We’re killing sharks faster than they can reproduce

Every year, humans kill millions of sharks for their fins, cartilage, and meat – and the U.S. is a major contributor. Here’s why...

Transcript

00:00People

00:28like to place blame overseas, but it's definitely a huge problem in the United States as well.

00:33Is shark cartilage the answer to cancer? I know it in my heart that it definitely is

00:38helping me. From the ocean depths comes GNC's natural brand shark cartilage available in

00:43tablets powder and liquid. In addition to the fact that there is not a lot of concrete

01:03evidence that even shows that shark cartilage pills can be beneficial to your health. Shark

01:08has a lot of mercury in it just because they are at the top of the food chain. So it is

01:12really good to avoid these types of products even for your own health.

01:42Sharks reproduce very slowly. Some sharks gestate for over a year, up to two years.

01:57So they can't keep up with that type of removal. And some populations have already declined

02:01by over 90%.

02:12Sharks are very important for the ecosystem. They act kind of like the immune system. So

02:16they really only go after and hunt sick, injured or diseased fish. And because of that, they're

02:21really selecting the individuals that shouldn't be reproducing in the population.

02:35The predatory role in an ecosystem is really fascinating. And there's just something that's

02:40really amazing about swimming and sharing the water with an animal that is so capable

02:45of so much strength and so much power. And they play such an important part in the ecosystem.

02:51And they have such a bad reputation. Seeing people swim with them and interact with them

02:56regularly helps to, you know, debunk that fear, help people get more comfortable with

03:00just seeing them and maybe even getting a chance to experience the sharks themselves

03:03with a professional guide. It's something that I'm very, very passionate about.