Human Problems (from a shark’s viewpoint) 197
global shark fin trade, so you can do the numbers. And that reflects only
the reported catch. We have no idea how large the black market may be.
Shark finning is now banned in the United States, following enactment
of the Shark Conservation Act, signed by President Obama on January 4,
- The act protects most shark species from being harvested for their
fins by prohibiting the cutting off of fins at sea, and it prohibits the landing
of shark carcasses without the fins being “naturally attached.” The law al-
lows shark fin suppliers to sell the product if the fin is cut off after the shark
has been landed dockside, so selling fins is still legal.
International outcries over the brutality of finning have led to a ground-
swell of action to discourage and outlaw the activity globally. Several or-
ganizations have spearheaded campaigns to educate the public about the
process, with messages put out by just about every shark conservation or-
ganization listed in appendixes B and C. As a result of these efforts, the
number of countries that have outlawed finning has increased substantially
in recent years, and sales of shark fins and shark fin soup have declined
steadily. Hong Kong government statistics show that although imports of
fins continued to average around 10,000 MT (22 million lb) between 2006
and 2011, a sharp drop to 3,350 MT (7.4 million lb) occurred in 2012. The
Shark Fin Trade Merchants Association reported a similar 60% reduction
in sales of dried fins. Grass roots efforts can make a difference!
Is there such a thing as shark leather?
Shark skin has been tanned to make leather for centuries because of its
toughness and flexibility when properly cured. (“Sharkskin” business suits
are not made from sharks; their fabric is called sharkskin because of the
shine of the cloth.) An active fishery for shark hides existed in Florida in
Shark fins bound for Chinese mar-
kets are dried and processed in
Thoothoor, India. Photo courtesy of Jeff
Rotman, http://www.jeffrotman.com