Newspaper Article

Hunted: Overfishing threatens sharks

Flanagan, Ruth

1992

Overview

Commercial fishermen caught record numbers of sharks in recent years, in part to satisfy the skyrocketing demand for shark meat, [William Burns] said. In Asia, sharks are made into shark fin soup, which sells for up to $50 a bowl. In England, sharks show up in fish and chips. And in Los Angeles, New York and even Milwaukee, shark steak has become haute cuisine. Today, many species of shark are in serious trouble, Burns said. Makos and threshers, prized for their meat, are severely depleted off the West Coast of the US. Hammerheads, often killed for their fins, have disappeared off Costa Rica. Even the infamous great white shark of \"Jaws\" is endangered in certain regions. Catch Limits Sharks are not the voracious killing machines many people think they are, Burns said. After all, the two largest shark species are filter-feeders that eat only plankton and krill. And while 12 of the 350 shark species are considered dangerous to people, even they do not intentionally prey on human beings, he said. When sharks do attack people, Burns said, it is usually because they mistake swimmers or surfboarders for sea otters.

• Publisher: Journal Sentinel Inc
• Subject: Burns, William