Letter

The Honorable John Kerry
218 Russell Bldg.
Second Floor
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Kerry:
I am a concerned citizen who would like your help in stopping a growing problem. In the last fifty years, shark populations have decreased immensely due to a process called shark finning. Some shark populations have decreased by over 95 percent. To date, only seventeen countries have banned shark finning. I read that you introduced a bill into the Senate that ended all shark finning in United States' waters. So, that is why I have written you this letter I would like your help in ending Chinese shark finning. Today, countries like Costa Rica and China have invested heavily in the billion-dollar shark finning industry. China imports 80 percent of all shark fins in the world. They use cruel and inhumane tactics to trap the sharks as they swim or search for food. They use longlines, which are long plastic fishing lines with large baited hooks attached to them. Some longlines can stretch as long as sixty-two miles and they catch other marine animals like turtles, fish, sea birds, and dolphins. After the Chinese fishermen gather the sharks, they only slice off their fins which can sell for up to $300. The Chinese people claim that it is a tradition to eat shark fin soup at weddings and large banquets. Many consumers eat shark fin soup in China because it is considered to be a delicacy. In today's modern world, people should not be destroying the oceans in order to attain a status in society.

I would like your help in putting pressure on the Chinese government to enforce stricter rules on shark fishermen in the hopes of someday ending the shark finning industry altogether. Since you are the current chairman of the U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee, I believe that you could influence the Chinese government into reviewing their current stance on shark finning. China and the United States have a huge foreign relationship, and if we were to work with them to end shark finning it would only strengthen our bond. You have helped make the United States look like a role model to countries like China by ending shark finning in U.S. waters. There a few different solutions that I urge you to offer the Chinese government, including educating the Chinese people about the impact that shark finning has on the environment, restricting the sale of shark fins in China, and creating fines for fishermen who do sell shark fins. The only way the problem of shark finning can be combated is through education and action. I believe that by working with the Chinese government you can come up with a plan that can end shark finning in China.

Sincerely,

Evan Schell
6131 Calle Mariselda #107
San Diego, CA 92124

Op-Ed Article

Sharks are some of the most feared animals in society today. Most people fear sharks because of their large size and ferocious behavior. Hollywood portrays sharks as bloodthirsty beasts who feed only on human flesh. Movies like Jaws have depicted sharks as terrible menaces that wreak havoc on society. These false portrayals of sharks have led to a worldwide fear of sharks. Some people are so afraid of sharks that they refuse to enter the ocean. Most people have no idea that each year 100 million sharks are slaughtered. In that same year, only five people are killed in shark attacks. The shark attacks that do occur happen when humans enter a shark's habitat and the shark must defend itself. Most of the sharks slaughtered each year are not killed out of fear, but for economic gain and to satisfy people’s appetites. These sharks are killed solely for their fins, which are considered a delicacy in parts of the world.

China is the largest importer of shark fins in the world. They import over eighty percent of all shark fins in the world. Shark fin soup is a very popular dish in China because it is associated with royalty and the upper class. Although shark fins don't have any real or distinct taste, consumers continue to buy the soup regardless. It has become a trend amongst rich people in China because they believe the fins transmit good health. Some bowls of shark fin soup sell for $100 in Chinese restaurants. These restaurants advertise the sale of shark fin soup by placing whale shark fins in the front windows. Although whale sharks pose no threat to humans and have no teeth fishermen continue to hunt them down for their fins today. There has never been a report of a whale shark attack on any human being, so why do people kill them? Money is the sole reason why the shark finning industry is so strong. Whale shark fins sell for up to $500,000. Since people are willing to pay large amounts of money for these irreplaceable creatures fishermen can make an easy living off of sharks. The problem with this industry is that shark populations are declining in record amounts. If the shark fin industry continues at today’s levels, we may see the extinction of all sharks in the near future.

