The Grumpy Vegan strongly recommends the film, Sharkwater, which is about the booming demand for shark flesh.
Sharks are in serious trouble. Research this week has revealed that more than half the world’s ocean-going sharks face extinction in the near future. I first became aware of their plight in 1999, on an assignment in the Galapagos Islands. Instead of photographing them, I wound up cutting dying sharks from illegal long lines. The experience led me to investigate the huge demand for sharks – even in the best-protected national parks on earth.
The simple reason is shark fin soup. Through much of Asia, this is a symbol of wealth, served as a sign of respect. A single pound of shark fin can sell for more than $300. Shark bodies don’t have substantial value, so fishermen started discarding the bodies and keeping only the fins. People have also been falsely led to believe that shark cartilage can cure conditions such as arthritis and cancer. In fact, it has been proved that shark cartilage has no disease-beating properties.
Humans are the danger by Rob Stewart, director, “Sharkwater”
