-The continuing practice of shark finning, which is the practice of removing the fins and discarding the remainder of the shark back into the sea, is having a devastating effect on shark species around the world.
-Shark finning takes place at sea, so only the fins have to be transported back to land. Shark meat is considered low value and therefore not worth the cost of transporting the bulky shark bodies to market.
-Apex predators such as sharks play a critical role in maintaining healthy, balanced ecosystems.
-The practice of shark finning results in an estimated 73 million sharks a year being killed for their fins alone and that over one-third of all shark species are threatened with extinction as a result of shark finning.
-The IUCN reports: Every year 100 million sharks and related species are caught in fisheries. Some species have been reduced by more than 80% over recent years, and many are on the brink of extinction.
-Although the practice is banned in Canada and the U.S., the sale of fins for inclusion in shark soup and other products is not.
-Measures must be taken to stop the global practice of shark finning and to ensure the responsible conservation and management of sharks; THEREFORE, we the undersigned call upon the Nanaimo Mayor and City Council Members to legislate a ban on the possession, sale and consumption of shark fins in Nanaimo BC
Greetings,
I just signed the following petition addressed to: Nanaimo Mayor John Ruttan and City Council
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Ban Shark Fins in Nanaimo
I am writing to ask you to ban shark fin products in the City of Nanaimo.
Sharks are top predators and maintain the health of our ocean ecosystem, which we all depend on. With late sexual maturity (up to 25 years), long gestation (2-3 pups on average) and life span (up to 100 years), sharks are being killed at rates their populations simply cannot sustain. One-third of open ocean sharks are threatened with extinction, primarily due to the fin trade and the growing demand for shark fin soup.
Shark finning is also a wasteful practice. On average, sharks' fins make up less than 5% of their total body weight. Due to the high value of their fins (a dorsal of a mature whale shark can sell up to 50,000CDN) and low value of their meat, sharks are often finned at sea and the rest of their body dumped overboard.
This is a local issue with a significant global impact as shark fin products are imported into Canada from around the world. A ban on shark fin products will enable our City to cease being a participant in the worldwide decimation of shark populations and the oceans at large.
Citizens and restaurants across Canada and the world have already begun removing shark fin from their menus. It is now time to build on this momentum. We ask that you join Toronto, Mississauga, Brantford, Oakville, California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and a growing list of jurisdictions to ban shark fin products in the City of Nanaimo.
Your leadership can change the tide of the decimation of shark populations around the world and help create a healthy ocean ecosystem that sustains our planet. Please enact legislation that bans shark fin products in Nanaimo. Thank you.
We look forward to celebrating your leadership in this movement.
Sincerely,
