Sharks Need More than One Week Each Year
Sharks serve an integral role in marine ecosystems and impact local economies, and it’s something The Moore Charitable Foundation has taken particular interest in throughout our history.
Whether off the United States coast or in international waters, sharks help maintain the balance of species in the ocean. However, overfishing continues to jeopardize the existence of many shark species, leaving some vulnerable to threat of extinction. According to a study by Global FinPrint published last year, there has been a marked decrease in shark populations on coastal reefs around the world. Thankfully, people are starting to take notice and take action.
In June, the U.S. Senate passed the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the buying and selling of shark fins in the United States. More than 100 million sharks are killed each year for shark fins, meat and oil, according to one well-cited study. This bill would help to reduce those numbers by ensuring that illegally obtained shark fins are prohibited from being imported to or exported from the United States.
Every summer, TV’s Shark Week celebration dispels myths about this misunderstood species, arguing for preserving sharks, not fearing them. Sharks are essential to maintaining the appropriate marine life balance, which helps local coastal economies in the United States that rely on the health of our oceans.
Dedicated to the protection of sharks and the maintenance of a healthy shark population around the globe, The Moore Charitable Foundation is a proud partner of the Shark Conservation Fund (SCF)—a philanthropic collaboration focused on halting the overexploitation of the world’s sharks and rays, preventing extinction, and restoring populations. With nearly 90 projects in more than 50 countries across the globe, the fund advocates for sustainable policies and implementable trade regulations to protect the world’s marine resources.
Following bipartisan passage of the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act in June and TV’s Shark Week in July, let’s build on this momentum to support this special apex species. We must learn to better share our oceans with sharks or else risk their disappearance.
