The number of sharks killed per year is unthinkable
A report published in July 2013 in the journal Marine Policy revealed that some 100 million sharks are killed by humans every year. The journal adds that the number of sharks killed could actually be anywhere between 63 million and 273 million. A figure we find hard to believe.
In contrast, only 12 humans were killed worldwide by sharks in 2011, according to National Geographic. The highest death toll in 20 years. In 2012, only 8 people died as a result of a shark attack.
Here are some dynamic figures that may puzzle you about the number of sharks killed each year:
Since you opened this page, 40 sharks have been killed – that’s 3 per second!
In a 2009 report, theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature noted that a third of deep-sea sharks are threatened or near-threatened with extinction due to overfishing. According to the Shark Conservation Initiative website, many sharks are killed, often inhumanely, for the Asian delicacy of fin soup.