Regulated shark trade may save endangered species
- By Bradnee Chambers
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, March 27, 2013
In the past sharks have been better known for their deadly attacks on surfers or as the main delicacy in shark fin soup, but what is now making headlines in the science sections of newspapers around the world is that prolonged over-fishing of sharks has led to the lowest shark populations ever seen.
A key international meeting in Thailand has taken steps that may finally put a stop to this.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) took a landmark decision this month to regulate the trade of some of the key species used in shark fin soup - something it has failed to do twice in the past.
The CITES meeting has already seen a welcome focus on wildlife crime, with stepped up efforts to reverse the dramatic increase in the poaching of African elephants and rhinos.
Importance of sharks
At first glance the importance of sharks might not be as readily apparent as other species. Some even regard sharks as a public menace, but they play a key role in the ecosystem.
As top predators they are crucial in keeping the overall natural balance in the oceans and maintain other species' populations from getting completely out of control.
Many local communities depend directly on shark species for their livelihoods through diving, shark-watching and ecotourism business activities.
Over 100 million sharks are caught every year. They are mostly fished for their prized fins which are used in shark fin soup.
When the sharks are caught their fins are sliced off, but their carcasses are then pitched back into the sea and completely wasted, and often they are still alive and are left to die a slow painful death.
"Finning," as it is called in the fishing industry, has become so popular that shark populations have plummeted to the point that over 30 per cent of the species are either near threatened or close to total extinction.
This is why it is crucial that some of the key threatened and near extinct species are put under protection by the CITES member countries. Already many key countries are aware of the problem and are working within their territorial waters to try and solve the issue.
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