What YOU Can DO
Even in the face of Although the human race has built a
endangerment, sharks can
make a comeback with your
help!
Make a Difference:
Say NO to shark fin soup!
Take the No Shark Fin
Pledge
Donate to AntiFinning
organizations such as The
Humane Society
International to assist in
raising awareness
Join Anti-Finning campaigns
in your area and work to
increase shark protection
policies
Evil or Essential?
menacing stereotype for sharks, their
survival is vital in supporting and
maintaining a healthy and diverse marine
ecosystem. As the oceans most ancient
top predator, sharks are essential in the
marine food chain. If shark populations
An Ocean
continue to decline, populations of their
prey, such as sea lions, will grow out of
control. An increase in sea lion numbers
would in turn, decrease the populations
Without Sharks
of the fish upon which they feed.
Therefore, shark endangerment will
eventually lead to a devastating decline in
marine
fishes. The
prevention of
this
catastrophe is
crucial in order
to support the
near 1 Billion
individuals who
rely on fish as
their number
one source of
KERA HEIMLICH
protein.

Shark Finning: A
Devastating Practice
It is estimated that various
shark populations have
declined by 99% in the last 50
years...
The leading cause of this severe
decline is due to the excessive
harvesting of sharks for their fins.
Often dragged onboard fishing
vessels, the sharks endure having
their fins severed and are then often
thrown overboard; all while still alive.
The cruel impact of this practice is
apparent in global shark populations
now more than ever and the
continuation of harvesting sharks for
their fins will eventually result in the
destruction of the marine ecosystem
as we know it.
Why Shark Fins? The Unsuspecting Victim
Out of the 100 million sharks killed Despite the common perception that
each year, 73% are harvested for sharks are terrorizing creatures, they
shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. have become the innocent victim of
a cruel practice. Although harvesting
This expensive dish is in high demand
the ocean for its food sources such
within the increasingly wealthy countries
as fish or shrimp is common and
of Asia. Since many are under the
widely accepted, killing sharks for
impression that sharks contain cancer-
their fins is a much more hostile and
resistant properties, the desire, and
therefore price of their fins has increased
destructive act. Due to the
exponentially. increasingly scarce abundance of
sharks and the inhumane procedure
Without regard to the lack of evidence
in which they are harvested, severe
supporting the medicinal benefits of shark
changes must be made in order to
fins, the growing market and trade for
prevent irreversible devastation.
them has lead to the primary cause for
declines in shark populations around the
world.