Why Sharks Matter

Sharks predate dinosaurs. In the last century, the shark fin trade and commercial fishing have depleted their populations by over 90 percent. Throughout their 450 million year history, they have served as a keystone species that regulate and maintain healthy ocean ecosystems. What happens when sharks are removed from that system?

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[music]

Biodiversity is really how we define
our own existence, isn't it.

It's us and say tens of millions
of other species

that occupy this planet with us.

It's like there's this incredible web
where we're all connected.

And when you start to lose
these linchpin species,

the environment starts to fail.

When we translate human activity
into these forces of extinction,

there are several major factors
that are contributing.

One of the major drivers of extinction

is that we hunt some species to oblivion.

It's what we're doing with sharks now.

With the explosion of demand
for shark fin soup,

global estimates for the shark fin trade

put it in the neighborhood
of a billion dollars.

It's a huge amount of money.

So, sharks are targeted
by fleets around the world.

They may simply cut the fins off
and then release them

to a slow and very unpleasant death.

Do you keep all the sharks?
Or put the bodies back?

You cut the fins? Then toss.

We don't actually know how many sharks
are in the ocean.

What we do know is that the big sharks,

the apex predator
in the open ocean food chain,

their numbers have declined
between 90 and 99 percent.

[music]

Sharks have survived
four mass extinction events.

They've been around the planet
longer than dinosaurs.

A lot longer.

Sharks have ruled our oceans
for over 400 million years.

They've been responsible for regulating
and maintaining

the entire balance across our oceans.

Now we're in a situation where sharks
are being removed from that system.

Humans are really the single
most impactful species

this planet has ever seen.

We have these prehistoric brains
and we have this god-like technology

and when you bring them together,

the result is not necessarily a happy one.

You know, species are like
a house of cards.

You can't just sort of take one card
out of the deck

and not expect the deck to crumble.

[music]