Recent data estimates that roughly 70 million sharks are caught (and killed) each year, most of this is for food, some for sport, and sadly, some just out of fear. But most of the commercially fished sharks are in fact killed for their fins only–their mutilated carcasses are simply tossed overboard. This is known as “finning”.
There are many existing laws and international treaties governing catch limits and protections for endangered species but with many loopholes. Nearly every sea-faring nation has violated international fishing rules. Over-fishing is perhaps the leading cause of the current, global, marine species decline.
With the over-fishing of larger sharks a commercially damaging cycle is set in motion; sharks maintain the populations of smaller fish that in turn feed on smaller fish that people consume commercially. Many attempts were made to bolster international fishing laws may be getting an extra push–pending the passage of legislation now being considered in the U.S. Senate (and recently passed in the House of Representatives).
