Shark

Hexanchiformes

Shark fishery

Each year, 100 million sharks are killed by people in commercial and recreational fishing. In the past they were fished simply for the sport of landing a good fighting fish (mako sharks for instance). Sharkskin (covered in effect with tiny teeth - dermal denticles) was used for the purposes that sandpaper currently is, others for food (Atlantic thresher, mako and others), and some species for other products.

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Sharks are a common seafood in many places around the world, including Japan and Australia. In the Australian State of Victoria Shark is the most commonly used fish in fish and chips, in which fillets are battered and deep fried or crumbed and grilled and served alongside chips. When served in fish and chip shops, it is called Flake.

Related Topics:
Japan - Australia - Victoria - Fish and chips

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Sharks are often killed for shark fin soup, in which many sharks are hunted for their fins, which are cut off with a hot metal blade before the live animal is tossed back into the water. There have been cases where hundreds of de-finned animals were swept up on local beaches without any way to convey themselves back into the sea. Conservationists have campaigned for changes in the law to make finning illegal in the U.S.

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Sharks generally reach sexual maturity slowly and produce very few offspring in comparison to other fishes that are harvested. This has caused concern among biologists regarding the increase in effort applied to catching sharks over time, and many species are considered to be threatened.

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Organizations like the Shark Trust are trying to limit shark fishing.

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