And I wonder how many sharks die simply as a result of being bycatch in regular commercial fishing. People could be guilty of indirectly killing sharks by eating fish like tuna.
> Throughout the 1990s, fishermen captured 12 million sharks and rays as bycatch every year, just in international waters alone.
Even if some sort of release policy is implemented by fishermen, being hooked by the gills, dragged up to 1 atmosphere pressure, and being thrown back into the water is probably harmful to the sharks.
Agreed. However the trade in shark fins is very profitable and leads to excesses and unspeakable cruelty. Just search for "sharks cut off fins" in your favourite video site. Warning: the search results are graphic.
> Throughout the 1990s, fishermen captured 12 million sharks and rays as bycatch every year, just in international waters alone.
https://usa.oceana.org/blog/bycatch-spotlight-one-biggest-is...
Even if some sort of release policy is implemented by fishermen, being hooked by the gills, dragged up to 1 atmosphere pressure, and being thrown back into the water is probably harmful to the sharks.