I don`t know enough to say to much about it. All I do know is that sharks are an important part of the food chain, its important they are preserved for many other species as well.
On a personal note I think sharks are very interesting animals, I`ve always been intrigued by them.
When it comes to trying to keep animals from getting extinct I don`t know....
Part of me want to save atleast the pretty and cute ones (like elephants), but when it comes down to it, nature selects species to die out for a reason. Its all part of evolution and we probably shouldn`t try to manipulate everything about it. Ofcourse elephants are somewhat a bad example, because they are targets for illegal hunts and all.
I don`t know, all I imagine is if somehow someone would have saved the dinosaurs from extinction. I wouldn`t be able to relax in front of the tv, with a T. Rex pacing around outside the window.
So yeah. But the cruel whale and shark hunts should stop, definetly. Just like elephants and many more animals probably. To bad people (with authority) won`t give a damn until its practically to late.
We as humans have wrecked a lot of havoc on our environment :/ It's sad to see we are doing the same to the sharks, however, it is not entirely surprising. The kicker of it is - shark fin soup isn't even very good, the meat is tough and hard to eat, it's just eaten because it's considered to be a gourmet/delicacy type dish. It's a shame. It's a very selfish practice.
It would have to take a pretty big movement to stop it, I think. I mean, look at whaling. People have been trying to put a ban on Japanese whaling for years, with only a bit of luck recently.
The problem with farming fish and sharks is that they take a looong time to grow large enough to consume. Some fish don't take as long, but I know for tuna and sharks it takes a while.
I guess we'll just have to wait for the fad to die out a bit, I think it's already starting to go down in popularity, so that's good.
Ive seen this topic talked about on TV, and Ive talked about in my classes before. And there are a lot of people who are unaware of it, and there are a lot of people who are unaware that this is happening. Theres also that tv show where theres a group of people trying to stop the Japanese government from finning, even though they're saying its for "research". I dont know too much about it myself but I feel like it needs to be stopped since the dorsal fin is very important for sharks, dolphins, whales, ect. because it helps them swim through the water and from rolling onto their side. They also help regulate certain species below them in the food chain. Id hate to see this continue until it gets really awful like with the White Rhinoceros
I think finning is terrible. Sharks reproduce very slowly so finning and over-fishing in general is really hurting their populations. The root of the issue is that shark fin soup and other animal parts are considered "status symbol" objects and so people will continue to buy them as long as it makes them look rich and refined. What law makers need to do is first ban shark finning and establish protected ocean corridors to protect sharks and other fish from over-fishing.
Secondly, the demand for shark fins and other exotic animal parts has to be diminished significantly if we want to save shark species from extinction. The most important of course is to educate the public from all around the world, starting in grade school. If people are educated about these wonderful creatures at an early age, they are more likely to appreciate sharks and other animals and protect them by not buying their products anymore. If enough of the public considers finning to be cruel, then the demand will shrink and those who profit from it will lose money and switch to something more socially acceptable.
Thirdly and finally, the fishermen and poachers who hunt sharks and other animals need to have another, more higher paying job in order to give up on poaching. Local economies need to be bolstered by local communities possibly with help from non-profits if they so choose and those who protect endangered species should be given a higher wages and more advanced equipment in order to retain their services, ensure their quality of service, and to protect wildlife more efficiently.
I agree with pretty much everyone here. Finning is terrible. I don't know that much about sharks, but I would hate for them to become extinct because of such practices over long periods of time. There's already so many animals on the endangered list, and I wouldn't be surprised if a few shark species had made it into there as well. Sharks, although they go well with dishes, shouldn't be removed from the environment.
