Shark Finning Should Be Stopped Essay Example for Free

Shark Finning Should Be Stopped Essay Shark Finning Should Be Stopped Nowadays, over 73 million of sharks of various species are being caught and killed worldwide each year due to the increasing demand for shark fin. Shark finning is the behavior where fishermen cut off the shark’s fin and throw the bodied back to the ocean aimed to get the maximum profit. Decades ago, when shark fin became the status symbols, the demand of it is increasing rapidly. Despite the high profit of shark fin trade, however, sharks finning should be stopped aim to meet the requirement for natural resources in next generation. In this essay, I will argue why the shark finning should be stopped. The first reason why shark finning should be stopped is that shark species is one necessary part of ecosystems. Sharks are the top level species of the marine ecological pyramids and related to humanity closely. It means that sharks enjoy the important position of maintaining the marine ecosystems. If there are a huge amount of sharks be killed, it will lead to quite a large number of small and medium-sized fishes loss of natural enemies and growing rapidly, thus seriously destroy the balance of marine ecosystems. For example, the decrease of sharks in Tasmania has led to the significant increase of the octopus, due to the octopuses prey on lobsters, the fisheries in that area has crumbled. Sharks are the dominant part which can remove the diseased animals and maintain the balance of predators and prey in marine ecosystems. Furthermore, marine ecosystems are significant to globe environment, although scientists haven’t find out the fully impacts of shark’s extinction for humanity, there is obviously that the global disaster is coming. Furthermore, shark finning should be stopped not only due to shark finning will harm for shark species but also bad for humanity. Shark fin trade has attractive profit but humanity will pay a lot for shark’s extinction more than the profits they can earn. Besides the effects of shark finning in ecosystems, scientist also mentioned that shark fin contain high levels of mercury which can directly damage the central nervous system. According to Eilperin (2011), While many consumersespecially in Chinaview shark meat and fins as nutritious, sharks are likely to contain high levels of mercury because they are large, slow-growing fish that consume other fish as their prey, which allows mercury to build up in their muscle tissues. (p. 78) It’s obviously that shark fin has symbolized wealth ince hundred years ago; its value is in psychology instead in physics. There is no doubt that shark fin as the luxury food symbol in tradition society, is predicted to place rising pressure on available resources based on the expanding consumer purchasing capability (Clarke et al. , 2007). Due to the fact that shark finning is the behavior not only harm for environment but bad for humanity, it should be stopped and banned immediately. As I mentioned before, after the shark fin be cut off, the body of shark which is basically worthless will be threw back to the ocean. And the shark which has lost their measure of mobility will be taken by other species or bleeds to death (Jennifer, n. d. ). So you may ask why people do not use the entire shark to gain more profit, but the answer, which is no doubt that shark’s fin soup is the best tool of gaining highest profit. Shark’s meat and bone are not be focused by fishermen and business men but shark fin. Since several hundred years age, shark fin soup already became the necessary dish in the big events even though the price of shark fin soup is 100 dollar or more for a bowl. And the demand of shark fin is constant growing although it charges a high price. For instance, the shark fin trade is steady increasing in five percent per year in the late 1990s (with the exception of 1998 when the Asian financial crisis caused depressing sales) and the beginning of twenty-first century (Eilperin, 2010). Though the large amount of shark fin soup, a dish without cooking value and taste, we can know that it is just symbol, no substance. Actually, the pursuit of shark fin is a sightless and erroneous mentality which has lasted a long time especially in China. As the saying goes frugality is a virtue, shark finning as a stunning extravagant behavior should be stopped and banned. With the growing economics technology in China even in the world, people have more qualifications to concerned about their health and environment protection; therefore, people should be more rational to consider the cost of shark finning. As the valued traditional Chinese lifestyle, balance and moderation also can be used to take pride and honor in rebuilding a balance to ecosystem by quitting shark finning (Why shark fin, n. d. ).