Humans kill around 100 million sharks every year

Thank you!
Phil


Every year Sharks kills between 5 and 10 humans

Humans kill around 100 million sharks every year

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Youtube Source

Conservative estimates reckon that between 30 to 70 million sharks are killed annually in

commercial and recreational fisheries, and some conservation organisations put that figure

closer to 100 million.



Sharks are killed for a whole manner of reasons, their meat is used for food, fins for soup,

cartilage in health supplements, livers for oil, skin for leather and teeth for curios, some are

even killed for the sheer pleasure of it.

And demand is increasing. As whitefish stocks have collapsed, previously unprofitable shark

fisheries have become commercially viable and shark meat more acceptable.

Even in the most optimistic of scenarios this slaughter cannot be sustained. Sharks do not

produce huge numbers of eggs like other fish, their young are either born live or in egg

cases, and the average brood is only about 12 pups.



Sharks first appeared on earth some 400 million years ago, before land vertebrates
and before many plants had colonised continents. Modern sharks, such as the mako and the
porbeagle, are regarded as living unchanged from the species we see today, 100 million
years ago. The oldest great white shark teeth date from about 65 million years ago, around
the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The fact that present-day sharks have not changed substantially for the last 100 million years
suggests that they may have attained a level of evolutionary perfection that is unmatched by
any other animal. And yet during the last 20 years alone humans have done more harm to
sharks than had been done in the previous 100 million years,with some species of
shark declining by 90%. It would be sadly ironic that having survived the extinction of the
dinosaurs sharks may well disappear from this planet for the sake of a rather tasteless soup.

Humans have been responsible for the extinction of a single species of animal in the past,
but never have a whole order been endangered as we see with sharks. In barely the time it
has taken to set up and establish a cohesive shark conservation strategy we are in danger of
losing one of the most iconic and evocative animals this planet has ever known.

Shark fishing is mostly unregulated, and conservation measures have been too slow in
coming, but we can act now individually. If you see a Chinese restaurant selling shark fin
soup, or a health food shop selling shark supplements, or a shop selling shark meat, or a
media piece showing a sports fisherman with his dead shark trophy, take five minutes of
your time to tell them that this is totally unacceptable.

As apex predators, sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the species below them in the food chain and serving as an indicator for ocean health. They help remove the weak and the sick as well as keeping the balance with competitors helping to ensure species diversity.

An ocean would not be an ocean without sharks, as predators, they shift their prey’s spatial habitat, which alters the feeding strategy and diets of other species. Through the spatial controls and abundance, sharks indirectly maintain the seagrass (link) and coral (link) reef habitats. The loss of sharks has led to the decline in coral reefs, seagrass beds and the loss of commercial fisheries.

Life on earth depends on life in the sea which sits below sharks in the food chain. Phytoplankton (tiny plants) are the greatest consumer of carbon dioxide (global warming gas) on earth, turning it into oxygen, providing us with 70% of the oxygen we breathe. Removing sharks is cutting off the head of the most important ecosystem for our own survival on earth. The biggest issue in any global warming debate is life in the oceans that allows life on land to exist, yet it's never spoken of all we hear about is industry and carbon footprints.

We are on the brink of losing an animal that unlike others perhaps, we as humans,
really cannot afford to lose this time.
Make a Difference: See SHARKWATER!



SHARKWATER


Project Shark Fin NZ






Sharks are considered to be an apex predator, meaning that as a species they are on the

top of the marine food chain. There is however an even more deadly predator,

OURSELVES! Sharks are a key bio- indicator of the health status of our marine eco-system,

and are part of the delicate and tenuous balance that exists.


It is predicted that if over exploitation, coupled with lack of shark conservation continues at

current levels it is widely believed that many species will become extinct by year 2028.

However this is disputed by a few, as there never really has been an actual record of the

number of sharks in the first place.

The clear and simple FACT is that the explossion in demand for shark fins has drastically

reduced the global numbers of all the top species. It is lso a fact that at current fishing levels

this is NOT sustainable fishing.



Please watch videos closely and imagine that someone had cut your spinal cord or tied your

arms and legs tightly together, leaving you to endure a slow and painful death. This is exactly

what has happened here, these sharks have been cut and all this does is immobilize the

shark to die very slowly.





Youtube Source





Youtube Source



About Project Shark Fin NZ

Here at Dive Planet we are very supportive of Project Aware and the great work that they do,

and have an association through Coastal Aware Projects, i.e. monthly coastal clean ups. The

time has come where we believe that awareness of shark finning and shark fin products must

be openly publicised. Due to our relatively small population New Zealand is often used as a

test bed for topical social issues, Dive Planet proposes that shark finning and shark fin

products be outlawed, initially in New Zealand and eventually globally.

