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Olympians Join Fight to Save Sharks from Overfishing

(From wbir.com)- Shark fin soup is a delicacy in Asia. It”s a popular wedding dish that costs $100 a bowl. Each day, trawlers head to the ocean using long lines and big hooks. They hunt down the muscular creatures and then slice off their fins, while the sharks are still alive, before tossing them back into the ocean. Unable to swim and unable to breathe, the sharks end up dying.

Experts with the group Oceana, said that humans are much more dangerous to sharks than sharks are to humans. Humans kill more than 100 million sharks a year. While the shark may not be the most sympathetic creature, people need them to keep the eco-system of our oceans in balance. Officials with Oceana recently released a report that shows shark populations are dwindling to such a low point that it could throw off the balance of the oceans’ ecosystems. Sharks are what they call an apex predator, meaning they have few natural enemies. They feed on other predators, thus keeping the oceans in balance. Experts said that if there are no sharks, there is no balance.

A vigorous campaign is under way to stop “shark finning,” as it’s called, and stop the consumption of shark fin soup. Several former and current Olympians are appearing in the ads. Congress is considering a bill that would forbid fishermen from bringing sharks into the U.S. unless their fins are intact. Experts said the bill could have an influence on other countries.

 

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