| Why eating sharks is not sustainable |
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Such life traits make sharks particularly susceptible to overfishing. It's been estimated that up to 100,000,000 sharks are killed annually to supply the Asian market with fins for shark fin soup. The shark fin trade is indiscriminate meaning multiple species are targeted for their fins. It's impossible to determine which species are being caught and therefore have accurate catch data for sharks. However, based on the fisheries data that does exist and anecdotal evidence from professional fishers, shark numbers are in serious decline, and have been for a number of years. Shark finning doesn't just occur overseas; in NSW we have a very active shark fishery as part of the NSW Ocean Trap and Line Fishery, which is involved in selling shark fins. To put an end to this unsustainable practice, say no to eating shark (flake) and shark fin soup. |