There’s a rash of shark attacks happening throughout the world’s oceans. But here’s the real problem: It’s the sharks who are the victims.
Due to an increased global demand for the fish’s meat, shark populations have seriously plummeted in recent years. According to Oceana, more than 100 million sharks are killed every year for their meat, oftentimes through “finning,” a brutal process where fishermen cut off sharks’ fins and throw their bodies into the ocean to die. In other cases, sharks get trapped and killed as bycatch during longline tuna fishing. Some species of shark have declined by as much as 99 percent. Sharks may reign at the top of the ocean’s food chain, but the fish’s survival is nothing short of precarious.
The severity of the shark situation is well-documented, yet stores and restaurants across the world still serve up shark meat. Even Henry’s Farmers Markets, a grocery store chain, sells shark meat, despite the store’s supposed commitment to providing products that “support a healthy lifestyle.” I’ve got news for you, Henry’s: Shark meat isn’t healthy for people, and it sure as heck isn’t healthy for ocean ecosystems.
