An estimated 73 million sharks are killed each year. It is estimated that 90 percent of large sharks have been wiped out regionally. For instance, 93-99 percent of all large sharks off the east coast of North America have been killed. Shark finning is the practice of catching a live shark, slicing off its fins with a hot knife blade and then dumping the still-living shark back in the ocean, where it drowns or bleeds to death.

Shark meat is not only tastless but its poisonous. Shark meat can have up to as much as 1,400 micrograms of Methyl-Mercury in one kilogram, the legal legal limit for consumption of methyl-mercury, set by the EPA, is 0.1 microgram per kilogram of body weight. The developing brain of the human fetus is very vulnerable to mercury, so consuming shark products while pregnant can result in mental disabilities in babies. There is also an association between mercury and autism. In adults, mercury can cause damage to the central nervous system and cardiovascular system. Mercury can also lower sperm count and cause sterility among men. I started this petition due to my love for sharks and the ocean and have decided to start with the state i live in and then expand.