Mmmm! Extinction!

     An article by Caroline Foltz called "Extinction By The Bowl" is about the misunderstanding and over-hunting of sharks. The author explores why the hunting is futile, and how sharks have been stereotyped as monsters. The inhumane ways of humans wasteful hunting styles have caused the near extinction of more than just sharks.

    In America during 1825-1850 Americans were trying to control the Native Americans so they started slaughtering buffalo. They would kill whole herds just to take the pelts and tongues leaving the rest to rot and waste. The pelts and tongues were the most valuable parts so while Americans prioritized the money Native Americans were starving because they used their whole kill including the bladders of the animal! This wasteful hunting caused the population of buffalo and Native Americans to drop drastically. The article really reminded me of this history because it states, "To this day, a threat to our ocean and to our future lurks beneath the surface of global waters. Sharks- de-finned and slowly descending to the seafloor. Unable to move oxygen through their gills. Unable to escape an excruciating death. Familiar species, such as the Great Hammerhead, are already nearing extinction (Rigby, C.L. et al., 2019). The culprit is long-established practice known as shark finning" (Foltz). The cruel and wasteful kill is all for a bowl of soup made from the harvested fins that contain an unhealthy amount of mercury due to the sharks' feeding habits. 

    When you look at the two examples side by side you can really see that human beings love unnecessary hunting for trivial rewards. Soup that is unhealthy and money from buffalo tongues/pelts are great motivators for destructive behavior that leads to extinction. I hope people realize one day that their "delicacies" are destroying the true beauty of the world. By destroying one species you are destroying a working part of a carefully balanced ecosystem. So hopefully people will realize the world is better than an unhealthy bowl of soup.


Works Cited

  Foltz, Caroline. “Extinction by the Bowl.” SnoQap, 13 Aug. 2024, www.snoqap.com/ posts/2024/8/13/extinction-by-the-bowl.

    

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