Are you afraid to swim in the ocean? I am, but mostly because I’m terrified I’ll get swept under the water and drown. Being stung by a jellyfish also scares me.
Many people who are afraid to be in the ocean are afraid of the same thing – SHARKS!
Our fear of sharks stems from movies, mostly the Jaws movies. But those are MOVIES. It’s not real life. On average there are 140 shark attacks on humans around the globe, and only six are fatal. Think about the millions of people who go into the oceans around the world. Your chance of being harmed or killed by a shark is VERY SLIM. Yet people are still terrified of them.
Did you know that over 100,000,000 sharks are slaughtered globally each year. Yes, you read that number correctly. Most of the sharks are slaughtered for their fins to make fin soup which is in high demand in Asian countries.
Scientists estimate certain species of sharks have decreased in population by 90% or more.
The consequences of the rapidly drying shark populations will have be devastating for all creatures – including HUMANS.
There is a new documentary currently airing on Discovery+ called Fin that explores the devastating impact humans have on the world’s sharks, and why we NEED sharks, because without them, there will be dire consequences faced by all sea creatures, as well as humans.
Eli Roth, who is a film director, producer, editor, writer, and actor, has created a documentary called Fin. In this film, Roth travels around the world and meets with people involved with sharks (scientists, advocates to protect sharks and others) and discovers some HORRIFIC facts about what is happening to sharks around the world.
I’ll be honest. I tried to watch this all the way through twice, both times I had to look away and just LISTEN to it because I was sick to my stomach seeing what is being done to these magnificent creatures. Fisherman beating them to death with bats, others savagely cutting off their fins while they are STILL alive, and other unimaginable things.
I am an animal lover. Or more a creature lover. I won’t even kill insects unless I have no choice. I’ll do a “catch and release.”
I don’t have an issue with sharks. I think they are beautiful and amazing creatures. This is why I had a hard time watching this documentary. I just don’t have the stomach for it. Please know that I am a huge fan of horror films. I have no problem watch a zombie eating someone’s intestines. But that is just a movie. What is being done to the sharks is real horror.
It’s mind blowing to see THOUSANDS of shark fins, or hundreds of shark carcasses, just lying around like it’s trash. One man was even able to photograph 40,000+ fins drying on a roof top in Hong Kong. Forty thousand (or more!) sharks lost their lives just so someone can eat soup made out of their fin.
FYI… most of the shark fins that are consumed are prepared with toxic chemicals in order to make the meat edible. I guess you can say that is “karma” in a way. Not only that, people are foolish enough to purchase shark fin soup because it’s a “status” thing. That is just crazy! You want to flaunt that you have money, buy a fancy car – don’t kill innocent animals!
It’s not just the fin that people are after, but primarily it’s the fin. That’s like going around killing PEOPLE just so you can have their pinkies. It’s disgusting!
Overall this is a very interesting documentary. I can honestly say that I will NEVER look at sharks the same way again. I have always thought they were beautiful, intelligent creatures. Now I have even more respect for them and I would do what I could to protect them.
If you like documentaries, sharks, the environment, or you just want to learn about injustice in our world so that you can help make changes, go watch Fin, now playing on Discovery+. Please note that it can be very difficult to watch if you care about living creatures, regardless of what they are.
To learn more about Discovery+, visit DiscoveryPlus.com.
Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.