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Saving Sharks
Did you like the story in this month's magazine about sharks? Sharks are truly among the world's most amazing animals. But the sad truth is that many species (kinds) are dying out. That's because people are killing 100 million sharks a year. These creatures that have been swimming in our oceans for more than 300 million years may soon disappear.
The biggest threat to sharks is fishing. Most sharks are caught for their fins. (Shark-fin soup is an expensive food in Asia.) Fishermen catch the sharks, cut off their fins, and toss the injured animals back in the seas where they die. Also, sharks are often accidentally caught in huge nets or on long lines with hooks on them—what fishermen put out to catch tuna and other kinds of fish. When caught by accident like this, the sharks almost always die.
People also kill sharks and sell their parts for other uses. Shark skins are made into such products as belts, watchbands, and boots. Shark jaws are sold to tourists and collectors, and various shark parts are made into "medicines." Do these medicines work? Many, such as shark cartilage pills, have never been proved to do anything. But people still buy lots and lots of them.
Still, many people are working hard to save sharks. Here are a few ways you can help:
- Talk to your family and friends about not eating or buying anything made of shark parts.
- For more tips, log on to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's website. Here you can download their Seafood Watch pocket guide. It will help you and your family choose to buy fish that are caught in ways that protect sharks and other ocean wildlife.
- Find out all you can about sharks. Tell other people what incredible creatures they are and what trouble they're in.
- Check out conservation groups that are working to save sharks and see what you and your family can do to help these groups.
Illustrations by Dave Clegg