Sharks have ruled the oceans for over 400 million years, but now
a brutal online trade is pushing them to the brink of extinction –
their jaws carved out and sold as trophies on Amazon.
A recent study found that nearly 2/3rds of wildlife products
offered online are from sharks – and 73% of those came from
endangered shark species!
But some platforms like eBay have recently revised their
policies, which has led to fewer shark trophy listings. So we
know it’s possible! Let’s call on Amazon to follow suit and ban any
shark product from their platforms – join our call:
Amazon: Stop selling shark products - update your
policies now!
Over the past 50 years, more than half of all sharks and rays
have disappeared due to overfishing, bycatch, poaching and
habitat loss. Three-quarters (75%) of sharks and rays are now
threatened with extinction.
Most sharks play a crucial role in marine ecosystems as predators
and apex predators. When they disappear, complex food webs fall
apart like a house of cards, threatening the health of our oceans
and, as a consequence, our climate.
Wildlife product trade, especially online, has been booming and
adding to the tremendous pressure on sharks. Most online sellers
have policies on wildlife trade in place, but many are still too
weak or not transparent enough, acting more as greenwashing for the
platforms than actual wildlife protection.
The good news is that some online sellers like eBay have recently
updated their shark product policies, which has already led to a
significant reduction in shark product listings. The bad news is
that researchers assume the products have just moved to other
platforms like Amazon or Etsy with weaker policies.
But if we make *all* online platforms update and commit to
strict shark protection policies, it could eventually lead to no
more shark products sold online, and take some of the pressure
off these highly endangered animals. Let’s call on Amazon and other
online sellers to follow eBay’s example now!
Amazon: Protect the sharks - update your policies
now!
*It's International Shark Month!* Thanks to efforts by
scientists, conservationists and influencers the sharks’ reputation
has shifted – away from the “Jaws”-fueled image of a brainless
monster towards that of a sentient, intelligent being. And our
community has taken action on so many shark issues, from stopping
the shark fin trade to ending the slaughtering of sharks to make
squalene for the cosmetics industry. Let’s do it again and help
protect all the sharks.
