After activist efforts on all levels, from school children around the world to almost 15,000 shark enthusiasts from Care2, Guam’s governor signed bill 44 to ban shark finning after the proposal was unanimously passed by legislators.
Guam is the third country to put a bill into place that bans the sale, possession and distribution of shark fins. This practice has become more prevalent over the years because of the rise in popularity of shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. More than 70 million sharks are killed by finning each year and often the shark’s body is disposed of in the sea after the brutal process of cutting off the fin.
We hope that Guam can serve as a model for the future of shark preservation. Sharks are vital for the ocean’s ecosystem and “as soon as you start to take out an important part of it, it’s like a brick wall, you take out bricks [and] eventually it’s going to collapse,” states WildAid International director Peter Knights. It is essential that we preserve these amazing creatures and not let them be destroyed in this horrible practice.
Thanks to all of those helped get this bill passed. We are so proud of Guam’s decision and hope other countries will follow in their footsteps.
photo credit: istock.com
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.