Shark overkill

People kill sharks for their meat, skins, skin, and liver oil, as well as for pure sport. Sport fishing can reduce numbers of sharks locally, but the biggest threat to sharks is over-fishing world-wide. Sharks, caught on long lines and in fishing nets, are often thrown back into the sea dead, because it is other fish hauled in the same time that are wanted. Sometimes just the shark’s fins are removed and its body thrown back. Sharks are also killed each year in nets to protect swimmers. Compared to bony fish, sharks have a much slower rate of reproduction and take a long time to mature. If too many are killed, their numbers may never recover. Efforts are now being made to protect sharks by creating reserves, restricting numbers caught, and banning fishing.

Finning
These Japanese fishermen on a boat in the pacific Ocean are cutting the fins off sharks caught in drift nets. They throw the rest of the shark back to the sea. Fins of many different kinds of shark are removed, sometimes when they are still alive. When thrown back in the sea, they take a long time to die. Without their fins, they are not able to swim properly and may be torn apart by other sharks.