Sharks swim closer to extinction...

A new study about sharks is showing a worrying trend.It is being reported that more than half of the world's ocean-going sharks are at risk of extinction.Specialists with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) found that 11 species are on the high-risk list,with five more showing signs of decline.

Sharks are particularly affected by over-fishing as they reproduce slowly.The scientists are calling for global catch limits,an end to the practice of removing fins,and measures to minimise incidental catches.The IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG) assessed data on the 21 species of sharks and their close cousins,the rays,that swim in upper portions of the open ocean where they are exposed to fishing fleets.Of the 21,one - the giant devilray - is assessed as Endangered,and 10 are Vulnerable.A further five are listed as Near Threatened,which means the signs of decline are not serious enough yet to merit a full listing.

The main threat to sharks is fishing,both accidental and targeted.And one of the main reason for this is because as East Asian economies boom,conservation groups say the market for fins is increasing.Many big shark species have fallen prey to booming Asian economies where shark-fin soup is prized as a must-have delicacy at weddings and other banquet occasions.The fins are often sliced off of living fish which are then discarded in the sea.Currently,there are no international catch limits for oceanic sharks,but with sufficient public support and resulting political will,we can turn the tide according to the SSG.

This news was particularly interesting to me because I am a huge fan of shark-fin soup.The first time I taste it,I love it so much that I cant stop buying it whenever I am eating outside.There is no doubt that it is expensive,but it was worth it.Recently though,I have been trying to curb my desire to eat it and if possible,stop eating it at all.You can see the reason why in this report.Sharks are getting extinct.We all know that sharks is a deadly animal,but it is one of the most beautiful creatures in the ocean and I dont want to see it go extinct.I am a huge animal lover and whenever I hear stories like this,I feel regret and sometimes,I feel I am contributing to its extinction.I am going to try to stop buying shark-fin soup but I think it would be even better if a new law is introduce to limit the catch for oceanic sharks.I completely agree with the SSG when they say we need sufficient public support and political will to try to solve the problem and it can only happen if everyone can work together.

So the next time you are thinking about having a shark-fin soup,remember,you are contributing to the extinction of the sharks as well.If you stop the buying,the killing will stop as well.And at the same time,you can save your money because its not cheap.So spread the message and support the movement.It's not too late to save the sharks.

*The report was taken from BBC & AFP.