Hobbies And Interests
Predators
Sharks have relatively few natural predators. They are rarely threatened by other animals and are more concerned with hunting than defending themselves. In the oceans, a shark's main predators are larger sharks and whales. More rarely, dolphins and giant squid may also prey on sharks. In river habitats, crocodiles are a shark's main predator. However, humans are the shark's biggest predator by far.
Pollution
Ocean pollution is a problem for sharks. Sources of pollution include oil spills and the dumping of harmful materials in the ocean. As well as being affected by the pollution in the water around the shark, this animal also consumes higher levels of pollution from its prey. Some of the harmful substances that sharks are affected are mercury and lead. This can also be a problem for humans if high levels are consumed in shark meat.
Trawler Nets
The large trawler nets that are used by fishing boats to catch fish such as tuna often catch a number of other sea animals, including sharks. Hooks that are baited for other fish can also catch sharks by mistake, often leading to the shark being killed in error.
Shark Fisheries
The demand for a number of shark products has led to overfishing. One commercially valuable shark product is its meat. The animal's skin is also used in a number of products such as bags and shoes. Other uses of shark products include shark oil as an ingredient in cosmetics and the use of shark cartilage in medicine.
Finning
One of the biggest dangers for a shark is the threat of being caught for its fin, which is used in shark fin soup. People can pay more than $100 dollars for a single bowl of this soup, particularly in Asia. According to the BBC, it took more than 28 million sharks to provide the number of fins that were imported into Hong Kong in 1999. In many cases, sharks are caught and thrown back into the water after their fins have been cut off. This is fatal for a shark as it prevents them from moving underwater and causes them to bleed heavily.