Sharks Threatened by Finning

This photo of a freshly cut dorsal fin from a scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), was taken in 2006 on a long-lined fishing boat in Cocos Island, 300 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Cocos was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the home to one of the world's richest shark populations. It has also become a major target for long-lined shark fishing.

Every year, humans kill an estimated 70 million sharks. The threats we pose are many. By-catch: the accidental killing of sharks in fishing gear intended for other species. Illegal poaching and hunting: selling shark fins for soup and sportfishing for shark-jaw trophies. Nets: placed along coastlines to keep sharks away from beaches.  Removing sharks in large numbers can have ripple effects that throw entire ecosystems out of balance.

Discover more about shark biology, habitat, and status in the Great White Shark section, and check out the Smithsonian Ocean Portal's Top 5 Reasons you should Revere, Not Fear, the Shark.


Freshly cut dorsal fin from a scalloped hammerhead shark held by fisherman with knife.
© Jeff Rotman/jeffrotman.com

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Comments

stupid shark killers!!!!

OMG these people are so mean! how would humans feel if someone came, cut THEIR arms off and dumped them in the ocean?!?!?!?!?!

i hate people that hunt

i hate people that hunt sharks grrrrrrrr

How horrible. This truly a

How horrible. This truly a crime.

Disgusting and cruel!No

Disgusting and cruel!No wonder that their population is declining.

C'mon man.

C'mon man.

ths is a sick and cruel act.

ths is a sick and cruel act.

I love shark fin soup! You

I love shark fin soup! You should all try it some time...It has a fiberous taste to it. Its a double boune becuase im suppoting the poor! GO SHARK FIN SOUP!

Unbelievable! Sharks are

Unbelievable! Sharks are going extinct. Forever. I hope you like eating jellyfish, algae and bacteria, because if sharks are driven to extinction, that is all that will be able to survive in the stinking lifeless sea that remains.

(SHARK FIN) A MOST DYNAMIC

(SHARK FIN) A MOST DYNAMIC image... a real "attention getter" for my High School Oceanography students. I'm going to try to save in my files.

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