Article Summary:

CNN has featured a story entitled “Shark catching drives species to extinction”, highlighting the plight of sharks worldwide. They emphasize that sharks killed 6 people last year, while the shark finning industry killed about 73 million sharks, and that one third of all shark species are in danger of extinction. Matt Rand, director of the Pew Environment Group’s Global Shark Conservation Campaign, is quoted as saying:

If serious action is not taken soon, the fate of shark species playing a viable role in the marine ecosystem – one they’ve played for 400 million years – is in jeopardy. Some say we’ve past the turning point; I hope that is not the case.”

He goes on to talk about the current attempts to influence shark fishing policies at the current summit of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization being held in Rome. Exposure about shark fishing practices at this level can only be good for shark conservation.