I have a dream – one that echoes through eternity and stimulates my soul most nights. I am floating – peacefully and blissfully floating – on the calm and cerulean-painted surface that is the ocean. I have no fear, for my family is around me. My brothers and sisters surround me, and I am happy. Sharks are my family. I am home when I am close to them. In this dream, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of them; they don’t want to harm me, for they love me as much as I love them. Within their warm embrace, I am free.
First and foremost, my image of sharks was not always this heartfelt and unguarded because, when I was young, Jaws traumatized me. This fictional story shocked so many people and forever changed the way humans saw sharks. Sadly, it left me thinking that these prehistoric creatures were simply hungry monsters waiting to sink their teeth into human flesh. You have a 1 in 3 700 000 chance of being killed by a shark during your lifetime. That is a small percentage. Therefore, sharks are a minor threat to humans. I am convinced that the release of Jaws played a significant role in creating the shark fin industry.
Shark finning is a practice where sharks get their fins removed while they are still alive and then get thrown back into the ocean to suffocate, slowly die, or get eaten by other species. It should no longer exist for the sake of our ecosystems, and although people talk about a global fin ban, the slaughtering continues. This cruelest act towards wildlife kills more than 100 000 000 sharks each year. If I had known the facts about sharks earlier, maybe I would have tried my best to protect them by giving them a voice and speaking out about this important issue. I don’t think that people are slaughtering sharks for pleasure; it’s mostly because they misunderstand their behavior.
Continuing to kill these animals by using this practice is inhumane in many ways, mostly because the creature suffers greatly but also because it leads to catastrophic environmental consequences. Shark finning is destroying our planet and oceans, and it must end now. If people knew the truth about sharks, perhaps they would defend them. They are intelligent and sensitive predators, desiring nothing more than to be part of our world, and I think that it is our duty as children of earth to protect all wildlife and practice sustainability in every aspect of our life.
Nowadays, many people are becoming activists in promoting ocean awareness, including ways to help with shark conservation. Hundreds of organizations have been born, thanks to the dedicated work of one Canadian, Rob Stewart. Rob, a shark conservationist and a filmmaker, shared his story with the world when he released his movie Sharkwater. He exposed what was happening to our oceans and desired to change people’s perception of sharks by revealing their real behavior. Rob Stewart also told us of the possible fate of our world if they were to go extinct. He shed light on shark finning and the truth behind the rapid disappearance of sharks around the globe. Rob turned people’s fear of these predators into love. He made humans want to save them and join the Fin Free movement to change the world.
Stewart’s organization declared a while ago that one-third of open water sharks are facing extinction because of shark finning, and many species have so rapidly decreased. There’s only 1% of them left. Thanks to the incredible work and devotion of Rob Stewart, numerous countries have banned shark finning. Although he passed away this year, his legacy continues to live on in the hearts of people who knew him and cared about his mission: saving sharks. Rob was a dear friend of mine, and his profound love for all things, including sharks, washed away all my anxieties about swimming with them and reassured me that I would always be safe if I followed my heart.
While these marine creatures terrified me in the past, he taught me to let the love inside of me overcome my deepest fears. Rob fueled a flame in my soul with his passion for sharks. It guided me to step out into the ocean and save the one thing that once terrified me tremendously.
Now, even if shark finning is illegal in a majority of the world, the shark fin trade is not. We need to change this. Shark education is teaching society how essential these creatures are for life on earth, and hopefully, people will fight for the preservation of sharks and show the world how strong our voice is when we unite.
Today, I am carrying on Rob Stewart’s legacy, and I am working daily to ban all import of shark fins in Canada. I believe that residents of this beautiful country deserve to know what their government supports, including practices that could affect the health of Canadian and international citizens.
People should be aware that the importation of shark fins in our country is ongoing even if shark finning does remain illegal here; we still encourage this global industry by importing. This issue should be on the lips of each Canadian and in the hearts of our leaders because we can no longer afford to ignore the devastation our planet is facing and enduring because of the slaughter of sharks.
It is not fictional that life in the ocean and on earth is connected, and if one collapses, the other one will follow.
I am asking everyone to please act on this issue by supporting the petition that I have created. We need to be the solution to this global catastrophe and speak out against it to help to put a stop to it. We are fighting for our future here, and we would lose 50% of our oxygen if sharks disappeared completely. Everyone has a right to have clean air to breathe, and this is one of the many reasons why we must participate in this campaign to pass Bill S-238. Senator Michael MacDonald introduced this bill, and this means that people in power do care, and it is time for us to work all together to make sure this bill passes.
We are living in a world where companies and societies are becoming greener each day because they are learning how their actions alter the world around them. I think that today is the best time to make Canada a sustainable country and the first nation to ban the importation of shark fins. Shark species and our oceans need our help! This action towards saving sharks is for the health of our world, including the life of Canadians today and for future generations! Join me in this fight, and let’s walk this fin-free journey together! From the beautiful words of Rob Stewart, conservation is the preservation of human life on planet earth, and that above all, is worth fighting for.
Please sign and share this petition and help stop the importation of shark fins in Canada:
Article Submitted By Community Writer