Fishermen who hunt the sharks use a very barbaric method of collecting sharks. Most sharks are caught by longlines, which can stretch up to sixty-two miles. The longlines have baited hooks attached to them and they catch hundreds of sharks as they swim by. Longlines are inhumane because they don’t instantly kill the sharks; instead the hooks force them to bleed out. Longlines not only catch sharks, but they also catch sea turtles, fish, birds, and other marine animals as they swim through them. Shark fishermen also fin live sharks on their boats and throw the shark carcasses overboard. The sharks can’t swim because they have no fins, so they sink to the bottom of the ocean floor where they die a painful and long death.
How is it that governments can sit back and allow these horrific events to take place in our oceans? Since there are no real global regulations against shark finning, the industry continues to flourish and grow everyday. The U.S. Senate recently enacted a bill ending all shark finning in American waters, and this was a huge step for the world. Other countries should look at this monumental decision and choose to help protect sharks. Sharks are huge contributors to the healthy balance of our world’s oceans.

Sharks are considered to be a keystone species because they influence how an ecosystem is structured. Since sharks are top predators in the oceanic food chain, they help maintain a perfect balance in places like Western Australia. In Shark Bay, Western Australia, Tiger sharks regulate dugong and green sea turtle populations because they are the sharks’ source of food. The dugongs and green sea turtles eat sea grass, so the Tiger sharks affect the amount of sea grass in the ecosystem indirectly. So, as a whole, the ecosystem relies on the Tiger sharks to keep everything running smoothly. But when shark fishermen come and take large numbers of sharks out of the ocean it affects all of the species who rely on the sharks. In other places, sharks maintain balance to the ocean’s ecosystems by feeding on sick and dying fish and mammals who might otherwise affect the health of species and their genetic pool. A complex food web is kept in balance by sharks, and removing them from the web would negatively affect our oceans’ plant and animal species. If shark fishermen don't realize that shark finning is an unsustainable practice, there will be a catastrophic meltdown in oceans all over the world.

Shark finning is a practice that needs to end now. It is an industry that is rapidly destroying the oceans that we as humans rely on every single day. Shark fin soup is a luxury item that doesn't belong on any dinner table or menu. Sharks should be able to roam the oceans freely like they have for the last 400 million years. They are intelligent creatures who deserve our respect and need our help. Until the world wakes up and realizes how important sharks are, they will be long gone like the Dodo bird.

Shark Finning

This is my PSA I made about shark finning

My Abstract

I wrote an essay about shark finning and how the Chinese government needs to end all importing of shark fins. This is the abstract I wrote, it introduces readers to my essay.

Sharks have inhabited the planet for over 400 million years. In the last century, humans have posed a bigger threat to sharks than any other animal. In only fifty years, shark populations have been reduced by 90 percent. Sharks have been hunted for their fins, teeth, jaws, skin, and liver oil. Shark finning has become a multi-billion dollar industry in recent years. China is one of the largest consumers of shark fins in the world. Chinese fishing vessels catch about 10,000 to 15,000 tons of shark fins annually. Shark fin soup has been a very popular dish in Chinese culture since the early 1300's. Today, shark fin soup has grown in popularity amongst middle and upper class Chinese people. Most Chinese consumers buy the soup because the emperors and nobles were eating the same soup hundreds of years ago in China. Many shark fin vendors make claims that the shark fins can cure cancer and have magical healing powers, which is completely untrue.

Today only seventeen countries have banned shark finning completely. Some of those countries include Switzerland, Tajikistan, Bolivia, Sudan, Mongolia, and Nepal. Each individual government created a ban; it doesn’t allow any fishing for sharks or shark fin trading on their coastlines. On November 19, 2009, the United States Senate passed a bill that closed a few huge loopholes in previous shark finning laws. The Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000 was a law passed by the Senate that was aimed to end shark finning in United State's waters. There were three main loopholes addressed in the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. The bill closed the loopholes that allowed for the transportation of shark fins that weren’t finned on the boat, the transfer of fins to other boats while in the ocean and it also allows the United States to confront nations that haven’t banned shark finning (Sea Shepherd). In Scotland, shark fishing is allowed only when a fisherman is granted a permit by the government. The Scottish government has also created a regulation requiring an observer to be on the boat to observe the catching of sharks. Most fishermen don't have enough money to pay for an observer to board their boat and the observer can report any illegal shark finning back to the government (Arkive). This new regulation has helped reduce the number of sharks fishermen catch because of the extra costs and preparations that are required. Countries that still trade shark fins include the European Union, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Yemen, and Mexico.

