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The
Extinction of Sharks
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Over 100 million sharks are killed
annually. Partly because of their fins for shark fish fin soup, as bycatch in
up to 40 miles long driftnets of enormous fishing fleets, for medically completely
ineffective cartilage powder or by the destruction of their habitats.
You will find shark products often at unexpected places as in restaurants, snack
bars or supermarkets. Shark meat is offered also under various other names as
Smoked Rock Salmon, Smoked Dogfish, a component of Fish & Chips or Imitation
Crab Meat (Surimi). Also the worldwide protected and extremely threatened whale
shark is on the Asian market (mainly Taiwan and Japan) still offered as Tofu
Shark.
Besides the British the Germans consume most spiny dogfish. They produce the
so-called "Schillerlocken" out of the sharks belly. The British use
the spiny dogfish for "Fish & Chips ". This kind of shark is strongly
overfished and its existence in the Northeast Atlantic decreased in the last
40 years by 90 percent.
Principal customers for shark fins are mainly eastern cultures in which shark
fin soup represents a cultural meal. It is a remarkable fact that a shark fin,
which consists to 90% out of cartilage, is extensively tasteless and only after
days of boiling up in a broth becomes soft and gets the taste of the broth.
Today shark fin soup is a status symbol because of the strongly risen prices
within the last few years.
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We can find shark products
also in dog fodder, fish flour and even in fertilizers. From shark skin leather
products such as purses, shoes or clock bracelets are produced.
Shark liver oil is frequently a component of the well-known cod-liver oil. In
the health sector shark cartilage powders is marketed as fit making food additive
although shark cartilages contains absolutely no fit making or other wholesome
ingredients.
Most problematic is the marketing of shark cartilage as an anti-cancer means.
The publication "Cancer Research" published in December 2004 confirms
that shark cartilage preparations showed absolutely no effect against cancer.
However in the gel sector (food/pharmacy) shark collagen has few market chances
although particularly Spain tries to penetrate into the market with shark collagen.
Spain, one of the world largest shark fin producer, has 2002 forbidden
to bring only the fins of sharks ashore. According to law the whole shark bodies
must be brought now ashore. This leads now ridiculous-proves to the fact that
out of the bodies the completely ineffective cartilage powder is made perforce.
In the cosmetics sector from shark cartilage won collagen is used for anti-fold
creams and other preparations. Collagen from sharks is free of BSE and more
kosher which makes it interesting for the Arab and Israeli markets.
(Source: Shark Foundation)
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Finning is called as the cruel cutting
off the fins of the sharks. Often the sharks are still alive at this time. The
trunk of the shark (dead or alive) is then thrown as redundant ballast over
board. The shark fins constitute only approx. 14% of the total weight of a shark
but bring in on the international market substantially more than shark meat.
The fins are used exclusively for shark fish fin soup. Finning is cruelly however
lucrative; for a kilo of shark fins in Asia an average over 100 US Dollar is
paid.
Hong Kong and the mainland China dominate
the world-wide shark fin market to
50%. Statistics from Taiwan, Singapore
and Hong Kong point a growth like
an explosion of the trade with shark
fins.
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Already 1999 according to official
data of the customs authorities of
Hong Kong 6954 tons of shark fins
were released for the re-export. The
number of exported fins might have
increased by a multiple since then.
They predominantly go to Taiwan, Singapore,
Malaysia, Korea and China.
Taiwan ranks at place five in the
world-wide shark fin trade. It maintains
the world-wide largest fishing fleet,
which fishes primarily in international
waters, far away from the own territorial
waters.
(Source: Shark Foundation)
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The shark existence of the east coast
of the USA decreased in the last 15 years substantially. The number of the hammerhead
sharks sank around 89%, those of the thresher sharks around 80%, those of the
great white sharks around 79%. The populations of the mako sharks, blue sharks
and tiger sharks sank around 40-65%. The existence of the sandbar sharks were
reduced in the last 10 years by overfishing by 85-90%.
Canadian researchers announce a decrease of the oceanic whitetip shark by around
99%. They are almost extinguished in certain regions already.
Sharks are not only caught actively for their meat, fins or cartilages. Millions
of sharks die as non-usable catch (bycatch) in the nets and longlines of the
swimming fish factories.
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In the year 1991 the
longline fishery brought in 8.3 million sharks world-wide. It is assumed that
about half of it were blue sharks. More than 87% of these 8.3 million sharks
were thrown away!
In the USA, along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, annually approx.
2.5 million sharks are fished by sportfishing (game fishing). From that approx.
20-40% (500'000 - 1'000'000 sharks) got killed.
The population of all sorts of sharks is worldwide extremely threatened. In
total 82 shark and ray species are registered on the so called "Red List"
of the World Conservation Union.
(Source: Shark Foundation)
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Each second
3 sharks get killed by man!
Since you are watching this page clock2
sharks got killed!!
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Sharks can not longer compensate the losses
which experience them in all their habitats. Many kinds of sharks are threatened,
some apply already today as biological extinct!
Particularly from China, where the need of luxury goods and status symbols strongly
increased with the introduction of the free market, threatens now the final
out for the sharks. If, according to newest studies, the Chinese economy and
the associated prosperity should continue equally, in approx. 5 years about
250 million Chinese will be financially able to afford shark fin soup regularly.
The fishery and the world-wide operating shark fin dealers get already prepared
to supply them "on time". This time might be the definitive end for
the sharks!
Of course it's the right of everybody to eat whatever he wants. But it is also
the right of our next generation to see and discover these animals where they
belong to and not just knowing them from books or television. |
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