Overfishing and commercial fishing practices are severely impacting shark populations around the world. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed each year, many just for their fins which can sell for $100-$1000. This overfishing has removed top predators from marine ecosystems, causing ripple effects down the food chain such as population explosions in smaller shark, ray, and seal species that disrupt ecosystem balance. Long-term consequences of declining shark populations include loss of biodiversity and potential collapse of fisheries as other species are overconsumed. Conservation efforts are needed to establish shark sanctuaries and bans on finning to protect these important ocean predators.
