Every day, thousands of sharks have their fins cut off while they’re still alive.
Shark finning is the cruel practice of cutting off a live shark’s fins and then throwing the rest of the animal back into the sea. The immobilized and defenseless animals are then left to die a slow and painful death … sometimes eaten by other predators.
There is a high demand for fins in Chinese communities around the world as the main ingredient in shark-fin soup. The traditional Chinese dish dates back more than 1,000 years and is a rare delicacy once only consumed by the Chinese aristocracy.
Today the soup is still associated with privilege and social standing but its demand has sky-rocketed in the past 20 years. The explosive growth in the Chinese economy means hundreds of millions more people can now afford the luxurious soup that can cost up to $100 a bowl. Many eat it to celebrate at weddings, birthdays, banquets, and especially Chinese New Year.
It’s estimated that as many as 73 million sharks are killed for shark-fin soup every year — an amount that is pushing many shark species to the brink of extinction.
Check out this troubling video …
Because many people fear sharks, the poor animals don’t get the empathy other animals get … And many people don’t care whether sharks survive or not. What they don’t know, however, is that the disappearance of sharks would disrupt entire ocean ecosystems. These beautiful animals are top predators and important for the ocean’s lifecycle.
Sharks are highly intelligent, aware, and emotional beings that experience the world in ways we can’t even benign to imagine.
In 1999, the UN developed the International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks but no country is forced to participate and progress has been slow. Aside from that, shark legislation varies greatly between states, some providing no protection and some provide full protection.
At Karmagawa and SaveTheReef, we are saddened by the practice of shark finning. It’s such a cruel way to die and no animal should suffer so viciously. We’re using our channels to bring attention to it so that more people can learn what’s going on.
Please follow us on Twitter and Instagram and stay informed of what is happening to animals all around the world.
Also … please spread our information so that your friends and family are aware, as well.
Have them watch this powerful video …
The director of this video, Amir Zakeri, created a masterclass for anyone in the Karmagawa and SaveTheReef community who would like to tell visual stories about the causes they care about. If you’re interested, here’s 50% off.
All proceeds go to great causes, so don’t hesitate. Get started now!
What do you think about the shark finning and the pain that these sharks have experienced? Leave a comment below.
(Cover image: CatwalkPhotos/Shutterstock)