Every year tens of millions of sharks die a slow death because of finning. Finning is the inhumane practice of hacking off the shark's fins and throwing its still living body back into the sea. The sharks either starve to death, are eaten alive by other fish, or drown (if they are not in constant movement their gills cannot extract oxygen from the water). Shark fins are being "harvested" in ever greater numbers to feed the growing demand for shark fin soup, an Asian "delicacy".
Not only is the finning of sharks barbaric, but their indiscriminate slaughter at an unsustainable rate is pushing many species to the brink of extinction. Since the 1970s the populations of several species have been decimated by over 95%. Due to the clandestine nature of finning, records are rarely kept of the numbers of sharks and species caught. Estimates are based on declared imports to shark fin markets such as Hong Kong and China.
Powerful and majestic creatures, sharks are vitally important to our waters, helping balance marine ecosystems in their role as predators. But each year, millions of sharks are prey, brutally maimed and killed just for their fins.
The Senate is poised to take action on a bill, the Shark Conservation Act, that would end shark finning in US waters and make us world leaders in shark conservation.
Tell your Senators TODAY that you demand shark protections and the passage of the Shark Conservation Act »
You can make a difference.
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