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Has anyone see any parts of these docs? I caught a bit last night, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I think Lisa Ling and Anderson Cooper have done a great job tackling issues that plague our planet.
One part that really grabbed my attention was the fishing of shark for the popular Asian dish, shark fin soup. The footage was truly disturbing as the sharks were caught, de-finned, and thrown back into the ocean. They eventually drown after a long and painful death. It's truly disgusting. Over 100 million sharks are killed every year, solely for their fins.
Here's more info, along with some video footage:
KAOSHIUNG, Taiwan (CNN) -- There is no animal on earth more vilified than the shark. Pop culture references and annual, over-hyped reports of attacks on swimmers or surfers have put sharks on the top of the list of the world's most feared living things.
There is however, a creature far more predacious than the shark: Humans.
Sharks existed before there were dinosaurs and they pre-date humans by millions of years. Yet, in a relatively short period of time, humans and their technological arsenal have driven most shark populations to the verge of extinction.
This is bad news for the world's oceans. Sharks are the top predator in the ocean and are vital to its ecosystem. The rapid reduction of sharks is disrupting the ocean's equilibrium, according to Peter Knights, director of WildAid International.
"These are ecosystems that have evolved over millions and millions of years," said Knights. "As soon as you start to take out an important part of it, it's like a brick wall, you take out bricks [and] eventually it's going to collapse."
When sharks attack humans, it inevitably makes news - it is a sexy story. What is rarely reported is that worldwide, sharks kill an average of 10 people every year. It's usually when people venture into a shark's habitat and not the other way around. By contrast, humans kill around 100 million sharks every year - a number that has ballooned in recent years because of the enormous demand for shark fins to make shark fin soup. Lisa Ling visits 'ground zero' in battle to protect sharks »
Shark fin soup alters an ecosystem - CNN.com
One part that really grabbed my attention was the fishing of shark for the popular Asian dish, shark fin soup. The footage was truly disturbing as the sharks were caught, de-finned, and thrown back into the ocean. They eventually drown after a long and painful death. It's truly disgusting. Over 100 million sharks are killed every year, solely for their fins.
Here's more info, along with some video footage:
KAOSHIUNG, Taiwan (CNN) -- There is no animal on earth more vilified than the shark. Pop culture references and annual, over-hyped reports of attacks on swimmers or surfers have put sharks on the top of the list of the world's most feared living things.
There is however, a creature far more predacious than the shark: Humans.
Sharks existed before there were dinosaurs and they pre-date humans by millions of years. Yet, in a relatively short period of time, humans and their technological arsenal have driven most shark populations to the verge of extinction.
This is bad news for the world's oceans. Sharks are the top predator in the ocean and are vital to its ecosystem. The rapid reduction of sharks is disrupting the ocean's equilibrium, according to Peter Knights, director of WildAid International.
"These are ecosystems that have evolved over millions and millions of years," said Knights. "As soon as you start to take out an important part of it, it's like a brick wall, you take out bricks [and] eventually it's going to collapse."
When sharks attack humans, it inevitably makes news - it is a sexy story. What is rarely reported is that worldwide, sharks kill an average of 10 people every year. It's usually when people venture into a shark's habitat and not the other way around. By contrast, humans kill around 100 million sharks every year - a number that has ballooned in recent years because of the enormous demand for shark fins to make shark fin soup. Lisa Ling visits 'ground zero' in battle to protect sharks »
Shark fin soup alters an ecosystem - CNN.com
