I've seen those boats; large, nondescript. If one doesn't pay close attention, one might think they are just ordinary sightseeing boats carrying tourists. Except they're devices of torture. Sharks, once predators at the top of the marine food chain, become helpless prey at the hands of merciless merchants and poachers.

Economics of shark finning

We can turn to economics for some insight on shark finning motivation. There is high and constant demand for shark fins around the world, especially in Asian countries. In traditional Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine, shark fins are used to make Shark’s Fin Soup, a coveted dish that is served at special occasions. The supply of shark fins, however, is dropping dramatically. Amidst the sharp decrease in the number of sharks and the increasing difficulty to purchase shark fin, Shark’s Fin Soup has become a symbol of wealth. This drives up demand for shark fins in luxury markets, and thereby drives up the price.

In addition to high prices, merchants and poachers are motivated by another economic factor: high profit to cost ratio. Most fishermen choose to slice off only the fins of sharks and discard the carcasses to free up boat space. The fins, which weigh only 1-5% of a shark’s entire body weight, are harvested, while the shark body is thrown back into the ocean. One single trip out into the ocean can yield huge economic profit for fishermen, giving them even more incentive to continue hunting for sharks.

Shark Finning Disrupts Marine Ecosystems

Until human beings came along, sharks were the top predators in the ocean. The decrease in the number of sharks shakes up the food chain and sets off a reaction that affects the entire marine ecosystem. As apex predators, sharks play a crucial role in regulating the population of prey species such as rays. With fewer sharks available to eat rays, ray population increases. The larger population of rays eats more of its prey, scallops and clams, and the population of such bivalves decreases. The decrease in the number of bivalves, which consume phytoplankton, harms the ocean’s biodiversity and leads to decreased sunlight exposure at deeper levels of the ocean. This can lead to death of photosynthetic plants and also decrease the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide.

As a K-selected species, sharks have a long maturity period, long gestation, and produce few offsprings at a time. The practice of shark finning decreases the number of sharks dramatically and so rapidly that sharks do not have time to replace their population.

Shark Finning is Inhumane

Shark finning is an inhumane practice. Since the most commercially valuable parts of a shark are its fins, the rest of the shark body is often dumped back into the ocean after the fins are sliced off.The sharks, often still living, are left finless and bleeding profusely, unable to fend for themselves. With no ability to swim around or to catch prey, the violated sharks can only wait for their death, sinking slowly to the ocean floor. Additionally, they can suffocate or have their bodies eaten by other marine organisms.

Support Anti-Shark Finning Activist Groups

• Don't go to restaurants that serve shark’s fin soup.
• Donate to organizations like Sea Shepherd and the Humane Society International, and WildAid.
• Make phone calls, send emails, and write letters to legislative representatives, congressmen, and senators. Make your stance clear and let them know that you want them to support the anti-shark fin cause.
• Spread the message through conversation and social media. Start with this article! Please excuse the shameless self-promotion :)