Even Jaws Deserves to Keep His Fins: Outlawing Shark Finning Throughout Global Waters

Abstract

Sharks have reigned at the top of the marine food chain for 200 million years, but their recent slaughter by fishermen has imperiled their populations significantly. Unfortunately, this graceful animal is killed primarily for its fins, which are used to make sharkfin soup, while the rest of the carcass is discarded at sea. Even worse, the shark is usually alive when finned and then left in the ocean to bleed to death or drown. There is no global shark-finning regulation in place, and only very recently has the United States implemented its own national regulations. A worldwide resolution is urgently needed to halt the rampant slaughter of sharks, if for no other reason than that their position as the top predator of the sea is crucial to maintaining a balance of all life on the planet.