharks have been around for around 400 million years, and are their future is being threatened by a race to which they outdate by over 100 thousand years. A whole species is being destroyed, all for a tasteless piece of flesh.

WildAid is putting its best foot forward to abolish the shark fin trade. They are constantly fishing for international cooperation for this cause, looking to sign treaties and international agreements for shark protection. They’re putting forward money to assist marine reserves that are protecting specific species of sharks. They have elevated the international profile and highlighted the importance of globally conserving sharks as a whole since the year 2000. They have achieved finning legislation in the European union, international protection for two shark species, and a significant decrease in shark fin consumption in Asian Countries. They are currently focusing on Central and South America, that’s right in our backyard, which are major sources of shark finning. They are also continuing their primary attack against the consumer base of this vile industry to reduce demand for said product, but will it work?

With less than 3500 great whites left in the wild, and other species facing a 99% decline, it’s now or never. WildAid is doing all that they can, but they can not do it alone. The sharks are fighting for their lives and its time that we fight too. We must fight back before we lose a vital part of our surroundings. Sharks are key players in the marine ecosystem, and the destruction of their population can, and will eventually, end in complete and utter disaster.