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Shark Victims Testify To Save Attackers

It is one of the biggest fears known to man: The thought of a gigantic fearsome beast ascending from deep, dark waters to munch on its latest victim—You. The shark has been the epitome of human fear of the water for years, and has indeed emerged as a sort of pop culture phenomenon. From the “Jaws” movies, to the annually anticipated “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel, to multiple appearances in animated film, television shows, comic books, and novels about the dangers of the open ocean, the shark as a species is perhaps as much embraced by our society as it is feared. And who could forget Dr. Evil’s ongoing want of “sharks with laser beams attached to their heads” for his evil birthday gift in the Austin Powers series?

Though most of us rank a shark attack as among our most unimaginable fears, however, many people have lived through encounters with the huge fish and have come to respect the species. Yesterday, nine victims testified before congress to help bolster the popularity of the Shark Conservation Act of 2009, which would “strengthen the ban on shark finning in US waters and encourage shark conservation programs around the world,” said the full press release. Finning is the process by which sharks are hunted, captured, and basically tortured for their fin meat, a famous delicacy in Asia (the process usually begets fishermen slicing off a shark’s fin and throwing the badly damaged animal back into the ocean for other ocean predators to prey on). Shark meat fetches a good price at market, and the species has for years been hunted at an alarming rate.

To read the full press release, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/15/9-shark-attack-victims-to_n_233130.html.

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by M. Molendyke

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