| The Maneaters by treehugger14
Man-eaters! Deadly! Monsters of the deep! When you read these words your probably thinking of the shark. A man eating beast that kills and eats everything in its path, but have you ever just stopped to admire the amazingness of these beautiful creatures.
You probably think I´m crazy, that sharks are killers. They don´t feel regret when they kill people. However I beg to differ. The truth is that only 5 people a year are killed by sharks, and more then 15,000 sharks are killed each HOUR by people alone, and more than 100 million sharks are killed each year!
In fact more people are killed each year by falling vending machines then sharks! Even more by falling coconuts, and even more by falling icicles!
With more than 90% of the shark population already depleted you would think people would start to get worried. However the shark fin black market pays so well that people don´t want to stop. If you´ve ever seen shark fin soup on a menu, you know that it´s expensive. For 90 dollars a bowl, you can get a tasteless piece of meat, thats flavoured with other herbs and spices.
China is one of the main suppliers of shark fin soup. This is because with Chinas growing economy, more, and more people can afford to buy shark fin soup. This demand has also made the price sky-rocket, and has increased shark finning activity.
The act of shark finning is extremely cruel. The fisher man drags the body onto the boat, and slices off their precious fins. Then they throw the useless body into the water. While the shark is still alive it thrashes in the water, where it eventually sinks to the bottom, and drowns, dying, and agonizing death. This has been outlawed in many places, however sharks aren´t protected internationally. There are small handfuls of countries that protect them, and/or manage shark fisheries. The problem is, is that it´s so difficult to mange the oceans that it is hard to stop shark finning.
More than95% of the shark is wasted, and it is estimated that in 10 years sharks will be extinct. Although the fin isn´t always the only thing the fisher man goes after. Their are also shark teeth for jewelry and shark jaws for tourist souvenirs. People also take their skins for leather wallets, and belts. Their cartilage is taken for capsules and powders for phony medicinal cures, and shark liver oil is used for cosmetics and skin care products. However because the real industry is in the fins, thats all the fisherman take from the shark.
The movie jaws is one of the main reasons people fear sharks. This is because sharks are real. They aren´t some made of creature like vampires or werewolves. When people saw Jaws they instantley assumed that sharks are man eating beasts. That they do attack people for the fun of it, and are a huge danger to your life. However sharks aren´t as bad as the media portrays, they are still deadly.
A shark does not know what something tastes like until they bite it. Thats why you see them bite the sides of boats. However what people have failed to take from this is that, in fact they do not like the taste of human flesh. It has also been proven that of all the shark species, only 10 have been known to even bite humans. They only attack surfers, because from up above they look like a seal swimming.
Seals are another reason people see sharks as being deadly. Seals seem cute, and adorable. However they are exactly the same as sharks. They attack their prey with speed and agility. However seals look cute, and sharks look deadly.
When you think about it not much is done about the quickly dwindling shark population. Panda´s are being saved because they look adorable. Whales because they are so peaceful, but what about about sharks. The again who would want to save a huge man- eating beast.
BY THE TIME YOU HAVE FINISHED READING THIS MORE THAN 200 SHARKS HAVE DIED!
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