OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Millions of sharks are killed every year through shark finning. Their fins are cut off while they're still alive and then they're dumped back into the ocean. Those declining shark numbers concerned one local zoology teacher, and with the help of his students, they're raising awareness to the issue.
"People need to be aware of sharks the ocean in general, because 80% of our oxygen who knows how much food comes out of the ocean," says Pat Purkhiser, Zoology Instructor at Diventures. Purkhiser says in order to have a healthy ocean, you need to have the strongest predators, sharks, thriving. That's where the issue of declining shark numbers comes into play, which can be attributed to over fishing and shark finning.
"Between 100-200 million sharks a year are taken out of the ocean, they're finned, and then they throw the living shark back in the ocean," says Purkhiser.
The fins end up in products like Shark Fin Soup, which you can buy at Asian Family Market in Omaha. "I would love to describe the whole process of where the shark actually comes from because I guarantee if they knew how it actually got on their plate, they wouldn't eat it," says Lauren Southard, former student of Purkhiser.
Purkhiser continues to teach his students and hopes they will bring change. "Students are the future, we have to count on them to correct our wrongs," says Purkhiser.
To find out more information about DiVentures contact (402) 933-6251. To find out how you can help sharks visit FinsAttached.org.
