Humans impact sharks and the ocean a lot!! Overfishing is the main reason the vast majority of sharks are endangered. The shark fin trade has caused oceanic shark and ray populations to plummet by 71% since 1970. Furthermore, garbage, oil spills, and climate change as a whole threaten the entire ocean and its denizens. Plastic especially is immensely harmful. Whale sharks in the Java region alone ingest about 137 (visible) pieces of plastic during one hour of feeding. 😢
Pictured: A shark that has been finned :(
The future for sharks is bleak but they can still be saved. Major changes will have to be made--here are our best options:
And here are just a few organizations that are helping the shark cause: