Shark fin soup have been a popular dish in Asia for years, particularly in China and Vietnam. Due to this trend, an increase in killing sharks for fins has been observed through the years resulting in decrease population of the predators. This drop has been condemned by conservationists worldwide and global efforts to educate the consumers have surprisingly made a significant change.
Sharks Controlling Fish Population Results In Decrease CO2 Levels In The Ocean
According to Chinese media, the country has seen a 70 percent decrease in shark fin soup demand. However, there are still those who opts to eat the cuisine threatening the sharks that play a significant part in the ocean's ecosystem. But it turns out that they are a part of something far bigger than the sea that they inhabit.
A recent study found that these apex predators also contribute in decreasing the continuous rise of the planet's temperature, which is why recent calls to eliminate killing sharks for fins have been reinvigorated. As these animals are among the most voracious feeders of the ocean, they act as a sort of regulator in maintaining the balance of marine population. Incessantly hunting them then result in fish population growing with one fewer species that controls this balance, The Conversation reported.
Killing Sharks For Fins Also Affects Behavior Of Species Below The Predator's Food Chain
This, in turn, means that more respiration is occurring in the ocean increasing carbon dioxide levels. It's estimated that shark population will only grow up to 10 percent of the overall prey that they consume. On the other side of the pond, if fish population isn't checked by the predators, a surge in their number will rise up to 90 percent in terms of biomass than the weight of the sharks removed.
Furthermore, sharks don't merely affect CO2 levels in the ocean by eating those below the food chain. Past studies have also concluded that these predators also affect the feeding behavior of other marine species which might reduce the build-up of carbon deposits in the ocean. Therefore, killing sharks for fin ultimately affects climate change as more and more fish breeds in the sea without a predator that affects their behavior and population resulting in increased CO2 production by the system, the Science Direct reported.
