Shark Values To Humans

The demand for sharks has increased since other fish supplies have fallen.  Their meat became popular and drove the prices up.  During the 400 million years sharks have been around they have evolved into an apex species, which means that they are on the top of their food chain and have no predators, but they cannot hold up to human fishing.

The normal meat in the shark does not count for half of its economic value, but the fins, which are considered a delicacy in some Asian countries, sell for around 10 dollars a pound.  So, most sharks are being fished because of their valuable fins so instead of catching them and using all of their meat, which is less valuable, fishermen just take practice in live finning.  Live finning is when fishermen remove the fins from the shark and put them back in the water alive.  Without their fins sharks cannot swim and soon after die.  Around 100 to 200 million sharks die in this process making $240 million dollars for suppliers.

Shark fins from finning- http://www.afma.gov.au/information/library/images/illegal/fins.htm

Although no one knows exactly how many sharks are out there if things continue the way that they are the National Marine Fishery Service estimates that mako, elephant fish, lemon sharks, hammerheads and great whites are nearing extinction.  This is due to high fishing and low reproduction rates.  If sharks were to become extinct an entire part of the food chain would be gone and this would have an effect on all other marine life.  The shark populations decreased by 89% from 1986 to 2000, and in 20 years time many species will be extinct.

Other than as a fishery, and the fact that they are a very important part of the food chain, sharks have one more main importance towards people.  This is the problem of shark attacks-(link to shark attack page).

"Blue Shark." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 22 April 2008, at 04:09 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 April 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_shark

Drew Small

Works consulted:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/sharks.htm
http://www.aoca.org.za/maxine_ed.htm
http://www.american.edu/ted/SHARK.HTM
http://www.afma.gov.au/information/library/images/illegal/fins.htm  -picture