The shark, celebrated today, is increasingly threatened with extinction due to uncontrolled fishing and pollution
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe shark, the undisputed predator of the sea, is increasingly threatened by extinction due to uncontrolled fishing and pollution. Today's day wants to celebrate it and put the spotlight on the fragility of this animal.
Today, July 14th, the world shark day and more than ever it is important to remind everyone how essential it is to protect these animals also for the health of the entire marine ecosystem: not only terrible predators who are the protagonists of many Hollywood films represented as brutal killers but fragile animals, cornered by man and threatened by climate change, which seriously risk extinction.
The shark is one of the longest-lived animal species on our planet: its presence has been attested for 420 million years, yet this large sea predator may no longer be many years old. Its existence, in fact, is under the increasingly suffocating threat of man, who hunts this animal to feed on its meat: according to a report published a few years ago, Europe is the continent in the world that most of all consumes the meat of shark for food use (with Spain among the top 5 consumer countries in the world). Wild fishing is unsustainable for this animal is putting its survival at serious risk: about a quarter of the 1150 shark species are in danger of extinction - this is also because sharks are slow-growing animals and have long reproductive cycles that are not sufficient to compensate. the death of their fellow men.
Fishing targets sharks for their fins considered a real delicacy especially the practice of shark finning (as cruel as highly widespread), which consists of cutting off the fins of live sharks and then throwing the injured animals into the ocean, where they painfully die from suffocation, bleeding or are eaten by other predators. In addition to being the main victims of fishing, sharks are often incidental victims, as they accidentally end up in fishermen's nets.
(Also read: Trillions of microplastics in the ocean and 67% of sharks are poisoned by the polyester found in our suits)
The Friend of the Sea association has launched many campaigns to protect sharks such as the international petition to ban the practice of shark finning, or the addition of specific requirements relating to sharks to its standard of sustainable seafood products. In addition, in recent years, the association has promoted the signature collection campaign that has led major food delivery brands (Just Eat, Deliveroo and Menulog) to completely eliminate shark fin soup from their menus.
The European Union has also launched a shark conservation program in the Mediterranean Sea with awareness-raising activities and concrete actions to support EU fishermen to adopt fishing tools with low environmental impact, and support to the management authorities of conservation policies. sharks.
Fonti: Friend of the Sea / LifeElife Project
We also recommend:
- The sad image of the shark on the scooter that reminds us how much still needs to be done to protect these animals
- Peru, maxi seizure of sharks: illegal cargo of 11 tons confiscated
- The outrageous story of Rosy, the 5-meter shark found in a water park closed in 2012