There are many solutions to end shark finning in China forever. Educating consumers about what they are eating is a huge step that the Chinese government could take to end the consumption of shark fin soup. "Research conducted in China indicates that when confronted with the truth, consumers will change their impression of the soup” (Shark Savers). Also implementing stricter rules and regulations will drive away a large amount of fishermen who rely on sharks for their fins. “According to the IUCN Shark Specialist group, the easiest way to implement a ban is to require that shark carcasses be landed with fins attached. The possession of fins alone on vessels would thus be illegal” (Sharkwater). There are bans like this in the United Kingdom and Brazil that are regulated by the government. These bans have helped stop a large amount of shark finning from continuing in these countries. Shark fin soup is a luxury item that isn’t essential to furthering our modern world. The only way the problem of shark finning can be combated is through education and action.

Government and Food

When it comes to choosing healthy foods I think some people let money, time and their opinions influence them heavily. Since big, corporate companies like McDonald's make their food cheap and convenient consumers tend to choose to eat there. When someone is rushed for time they

would much rather pick up a burger and fries over making a fresh salad at home. Money can

also be a key factor when someone chooses their food. Since organic and local foods tend to be

expensive , consumers try to save their money on food by purchasing unhealthy foods. When people

say they don't care what they eat, it confuses me so much. If you think your health is important at all,

why would you not care what you put inside yourself? I would much rather pay extra money for organic,local,

and healthy produce than live the rest of my life with cancer because I didn't care what I ate.

Everyone should be cognizant and aware of the food they chose to put inside themselves.

I think that the government should work to help educate and put restrictions on foods for consumers.

Since our government is supposed to work for the people I think they should be much more strict when it

comes to allowing certain foods to be marketed and sold. Too many people are misguided by big corporations, who

are always working to make more money. If the government stepped in and helped educate people

about healthy food choices it would only benefit us. I think that they should also help make fresh foods cheaper and

much more accessible for everyone. We honestly do not need junk food and processed foods in our diets,

the effects they produce are only negative. When the government makes healthy foods a priority it will

only benefit us and future generations.

How would you react?

Dylan and I went around Point Loma last week for our sociology project. We both blatantly filmed strangers and studied their reactions. We were deviants among normal people.

Novalena

Novalena was born in San Francisco. Coming from a loving family, she has dedicated her life to empowering women. She recently left a full time job at a technology to company to pursue her dreams. She is currently writing a book entitled, The Total Female Package. Throughout her life she has lived by five main principles, love, authenticity, connection, growth, and relationships. When she was a young girl her father taught her to always be authentic. He told her to always be herself and that she could accomplish anything she put her mind to. He decided at a young age to adopt this mindset in life. His parents told him that a career as a janitor would be safe and that it was the best decision for him after high school. He didn’t let his parents decide his fate and instead he became a computer technician. These kinds of lessons in Novalena’s life have shaped the person that she is today.

After graduating high school Novalena moved to UC Davis. She decided to attend Davis instead of UC Berkeley because she felt like the professors were much more interested in helping the students at Davis. She graduated from UC Davis and in 2001 she moved to San Diego. She worked for Clear Channel Radio at a radio show with an all women audience. While Novalena worked there she realized that she enjoyed helping women through motivation and building self-confidence. In the future she hopes to develop a book series that helps people. Novalena would also like to settle down in the near future with a perfect husband. She wants to find someone who she can rely on and share the rest of her life with. She also would like to have a large amount of children who she can always support. Novalena would like to raise her children the same way that she was raised, with support and love.