Student-led community action plan created and presented during an Ambassador Leadership Summit in 2019 at Harvard University.

1. Shark Finning
Little Changes
Make Big Differences

2. Thereisonepart ofthevideo
that canbeupsetting to some
people,so ifyouneedtoclose
your eyes youshould.
(Blood/animalcruelty)
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By:Wildaid

3. Our Goal
Due to the gargantuan decrease
in the global shark population,
our group has been striving to
illegalize the dismemberment
of sharks in our nation (US).
Starting with the revaluation of
state laws, we will find the most
useful and beneficial way to
remove shark finning in the
U.S.

4. Once we get home, we’ll create
flyers. We’ll hand them out at
various stores or supermarkets
locally. The flyers will convince
people of how bad the process of
shark finning is, and they’ll stop
buying the cut off fins. They’ll
spread the information to their
friends and family. As more and
more people stop buying shark fin
soup, the price of shark fins will
decrease. Once that happens,
poachers will abandon their hunt
for sharks and search for
something else to hunt.
Our
Action
Plan

5. What is
Shark
Finning?
Why is it so
cruel?
Shark finning is when a poacher cuts
the fins from sharks and dumps the
bodies back into the ocean. When they
are discarded into the ocean, the sharks
are still alive, but without fins. Without
fins, the sharks are unable to swim, so
they start to sink. As they sink, they
either die of suffocation or die from
blood loss. This act of cruelty is both
unsustainable and inhumane.

6. Texas'
Illegalization
of Shark
Finning

7. Why are
sharks
poached for
their fins?
There are many aspects of poaching.
Some do it for the thrill, others for
collections of exotic food. Although,
the main reason sharks are poached
is for status, and believed medical
properties of their fin meat. In the
culinary world, the sharks poached
are used to make shark fin soup.
However, the aforementioned shark
fins are equally valuable in black
markets, because shark
fins are illegal in many countries.
Sharks fins are also a part of the
status quo in certain Asian cultures.

8. How Could
Shark
Poaching
Affect the
Ecosystem?
Many sharks are considered apex
predators, which means they are the
only thing keeping other animal
populations from growing
uncontrollably. Without sharks,
marine biodiversity would collapse
within itself; the population of fish
lower on the food chain would likely
grow out of proportion, causing the
ecosystem to become unstable.
Moreover, these populations will
result in overwhelming nourishment
towards other predators, ruining the
aquatic environment.

10. What happens
to the shark
population?
● Every year, about 72 million
sharks are poached for their
fins.
● It is estimated that the shark
population has decreased by
60% in the last 10 years.
● Shark fins can be legally sold in
many U.S. states.
● 143 species of sharks are
vulnerable, near threatened,
endangered or critically
endangered.

11. How Can You
Help?
You can truly help the sharks by
donating to companies as passionate
as we are,such as Lush and Shark
Stewards. Whether you are buying
merchandise, donating money, or
even adopting a shark, you are
contributing to a declining species.
Spreading the word of shark finning
and how this animal cruelty is sad to
watch, is another way to spread
awareness and make this problem
more known internationally. Any
supporter we receive will be a big
asset to the prevention.

12. Our Sponsor
We have chosen Shark Stewards as our
non-profit organization. It’s big mission
is to restore the ocean’s health , which
they’ll do by saving sharks from
overfishing and shark fin trade. They
also want to protect important aquatic
creatures in general.
In the course of our stay here, we were
able to get in contact with the multi-
million dollar making company titled
“Lush”. We went back and forth
messaging, discussing their shark
awareness line and our cause was
supported by them. You will see this in
the email shown on the screen.

13. Lush
Messages

14. Our Sources
● https://greentumble.com/how-does-shark-finning-affect-the-ecosystem/
● https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/fish/what-is-shark-finning-and-
why-is-it-a-problem/
● https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/shark-finning-sharks-turned-prey
● https://awionline.org/content/shark-finning
● https://sharkstewards.org/
● https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/fish/what-is-shark-finning-and-
why-is-it-a-problem/
● https://sciencing.com/sharks-endangered-species-list-8050570.html
● https://www.hsi.org/issues/shark-finning/
● https://app.grammarly.com/ddocs/534235618
● https://youtu.be/mJG7RaLX-DM https://awionline.org/content/shark-finning-
legislation

15. Thank You!!!
Questions?