The Project Shark Fin Campaign

PSFNZ wants Shark Finning STOPPED in NZ with huge fines impossed to any person or

company dealing in the Trade of NZ Shark Fins.

PSFNZ wants a TOTAL BAN on the importation of Shark Fins including other products that

are processed from Shark Fins.

PSFNZ will protest all eateries that support the Slaughter of Sharks for their Fins. Will will

Blacklist these eateries for all to see and avoid.

PSFNZ wants everyone to boycott Restaurants and Suppliers of Shark Fin Products.

PSFNZ will make this barbarrick practice known to all New Zealander's that are unaware of

the slaughtering that is occuring in our Country along with the dangers of New Zealand

allowing the Trading of Shark Fins.

PSFNZ wants everyone to voice to government departments the need to stop the slaughter

and save our Oceans before it is too late. Tourism in NZ will suffer for our allowance of Shark

Finning.

Sharks and By—Catch

Looking at the number of sharks that are caught on Longlines or in commercial nets as a

by—catch, should the sale of these sharks’ fins be allowed. We would like to get the

viewpoints of anyone including commercial operators that wish to pass comment. Please

send your opinions to paul@​​​​​​​​​​diveplanet.​​​​​​​​​​co.​​​​​​​​​​nz

PSFNZ Opinion By—Catch

It is the opinion of PSFNZ that all sharks that are caught as By—Catch should either be taken

whole or left out at sea whole. Sharks that are returned whole by the fishermen should be

utilized if they can be. We strongly feel that the fins of these sharks should not ever be sold or

traded as this is opening a wide loophole for the Trading of Shark Fins, the very cause we

want to eliminate. To many this may seem a waste but how can we STOP Shark fin trading if

we have loopholes that can be exploited.

Urgent Research Needed

There is an urgent need for more research into shark populations in New Zealand waters.

Without vital information on shark numbers, population trends and breeding patterns, we

simply do not know that the number of sharks being caught is sustainable. Until we have this

information the commercial fishing quota for shark species should be zero.


This video above shows examples of Shark diving and how the sharks should be in

their natural environment






Footage is courtesy of Andrew Fox. Paul Morris filmed with the Fox Experience in the

making of Animal Planets episode Your Worst Animal Nightmares Sharkbait. Here Paul

gained valuable information about sharks in general especially the Great White shark. The

Great White is also a threatened species.

Shark diving is another way countries can benefit greatly with tourism dollars without

needlessly slaughtering sharks for a quick buck. Support Project Shark Fin NZ and ensure

your future generations can experience the beauty of these mighty predators that we everso

depend on, to keep an equal balance in our marine ecosystem.

Please sign the Project Shark Fin NZ Petition


How you can help Project Shark Fin NZ, click HERE




SHARKS LINKS


Click HERE
to check the the list of sites selling shark fins and derivatives on Riley's blog.
Write to the sites to tell them the selling of shark products is a direct contribution to the destruction of our own ecosystems.

Les seigneurs de la mer

Shark Alliance France

Shark Alliance

Shark Alliance Video : Predator turned Prey





Youtube
Source

SHARKWATER

Stop shark finning

South Florida Student Shark Program

Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

Wyland Foundation

Iemanya Oceanica

Shark Angels

Animal Welfare Institute

Oceanicallstars..​

Shark Savers


Elasmodiver

Oceana


Ocean Conservancy

Blue Voice

Bite Back

Sea Shepherd France

Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society

PEW Trusts

Neil 4 Sharks

Year of the Shark

Sharkmans World


Protect the Sharks Foundation

Shark Foundation

Wild Aid

Sharksafe

IUCN Shark Specialist
Group

Lenfest Ocean Program

Remove the nets


Watch Conservation Internationals new marine video
to learn just how much we owe to these vast habitats,
and why we must act to save them before its too late..






OCEANS the next movie of Jacques Perrin


Nearly three-quarters of the earth's surface is covered by oceans.

French co directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud have set out to capture the full

expanse of these waters that have played such a crucial and constant role in the history and

sustenance of man.

The deep and abundant oceans are places of great mysteries and dangers that this film will

dare to explore.

Domestic release January 27th 2010 France

~~Oceans Trailer ~~

Disneynature Director: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud



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Youtube Source









Jacques Perrin


OCEANS the next movie of Jacques Perrin

OCEAN THE MOVIE OFFICIAL WEBSITE in French

Disney Nature OCEANS

In Theaters April 22, 2010

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