Tell the Government of New Jersey to put a ban on Shark Fin Soup.

  • by: Lindsay
  • recipient: Chris Christie, Bob Martin (Office of the Commissioner- Environmental Protection), Douglas H. Fisher (Secretary of Agriculture)

Little do many people know, shark fin soup poses a threat to the survival of sharks and the whole ocean ecosystem. Shark fin soup is an upperclass meal primarily in China. Basically what happens is fisherman haul sharks up, cut off their fins, and while these creatures are still alive, throw them back into the ocean.  With the sudden burst of population in the Far East, shark fin soup in being consumed in great quantities. Sharks take 7 to 20 years to mature, making it very difficult for the numbers to grow back to what they used to be before the demand rose. If this cruel, heartless information is not enough to convince you, studies have shown that this soup has more mercury than what is safe and healthy for human consumption.
Sharks have been around for 400 million years. Are we really going to let the arrogance of these people wipe them out?

We the undersigned believe that shark fin soup is not needed in New Jersey, or anywhere, for that matter.
Sharks are beautiful creatures. We all know them, we've all seen them, whether at the aquarium, swam with them, or simply in a movie. They may be scary to see at first, but once the mind is broadened, they are magnificent to watch. Should we really let the arrogance of and selfishness of people take them away from us? From our future generations?
Shark fin soup is an Asian 'delicacy'. It used to be reserved only for the rich, but since then, more people have been consuming it. With the population rising each year in the Far East, the demand for shark fin soup is growing rapidly- this has caused the shark population to decrease by 95% since the 1970's. But, the fin is only used for texture- not actually eaten. 
What happens is the shark is hauled from the ocean by fisherman, held down, and dies a slow, painful death by having it's fins cut off. Still alive, the carcass is thrown back into the ocean. The shark either starves to death, are eaten alive by other fish, or drowns (if they are not in constant movement their gills cannot extract oxygen from the water).
The Asian culture can survive without shark fin soup. Just like we can survive without fries or pizza. It is NOT a necessity. At this rate, sharks will be gone before we know it, and so will the rest of ocean life. They are at the top of the chain, and without them, the whole ecosystem will be destroyed.
Hawaii, California, Washington and Oregon have all banned this cruel dish. It is time the remaining states and the rest of the world do the same.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

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