Not exactly. All ocean life is indeed in danger, but shark are in a particularly precarious state, and also occupy a particularly crucial role as top predators, without which entire ocean ecosystems begin to fail. This inordinately threatens all ocean species.

The other important factor in all of this is that eating shark fin soup is like wearing fur. It is totally unnecessary and extremely wasteful because once the valuable fins are taken, most of the shark are thrown back into the ocean to die.

So the shark fin situation is a serious crisis that needs to be ended immediately.

Protecting shark in the ocean is similar to protecting returning wolves in the Rockies. It is absolutely vital to entire bioregions.

And no one would say that since other mammals are threatened we shouldn't engage immediate special protections for wolves ;)

cheers

Eric B

On 3/9/2011 2:37 PM, Richard Knee wrote:

Equal protection is needed for other fish. If sharkfin soup is banned, another type(s) of fish could fall victim to that supply chain.

On 3/9/2011 1:31 PM, Eric Brooks wrote:
mksage@gmail.com wrote:

Please vote to "BAN SHARK FIN SOUP" in the online pole that the San Francisco Chronicle is holding. Go to

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/09/MNBB1I6GV4.DTL

and look down the left side of the article for "THE QUESTION -- Census finds only 219 great white sharks off coast"

Click the button labeled "Ban shark fin soup" and then click the "VOTE" button.

-- Mike