Importance of Sharks

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Facebook Post:

Sharks play a very important role in the oceans in a way that an average fish does not. Sharks are at the top of the food chain in virtually every part of every ocean. In that role, they keep populations of other fish healthy and in proper proportion for their ecosystem. ‪#‎SharkWeek‬

This is the oceanic whitetip shark – with a school of pilotfish alongside. They are called whitetips because of the white borders on the outermost edges of their fins, and can reach up to 13 feet in length and 370 lbs. in weight, but most are around the 7 – 10 foot range. The ancient mariners used to call them “sea dogs” for their habit of following ships.http://bit.ly/1sHM0aY

Due to a greater demand for shark fin soup today, populations of oceanic whitetips are down 70% - 90% all over the globe, and as much as 99% in some places. Sharks have survived for 450 million years, but may be gone within the next decades.

Former NBA all-star center Yao Ming, an ambassador for international conservation organization WildAid (see SHARK SAVERS) with many partners, including the USFWS_International Affairs program, are raising awareness and concern about the impact of the consumption of shark fin soup on shark populations and marine biodiversity:http://1.usa.gov/Xd9zyJ.

The Fin Free campaign is also helping to address a growing consumer demand for shark fin and protect the health of the oceans. ‪#‎FinFree‬

Photo: Oceanic whitetip shark (WikiMedia Commons)