KILLING OF SHARKS IN USA

THE GROWING DEMAND FOR SHARK FINS AND SHARK MEAT, PARTICULARLY IN ASIA, HAS LED TO A RAPID ESCALATION IN SHARK FISHING. BETWEEN 1970 AND 2005, SHARK POPULATIONS HAS DECREASED BY 97 PER CENT ON THE EAST COAST OF THE US. THIS HAS UPSET THE BALANCE OF NATURE LEADING TO THE FOLLOWING SERIES OF EVENTS :

• WITH THE DROP IN SHARK POPULATION, THEY CAN NO LONGER PERFORM THEIR ECOSYSTEM ROLE AS TOP PREDATORS.
• AS A RESULT, THE POPULATION OF THE EAST COAST COWNOSE RAY HAS EXPLODED.
• THE HORDES OF RAYS CONSUME HUGE NUMBERS OF BAY SCALLOPS.
• THE FISHERS NOW FIND NO SCALLOPS TO HARVEST. THIS HAS ENDED A CENTURY-OLD NOTH CAROLINA OCCUPATION.
• OTHER RAYS, SKATE, AND SMALLER SHARK SPECIES HAVE ALSO EXPLODED IN NUMBERS. THIS IS CAUSING A CASCADE EFFECT THROUGH OUT COASTAL FOOD WEBS.

THE ONLY SOLUTION SEEMS TO BE  TO BAN SHARK FINNING BOTH IN NATIONAL WATERS AND ON THE HIGH SEAS.