Help stop the slaughter of whale sharks in China!

The whale shark is the largest fish living in the ocean, with some whale sharks weighing up to 60 tons. Sadly, these giant creatures are slowly going extinct. Over the years, the whale shark numbers are slowly decreasing due to illegal fishing and hunting. There is an illegal trade that goes on every year in China, with many whale shark products, such as whale shark meat, going for high prices in the markets, which is outrageous. Many people believe that just because whale sharks are big, that they will eat them, which is not true. Also, many Chinese believe that whale shark products are good for them, as they help prevent disease and other ailments, which is not true, as there is no medical evidence proving that whale shark products help cure certain diseases. With China being the country in which there are more whale shark slaughterhouses than anywhere else in the world, we ask the Chinese president, Mr. Xi Jinping, to take immediate action and prosecute hunters and fishers who willingly hunt down whale sharks and kill them for their products.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), " The number of whale sharks has more than halved over the last 75 years, with illegal fishing, entrapment in fishing gear, and collisions with boats responsible for the most deaths." This is a dramatic problem, as the whale shark species went from "vulnerable" to "endangered" rapidly. Simon Pierce, who led IUCN's public statement, stated that "While international whale shark trade is regulated through the species' listing on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), more needs to be done domestically to protect whale sharks at a national level." Pierce makes a very good point, as not much is being done to save this magnificent creature. Pierce also stated that "They are struggling, particularly where they live near people. In parts of Asia there is quite a demand for products made out of them. They are considered a gold mine for fishermen because there is so much shark there. They are harvested for their meat, fins, and other parts used in traditional medicinal products." Now, knowing that this is going on in the world, it only makes sense to stop this, as a magnificent creature is suffering.
The whale shark is known to live in more tropical waters, with many of them living in the seas around China. The temperature of the water in China is the perfect habitat for these creatures, as there are abundant amounts of their favorite food, plankton. Since China is a major tourist attraction, many tourists want to try whale shark meat, but what they don't realize is the amount of toxins their meat has. Whale sharks are known to eat smaller fish contaminated with mercury, which then goes into their system. When humans eat whale shark meat, they are eating high amounts of mercury and other toxic chemicals, which will kill them in excess amounts.
Not only that, but whale sharks pose absolutely no threat to humans, so there is no need to kill them due to "fear of being eaten alive" or because they "help cure sickness and prevent diseases." If you ever see a whale shark while swimming, you will realize that they are some of the gentlest, most caring, creatures the sea has to offer. Unfortunately, there are still many out there who feel threatened by their presence, and will do whatever they can to end this creature's life.
One way we can stop the slaughter of whale sharks is to prosecute poachers and fishers who willingly kill whale sharks. By prosecution I mean charging anyone who harms whale sharks with a large fine. If fishermen are charged with a large fine and prosecuted, they will most likely never harm these creatures again, which will increase the whale shark population. When fishermen are prosecuted, they will be forced to become aware of the issues these creatures are going through, which will make them realize that there is no need to kill these animals, as there is no evidence proving that whale shark products help heal certain ailments and diseases. There is absolutely no need for a species to go extinct just because some believe that their meat makes a good meal, or that their fins will help cure them from sickness, in which there is lack of evidence to support this. As the president of a country where there are so many whale sharks, it should be a law that anyone who hurts or kills a whale shark be treated as a criminal and charged with a large fine. We can only hope that this species is protected, as saying goodbye to the largest fish living in the ocean would be a disaster, as these creatures will have left this world as innocent creatures, killed off by the selfish acts of humans.