Did you know sharks existed even before the the dinosaurs, so why kill them now? Today I am going to tell you why shark finning should be banned. If you listen I will tell you the process of shark finning, why people shark fin and how we can help.
The process of shark finning is mean and cruel. It is the practice of slicing off the shark’s fin while it is still alive and throwing the rest of the body back in the water, leaving it to die for days in an agonising death. Imagine your arms and legs cut off and you are left on the street crying for help.
Why do we shark fin? There is only one reason, and it is for the soup. However, the only taste in the soup is from ham or chicken stock rather than the shark fin. The main reason people add shark fin to the soup is for its texture which is said to be somewhere in between gelatinious and crunchy.
The other reason is that one pound of dried shark fin retails from $300 or more. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry.
Moreover shark fin is a symbol of class and wealth. Eating shark fin started off in the Sung dynasty by an emperor who wanted to show that he was powerful and rich to his banquet guests. Therefore serving the expensive dish was reconised as a sign of respect.
Fear and the perception that sharks are vicious and blood-thirsty also contribute to their slaughter. But why? In fact no more than twelve people a year are killed by sharks worldwide compared to the 100 million sharks we kill. Did you know it is more dangerous to play a game of golf than swim in a ocean with sharks. More golfers are struck by lightning and killed each year than the total number of shark fatalities. Many more humans are struck and killed by boats every year than are attacked by sharks.
Now I’m going to tell you how we can put a stop to shark finning. Most importantly, don’t eat shark fin soup! Talk to your friends about shark fin soup and remember friends don’t let friends eat shark fin soup. Don’t patronise restaurants that serve the dish. If you live near a restaurant that serves shark fin soup, talk to the owner about shark finning and politely ask them to remove shark fin soup from the menu. Very often people are unaware of the effect that their eating habits have on the environment. There are also many organisations fighting to save marine wildlife such as Sea Shepherd, The Humane Society International and Wild Aid.
I strongly believe we should take action and save sharks from being extinct. Extinction could cause the collapse of fisheries and the death of coral reefs. So save the sharks !!!!!!!
