Chinese are killing Whale Sharks!

Whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world, can have a body length extend to at least 13 m long, and can weigh up to 22 tons. Whale shark are grey with a white belly and its skin is marked with pale yellow spots and stripes which is unique to each individual. Unlike other sharks, the whale shark is a filter feeder that feeds on planktons and tiny fishes. This makes it extremely harmless to humans. These giants can be found in tropical and warm-temperate seas throughout the world. Usually swimming alone, whale sharks sometimes aggregate together at several coastal sites such as the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where snorkeling with whale sharks has become a tourist attraction.

Unfortunately, whale sharks are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its long life span, late maturation, and strong human impact such as shark fin trade, ocean water pollution, and coastal development. China lists whale shark under Category Two of its national list of protected wild animals, making it illegal to hunt and trade. However, many uneducated Chinese fisherman are killing whale sharks for their fins to make shark fin soup, a traditional delicacy with special texture that is actually unhealthy for human due to the biomagnification of heavy metals. These illegal activities have a huge impact on the ocean ecosystem since sharks play an important role in the marine ecosystem, which the whole destruction may occur without the presence of these top predators. Educating Chinese fishermen the importance to protect ocean, stopping shark finning, and letting Chinese government putting more effort on marine conservation are the major keys to protect whale sharks.

One way to save whale sharks is to donate to WWF:

Donation Website address: https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/species-adoptions/whale-shark.aspx

The best ways to save whale sharks are telling people around the importance of sharks and letting anyone eating shark fin soup stop their destructive action.