"They've been around on the planet for so long - 400 million years - and there's still so much to learn. Sharks maintain healthy fish populations by weeding out sick and weak individuals they help preserve a balance of diverse species throughout their habitats and they regulate oxygen production by eating fish that consume oxygen-generating plankton, Live Science previously reported. Sharks are especially vulnerable to being wiped out by large-scale fishing operations because sharks mature late in life and have relatively few offspring compared to other fish, Hammerschlag told Live Science.Īs predators, sharks play an important role in a range of marine habitats. waters, and all captured sharks must be brought to shore with their fins still attached, according to the Shark Conservation Act of 2010.) (Fishing regulations vary from state to state, but the practice of finning is illegal in U.S. is also one of the top 10 exporters of shark fins in the world, said Neil Hammerschlag, an associate professor at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and director of the university's Shark Research and Conservation Program. in 2011 - "an increase of 42% by volume compared with 2000," the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported in 2015. More than 130,000 tons (120,000 metric tons) of shark fins, worth an estimated $380 million, were imported to the U.S. While the primary market for shark fins is China, consumption in the United States is on the rise. Shark fins can sell for as much as $500 per pound, and are the core ingredient in shark fin soup, an expensive delicacy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |