60% OF PELAGIC SHARKS FACE
EXTINCTION
Why should I WORRY?
5 PEOPLE killed by sharks every year
100,000,000 SHARKS killed by people every year
That’s 7% of the shark population killed annually
What is CAUSING IT?
FISHING FOR FINS
A flourishing trade in Asia! A kilo of fins sells for between €300 and €500.
UNCONTROLLED FISHING
Shark populations have fallen by more than 90% in exploited areas.
BY-CATCHES
Certain fishing practices such as gillnets and longlines have a devastating impact on populations.
SPORT FISHING
2.5 million sharks are killed for sport. Shark fishing is not regulated.
SHARKS
AN UNLOVED YET VITAL FISH IN THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM
Most shark species are harmless to humans. As the last link in the food chain, they play a vital role in maintaining well-balanced marine environments:
- They feed on the many sick fish they encounter on their journeys. Eliminating the weaker ones, they help in the selection of the fittest and so ensure species survival.
- They feed on the many sick fish they encounter on their journeys. Eliminating the weaker ones, they help in the selection of the fittest and so ensure species survival.
Overfishing of sharks poses a serious threat to the survival of the species, because population renewal is very slow – they reach sexual maturity late (almost ten years of age for some species) and the gestation period is long (up to 22 months).
