Every year in oceans around the world, tens of millions of sharks are hunted to meet the demand for shark fin soup. This soup has little to no taste and during the drying process of the fin, it is injected with hydrogen peroxide to preserve color to entice buyers. Certain cultures mistakenly believe that shark fin holds the key to many health benefits. Not only are none of these benefits proven, there is actually a risk for pregnant woman and children consuming shark fin due to increased mercury levels.
Shark fins are often removed while the animals are still alive. The sharks are then thrown back into the ocean to endure a painful death from suffocation (sharks breathe through gills and need to constantly move to breathe) blood loss or are eaten by other species.
My 9 year old son and I recently watched the movie "Sharkwater" and could not sit by and allow these barbaric acts to continue. We will be appearing before Kitchener City Council on December 5th 2011 at 7pm to plead our case and present this petition. Please sign and if possible, join us at Kitchener City Hall to show your support. We are only allowed 5 minutes to make our case, any support you can provide will help!
We the undersigned would like to join Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Brantford, London and Pickering in banning the sale and possession of shark fin. Sharks are facing extinction at an alarming rate. More than 70 million sharks are slaughtered each year, with experts predicting they could be extinct within 10-20 years. Please help us stop this inhumane practice and send a message to the world that we want to be Shark fin free!
