Warning: Sharks!

From an early age, Nemo and has taught me that sharks are the ultimate villain to be feared of. They are blood-thirsty, hostile, and just plain nasty. This mindset alone is the cause to my initial indifference to such a dramatic misfortune for the sharks. Why would people want to protect such a fearful creature? However, I am not cold blooded. I simply wasn't educated. Sharkwater is a documentary with a powerful message that I've never pondered upon. I've never viewed shark fin soup more than a mere luxury dish in the Chinese culture. Of course, nobody told me anything, nor did I have enough curiosity to find out more. Finally, I get my fair share of knowledge on sharks. First, the sheer number scares me. More than 10000 sharks are killed each hour! Doesn't matter what creature it is, that's still some massive killing right there. Maybe it wouldn't have triggered my attention too much if it wasn't for that sharks aren't as bad as we thought they were. In reality, they contribute to our environment and ecosystem by preying on fishes that eat plankton, an organism that consumes carbon dioxide and in turn, releases oxygen. Obviously, we can't have all the plankton eaten, right?

Anyway, the whole shark massacre is ridiculously unnecessary. The industry catches all these sharks, take off their fins and other "useful" parts, then disregard the rest of the body back into the ocean. What's the point of shark fin soup? Nothing. It's simply a part of an outdated tradition. They serve absolutely no valid purpose, not even for taste. It's just used to texturize an ordinary soup, and bam! You've got yourself a "luxurious" bowl of "holy" soup that you can serve on important ceremonies.

I don't blame anyone for being ignorant, because I was too. We just need to get the words out there, so more people can understand the severity of this unfortunate happening. People need to be educated, that's all. I'm glad movies such as Sharkwater exists, so the world can see the other side of the story. Maybe next time, Steven Spielberg can make a sequel to Jaws, called Hands.