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.
StopSharkFinning.net is campaigning
to achieve a worldwide ban on shark finning. That means
that all sharks caught must be landed intact - their fins
must not be removed while the shipping vessel is at sea.
If you are concerned about the plight
of sharks - an animal that has been around since before
the dinosaurs - there are plenty of things you can do
help. So go to our campaigns page and take action now!
Hilton, who doesn't sell Shark Fin Soup in the United States has offered it in the far east.
Join thousands of others who say - stop this horrific practice - and ban this soup once and for all.
Take the time to sign these petitions - click below
Don't think we need sharks? - click here and find out why we do!