Before the dinosaurs ever set foot on earth, you roamed the deep blue seas. You’re the most ancient animal still alive today. Scientists sometimes call you a living fossil because you’ve changed so little over the last 400 million years. As the planet’s top predator, you have only one major enemy. But that enemy is set to wipe out you and all your species before you even turn 10!

You are not a character from a crazy sci-fi novel, but a shark. Your greatest enemy: Humans. We kill sharks out of fear and for shark fin soup, a delicacy in many parts of the world. About 100 million sharks are killed for their fins every year!

The worst part is how it’s done:

• Sharks are caught, usually in fishing lines
• Then they're pulled on board where just their fins are chopped off
• After that, they're thrown back in the water
• They sink to the bottom and are eaten alive by other fish

That’s 99% of the shark that’s wasted, just so people can eat soup! The fin itself is actually flavourless, until a chef adds chicken broth, yep you read it right – chicken flavour! So what’s the point?

Obviously, these people have no idea just how cool sharks are, and that they’re not even that dangerous. In fact, you have a better chance of being hit by lightening than attacked by a shark.
 

• Did you know that sharks can generate a new tooth in just 24 hours?
• Or that the Great White can detect a single drop of blood in 25 gallons/100 litres of water?
• Most sharks don’t sleep and must keep moving to stay alive.

Shark fin soup is in super high demand because in some Asian cultures it’s a status symbol. Some people believe that eating shark will make them stronger, but the truth is sharks have a lot of mercury in their bodies from all the pollution in the ocean. So eating them is actually bad for you.

Sharks are the top of the food-chain, and really important players in the ocean.  If we lose them, the entire ocean ecosystem could suffer. The more people learn about sharks, the better the chances we can save them. But we don’t have a lot of time. So hurry up and get started!
 

What YOU can do:

Before you accidentally eat an endangered ocean dweller, check the Canada Seafood Guide to make sure your fishy meal’s got the stamp of approval.

In January 2009, a major grocery chain started selling shark meat, but stopped after lots of people complained. As a consumer you have a lot of power, so don’t be afraid to use it!