Some of you may be familiar with the shark fin trade and its impact on the depletion of sharks in the ecosystem. The act of shark fining basically involves the capture of the sharks, removal of all their fins, and the discard of the body (dead or alive) back into the ocean. This removal of the fins prevents the sharks from swimming, which is essential for them to breathe, and results in them sinking to the bottom where they drown and become preyed on by other species. This is a long and painful death for the sharks. They are classified as “keystone species”, meaning if they were to be removed from an ecosystem, this would result in the entire ocean’s collapse. Approximately 73 million sharks are killed for their fins each year and many of them are even nearing extinction.
Many of the cosmetic products and supplements that we use on a daily basis contain shark fins. As a result, banning the importation of these products into Canada will potentially reduce the demand for shark fins and eventually reduce the over-fishing of these incredible creatures.
