Shark Finning
What is the real terror of the sea? What ferocious organism kills countless others for their
own benefit and simply trots the ocean. Let that question sink before you answer it. Based of
what I’ve said it’d be really easy to say a shark but if you think about humans are far more deadly
then a shark. Yes, a shark is much larger and has rows of razor blade teeth, but humans have
technology which is far more deadly then rows of sharp teeth. Humans are the most destructive
organism on Earth. Animals don’t have a chance against us. For years sharks have been the most
feared predator on this planet. Yes, they are deadly but they don’t compare to all the damage
we’ve done as human race. We’ve been the reason why animals are extinct or on the brink of
extinction. We fear sharks when it would make more sense to just fear ourselves. We’ve nearly
annihilated the shark population through shark finning. Finning has become a current issue in
marine biology and if we don’t do anything to preserve sharks they will be gone within years.
Shark finning is the practice of slicing off the main dorsal fin of a shark while it’s still
alive and dumping the rest of its attached body back into the ocean where they’re left to die.
Some sharks starve to death, others are slowly eaten by other fish, or drown (stopsharkfinning).
Sharks drown after being finned because after being finned they are unable to swim, swimming
allows for water to pass through their gills where they absorb oxygen (Maia). The dorsal fin is a
very important function for the shark, it helps in stabilizing the shark so it doesn’t roll, assist with
sudden turns, this is really important because it helps with them being stealth and speedy during
an attack. Without the dorsal fin sharks are incapable of swimming and simply sink to the ocean
floor (stopsharkfining).
The process of shark finning takes place at sea where fisherman typically have longlines
set out so the gills get caught in the net. Fishermen only transport the fins because it is of more
economic value then the shark meat itself. Shark meat is considered low in value and not worth
the transportation (sharkwater). From a business point of view its very efficient and effective for
fishermen. If they were to actually take the entire shark back with them, they would only be able
to carry a sufficient amount with the shark fin intact. The only option to maximize their profit
would to only keep he fin and by dumping the body back into the ocean. This business point of
view is damaging the shark population because it makes it faster and dangerous because the
shark decays at the sea bed. The fact that shark finning is not very manageable to keep track of
makes it more appealing to do. “Shark finning has increased over the last decade due to the
increasing demand of shark fins for shark fin soup, improved technology and market
economy”(stopsharkfining). Shark finning has now become a multi billion dollar industry, one
pound of dried shark fin can retail to around $300 or more (sharkwater).
Costa Rica has become a hot spot for shark fin trading, ironically shark finning in Costa
Rica is illegal because it poses a serious threat for shark population therefore considered a crime.
Trade in Costa Rica is controlled through the Taiwanese mafia because of the high value of shark
fins in the ‘Pacific Rim’ (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Chia) were shark fin soup has embraced their
culture. Shark fin soup is a top tier delicacy and averages around $100 per serving (Davenport).
In the 1990s Costa Rica had become one of the world’s most important shark fin unloading point
for international fleets (Davenport). Because of the tax laws and government corruption it was
the perfect location for a “perfect” crime. Politicians are more then aware of the finning, however
what stands before justice is the “small” pay off gangs give officials for keeping quite
(Davenport). What also makes Costa Rica so susceptible and prone to engage in the shark
finning are the low income levels the locals face. Even though they are given one third of the
