5 Reasons why sharks are in trouble!

Photo Credit: National Wildlife Federation

There are 5 main reasons why Sharks are in trouble today, and all of them are man-related. 

1. Commercial Shark fishing - Fishing for Sharks has been around for decades and in the past 60 years has depleted populations drastically. Shark fishing occurs worldwide and they are hunted for their fins, liver oil, cartilage and meat.
2. Shark bycatch - Bycatch is when sharks are accidentally caught in commercial fishing nets. Unfortunately they are then often killed. This is usually unreported and illegally carried out, causing a decrease in shark numbers over the years. 
3. Consumer demand - Worldwide shark fins are in high demand, especially in Asia where they are used for the delicacy Shark Fin Soup. Over the years this industry has increased in value from $400 to $500 million a year. 
4. Lack of regulation - Unfortunately these species are not as protected as they need to be, meaning that shark fishing is still taking place across the world. 
5. Misunderstanding - These giants of the sea are very misunderstood creatures and, as a consequence of movies such as the famous Jaws, get very bad press. In reality, Sharks play a very important role as the oceans top predators and without them a lot of marine ecosystems would suffer.