Shark Fin – Sharks Face Extinction in Many Areas of Globe

The author of the novel Jaws says he couldn't write the book today, now that much more is known about sharks. Conservationists say sharks are ecologically and commercially extinct in some areas of the world.

SINGAPORE, March 30, 2001 (The Boating Channel) – Twenty-five years after Jaws frightened movie-goers out of their seats, it’s the world’s shark population that may face death and people who are doing the devouring.

Sharks are being slaughtered in huge numbers, with many killed for shark-fin soup, a Chinese-cuisine delicacy eaten on special occasions across Asia.

The sleek animals may vanish from the deep unless their killing is brought under control, environmentalists say.

“Sharks in some areas are already commercially and ecologically extinct, which is what we should be worried about,” said Peter Knights, director of the conservation group WildAid.

Knights said around the world, some 100 million sharks, skates and [Read more...]