General information on the shark
Around the world, sharks are known for their "ferocity" and "terror", people see all sharks as a replica of Jaws. Globally humans see them as monsters and are not willing to give up this thought as we are scared. This is not what this astonishingly prehistoric evolved creature should be known for! Their true acriments are their amazing hunting abilities, fast swimming and exhilarating jumps. The fact is that more people die from car accidents than shark attacks. Only around 1-2 people are killed by shark attacks annually.
Causes of shark endangerment
A reason of why some sharks are endangered and some on the verge of extinction is because of habitat destruction. Mangroves are used for breeding grounds, reproduction and shelter; however coastal development of resorts and golf courses destroy the mangroves.
Commercial fishing for their fins and tails for restaurants and the black market also greatly endanger these mystical oceanic creatures. The shark is caught and the fins are cut off even if the animal is still alive and then thrown back into the sea as 'useless waste'; this is known as 'finning'. The fins are popular Asian food for tourists as they are made to shark fin soup. Sadly only a small minority of countries have introduced restrictions on finning ( they happen to include: Canada, Brazil, USA, Spain and Costa Rica).
Another threat to their existence is trawler fishing. This is where a boat sets up a huge, long net across a large area. Because of this, many sharks become entangled accidentally in these nets and starve to death. However if they happen to escape there is a shortage of food due to the 'ocean going fish factories'. 100,000's of sharks are killed annually devastating the total eco-system of the ocean, "if one ship goes down, they all fall". "We must remember that we entered the sharks' home, we are the intruders."
Article by RHN.