Fin Soup Is Not Fine

A Lemon Shark
Picture credit: Albert Kok

 

After having to repeatedly watch some idiot this week  wrestle a shark to the shore   just to show off and take its picture, as well as a recent rash of Shark abuse stories,  I swore that if there was even one more ugly story about them, I would have to write, and that story was just delivered into my email.

What ever happened to that great fearsome beast of the movie Jaws that made people shudder with fear?

Today Sharks seem more likely to be on the news being terrorized, than as the killing machines that they have historically been known as.

One of the most perfectly evolved species ever to inhabit the seas, this virtual perfect predator, is not only no longer being avoided in fear, it is now being stalked, maimed and murdered at the alarming rate of more than 100 million a year, which has the science community  fearing that they may become extinct within our lifetime.

Here in Central Florida, some locals brag that we are the shark bite capital of the world, which is somewhat bogus because the majority of the incidences are quite minor, with just a few stitches required to send the victims back to the beaches.

Sharks come close to the shore looking for their favorite prey, which is usually a seal, and a surfer or swimmer to their eyes, looks like their favorite food, so they nibble and not liking the taste, usually move on.

In spite of this, the ugly tag remains on the areas around Ponce Inlet, as being a shark attack hot spot!

The world’s ocean ecosystems without sharks would be a tragedy, as their presence is required to maintain balance and order in the seas.

Yet  again, Humans are the causal factor in this disappearance story.

Sharks all over the world are losing their lives,  just as the elephants, rhinos, and others, for their body parts.

In the case of the now globally hunted sharks,  it is their fins which have become the key ingredient in a disgusting, delicacy called,  shark  fin soup!

The news is not good for stopping this despicable practice, as only some countries in the world at this time, have completely banned this outrageous animal offense.

While these few countries have issued a lukewarm ban on this issue,  many more need to get on board because if we don’t, pretty soon, the only sharks you may see, will only be in either an aquarium, not good, or even worse, only in the movies.

The story is here:    Driven From Predator to Prey – Sharks Face Extinction

 

 

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